It's Computer Science Education Week and students across the globe are learning to code, program, debug and more. For me, this week is the perfect time to share with my students something I enjoy so much. I'm not sure why I love coding but, ever since I learned how to create programs using QBasic back in high school, I love tinkering with code. It is such a rewarding feeling of accomplishment when you can create something out of nothing. I now mostly dabble in HTML but I love block coding, too, especially when it comes to introducing my students to coding. I have mostly used Scratch during Hour of Code or as part of a CS First Coding Club, but I'm hoping to eventually try coding in Minecraft and programming robots such as the Sphero or Ollie. For my younger primary students, however, I have been wanting to try something a little more simplified, such as Scratch Jr, but when I attended Steven Floyd's workshop at OECTA’s Technology Summit: Get Your Head Out of Your Apps conference last spring, I discovered the perfect solution - the Bee-Bot floor robot.  

Thanks to Canadian Classroom, I finally get to test out Bee-Bot in my classroom, just in time for Hour of Code. Since I teach French, I wanted to have a set of sequence cards that students can manipulate while waiting for their turn to program Bee-Bot. The creator in me just couldn't help but make my own set using Google Drawings. I even drew Bee-Bot, too! If you would like to try unplugged programming, feel free to download the sequence cards by clicking on the thumbnail below. 

Even if you don't have a Bee-Bot, you can still use the cards to "program" students as they move throughout the classroom. Our classrooms have tiled floors and each square is the perfect size for a student to stand inside. I designate a starting tile, add a couple of obstacles such as chairs, and a destination. Then students can use the sequence cards and dictate instructions in French. No computers required!

Teach Spanish? I created a Spanish version of the sequence cards which you can download by clicking on the thumbnail below.

Stay tuned as I share my first Bee-Bot experiment, as well as some handy resources from Canadian Classroom. Oh, and happy coding!

Last fall, when I attended the second annual Toronto GAFE Summit, I attended a session that introduced me to a brilliant classroom tool known as Plickers. I know, I know. Plickers has been around for a few years and I've seen plenty of teachers tweet about how much they love using Plickers in the classroom. But it wasn't until I experienced it first-hand that I realized it was a neat tool worth trying with my own students. The best part? It is pretty low-tech. And in a school of around 600 students with only 30 netbooks and 30 iPads available, that spells good news!

Plickers is a simplified version of clickers where students can share their responses in real-time. The catch? Students do not need any devices. All they require is a Plickers card with a unique shape similar to a QR code. Each side of the shape is labelled A, B, C or D and will correspond to the multiple choice selection. 

Teachers will begin by creating a class list on Plickers.com, thereby assigning students a unique number, and distributing Plickers cards to students based on that number. The teacher can either dictate questions and answer choices out loud or create questions on Plickers.com and project them onto a screen. Once students have selected their answer, they will rotate their card until the letter representing their choice is on top and show the teacher. The teacher will scan their response with the Plickers app (available on iOs and Android) which uses your smart phone or tablet's built-in camera to record their answers within a matter of seconds. 

Plickers is a simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices. You can use Plickers for quick checks for understanding, anonymous voting, self-assessment, exit tickets, and more. Plickers also gives all students the chance to participate and engage in learning without feeling self-conscious. 

As a fan of Plickers, I recently decided to become a Plickers ambassador and share my experience with this fun low-tech tool. In the upcoming weeks, I hope to post tips and tutorials such as how to store Plickers cards and how to export reports, but in the meantime, if you ever have any questions, you can always post them below and I will do my best to help.

Ever since I was a child, I loved math. I loved how straightforward simple math equations were, the ways we could manipulate them in algebra and how useful they were in geometry. I loved math so much that I would often skip ahead to the next chapter and explore concepts before we covered them in class, which meant I was usually ahead of the class. In grades 7 and 8, I jumped at the opportunity to participate in Gauss Mathematics contests and thrived later in high school when I elected to study calculus under the direction of any equally passionate math instructor. I remember being surrounded by several of my peers who harboured a love of math and the feeling of pride that I felt when I could provide a different solution to the same problem that no one else had thought of. In fact, my strong abilities in math were a great boost to my self-confidence during a period of my life where I didn't quite fit in socially.

Now that I have kids of my own who are growing up in a digital age, I believe that math and computational skills are more important than ever before. I have to remind myself, however, that math doesn't come easily to everyone as it did for me. While my son has been able to quickly grasp math concepts, my daughter has built up a wall of resistance. I don't know exactly what the reason may be but, when it comes to doing math homework, she doesn't want to do it. In short, she hates it. And that breaks my heart. We have tried supporting her with her homework, purchasing additional math practice workbooks and flash cards, and have even contemplated enrolling her in an after-school program. What I am slowly discovering is that, once we remove the pressures of completing math activities under our watchful eye and replace it with something that is fun, engaging and targeted to her needs, learning math can actually be fun. And I have Mathletics to thank for it.

What is Mathletics?

Mathletics is an online educational resource that is transforming the way students learn math. Designed to support students in a supportive environment, Mathletics targets and adapts content based on the learning pace of each individual child and aligns with provincial math curricula in Canada. The program offers a Concept Search feature where children can find an interactive and visual dictionary of mathematical terms, a variety of problem solving puzzles that explore real-world math problems, and, for younger children, Rainforest Math, a vibrant area of Mathletics with easier activities.

For the past month, both of my children have been testing out the Mathletics program. Off the bat, I knew it would be well-received by both of them because they were able to download the tablet version on their iPad Minis. This gives them a better sense of ownership and allows them greater freedom to practice their math skills at a time that is best suited to them. They have the option of selecting "something easier" if they are struggling or "something harder" if they want to challenge themselves. My only requirement is that they each complete a certain number of activities of their own choosing where they achieve a gold bar. This means they have successfully completed 85% of the activity. The good thing is that they can attempt an activity as many times as they like and will still get points for every correct answer. Plus, they receive real-time results with automatic marking and, as they progress in understanding, the activity automatically adapts to their level. 

As a parent, I love the ability to monitor their progress by way of weekly reports that summarize the number of times my children have signed in, the total length of time spent and the number of points they have earned. It also details which curriculum activities they have attempted and how well they scored. I also have the option of signing into the Family Centre and assigning particular tasks so that the next time they sign in, those must be completed first. For example, my daughter has spent a lot of time on Number and Place Value activities, so I have assigned tasks from Multiply and Divide Facts. 

While the gamification elements of earning points and certificates in Mathletics motivates my kids to improve their math skills, I have found that LIVE Mathletics has been the greatest motivator. LIVE Mathletics matches them up with kids from all over the world in a real-time, fast-paced challenge where they must answer mental math questions in a 60 second time limit. My kids are so amazed when they get to compete with kids as far away as Australia and have so much fun, they lose track of time. I was a little hesitant at first because I was concerned about privacy. However, there is no direct communication and student details are kept anonymous. Plus, I was reassured to learn that Mathletics is fully compliant with the most recent data privacy legislation ("FIPPA", "PIPEDA" and "PIIDPA) and all student data highly encrypted and stored on secure servers based in Canada. So, not only are my kids having fun, I can enjoy peace of mind while they play and learn online. As an added bonus, Mathletics activities can be downloaded directly to their tablets so that they keep up their practice while on the road.

Mathletics is available for students in grades K-10. Parents can purchase a 3-month subscription for as little as $35. Half year and full year subscriptions are also available. For more information, please visit Mathletics.ca.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by 3P Learning, the makers of Mathletics. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Over the next few weeks, I will be participating in a HyperDocs Bootcamp online course delivered by the EdTechTeam and learning all about a transformative digital tool that will take student learning to a whole new level. The HyperDoc Handbook: Digital Lesson Design Using Google Apps, which is currently on sale for half price, was written by Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton and Sarah Landis and aims to shift our teaching practice as well as the student learning experience by replacing the worksheet method of delivering instruction. The course is a study of the book taught by the authors themselves via Google Groups and Google Hangouts and will give participants an opportunity to transform their lessons into an interactive and engaging HyperDoc experience that will allow for greater creativity and collaboration. 

Our first assignment was to find a creative way to define HyperDoc and we were given free reign to select an edtech tool of our choosing. I opted to draw a sketch note in the style of the uber talented Sylvia Duckworth using the Tayasuii Sketches II app on my iPad. Le voilà!

Click here for a French version of a HyperDoc template.

For the longest time, I have been thinking about how I can share useful websites with my students and their parents to help them practice their French at home. This is guaranteed to be on every parent's mind when they come in for curriculum night and parent-teacher interviews. In the past, I have resorted to providing a brochure with some links typed up but the urls were often lengthy or, in some cases, they would no longer work. Then there was always the possibility of the brochure being misplaced. For the most part, I would list general sites since in any given year I could be teaching grade 1 all the way to grade 8. This was clearly not the best option for sharing online resources with parents. This is why I am making the switch to Symbaloo EDU. 

Symbaloo EDU is a free social bookmarking site that allows to you manage all your resources in the cloud by creating visually appealing webmixes that can be shared, updated, and even embedded into a web site. They can be accessed anywhere through the Internet and on any device. You can also created "lesson plans" that will guide students from tile to tile, where you can direct them to a useful website, have them watch an embedded video, embed a file from your Google Drive and have them complete a quiz before advancing to the next tile, all at their own pace. Finally, teachers can create their own Personal Teaching/Learning Environments and use them as their homepage for quick access to educational sites and resources.

Above is an example of Symbaloo EDU webmix I created for my Primary French students complete with fun videos and several Quizlets on key vocabulary we cover throughout the year. The best part is that I can add to or edit it whenever I like and they will always have the most updated links. 

Tip: You can create a customized shortened url so that parents and students can easily remember it. I use bit.ly: bit.ly/prfrench

If you've been using Symbaloo.com and are curious about how it differs from Symbaloo EDU, the main difference is the content that you start with. SymbalooEDU accounts come with preset educational webmixes preinstalled that are continuously updated with the latest and greatest educational sites recommended by Symbaloo Certified educators, such as yours truly.

Over the next few weeks, I am going to attempt my first French Symbaloo EDU lesson plan. If you are an FSL teacher who has already completed one, feel free to share via the comments below.

Sometimes I think I make a better student than a teacher. And I am pretty much convinced that, if I were a student in this day in age, I would be thriving and having the time of my life. It's the geek in me that finds herself drawn to all things techy and for that I make no apologies. But information and computer technology has changed a whole lot since I was a kid where keyboarding was an actual course you could take in high school and Qbasic was the code of the times. I know. I just dated myself. 

Yet, here's the thing: How can we possibly prepare our students for a future that will be so tech driven, in a world where the careers they will pursue likely don't yet exist, if we fail to embrace educational technology into our teaching practices? This is why I was so eager to complete an additional qualification on Information and Computer Technology part 1 last winter. I am also planning on taking part 2 this summer, updating my Google Educator status to Google Certified Educator and completing an online EdTechTeam bootcamp course on HyperDocs. So when I learned that Symbaloo EDU offered a certification program, I had to jump right on it, too. It was fairly straightforward and easy to do but it also inspired me to try new things with Symbaloo EDU. I can't wait to play around with their new Lesson Plans feature! In the meantime, you can read about how I plan on using Symbaloo EDU to share useful French sites with parents and students, and have a peak at my Personal Teaching/Learning Environment.

Over the last few years, classrooms have evolved to accommodate project based learning opportunities in the area of STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. As a result, there is a growing trend of toys and gadgets that aim to engage kids in educational play by introducing them to STEAM concepts. One such gadget is the 3D Magic ImagiPen.

The ImagiPen allows kids to create 3D drawings by using a special no-heat pen that has a built-in UV light, which allows kids to build creations in mid-air. The kit includes an ImagiPen, one blue gel cartridge, one green gel cartridge, an ImagiPen docking station, a cleaning tool, and two free-play stencils. Batteries are not included.

For our first project, my daughter and I decided to recreate the Eiffel Tower. Using a template we found online, we traced the designs by placing the free-play stencils on top of the template and tracing it. We placed the stencils on the window sill to cure for a couple of hours and once we had all the pieces we needed, we began to assemble our Eiffel Tower. 

It took us a while to get the hang of using the 3D ImagiPen, especially since my daughter, who loves to draw, would use it like a ball-point pen. When creating flat pieces of art, you need to let the gel fall into place and be wary that it will remain wet for a while. We had to redo some of the pieces and even still, they weren't perfect. As such, some parts were difficult to stick together during assembly since not all the edges were perfectly straight. We simply considered this a lesson in engineering and design!

For the very top of the tower, we used the ImagiPen with the UV light setting so it dried in mid-air. It was a little too tall but the neat part is that, once it has cured, you can trim it with a pair of scissors. What you want to keep in mind is, when creating flat pieces, it can get a little messy if you accidentally touch the design while it's wet. The gel ended up on our hands more often than I cared for which is why I prefer using the ImagiPen to create vertical designs with the UV light on so it dries instantly before I can get my clumsy fingers all messy. 

The 3D Magic ImagiPen, designed for kids age 8 and up, is available online at imagipen.ca for $29.99 plus $8.99 for shipping and handling. I've also seen the ImagiPen on Toysrus.ca for the same price but you can save on shipping by selecting the free in-store pickup option.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Over the summer, I attended a Hangout entitled Cardboard on Air hosted by members of the EdTech Team. This was the first time I had heard about the possibility of using a smartphone to experience virtual reality with a viewer. By simply downloading the Google Cardboard app and using a Works with Google Cardboard certified viewer, you can transport yourself to places around the world and beyond without ever having to step through the door. Luckily for me, I was selected as the winner of one such viewer. Since then, I have been trying out the Google Cardboard app as well as additional VR apps to find ways I can bring it into the French classroom. 

If you happen to get your hands on a viewer that requires assembly, I have put together a 10-step tutorial with pictures. I believe the viewer I received is similar to a classic viewer which retails for $14.99 US. There are several variations of the Cardboard viewer which you can find here: google.com/get/cardboard/get-cardboard/. For Canadian orders, you can try your luck on Amazon.ca.

To learn more about how you could use Google Cardboard in the classroom, I recommend that you watch the archived Cardboard on Air video. Also, flip through Molly's Cardboard slideshow to find links to suggested VR apps, Cardboard Experience apps, links to must-see street views, and videos for Cardboard. 

Thanks again to Molly and the EdTech Team for the super cool prize!

Update: Molly has set up a very handy Google Site that pretty much sums up all the wealth of resources she has created and collected. Go ahead, Experience the World with Google Maps and Google Cardboard.

Last weekend, I was lucky to have attended the World Congress of Modern Languages Conference which took place in Niagara Falls. It was a chance to learn and collaborate with educators from across the globe, an opportunity that doesn't come around very often. Next year, the conference will take place in New Orleans. I'm not sure I will be able to make it out there but can you imagine how amazing that would be? The place is rich with culture!


While I ruminate on how I could possibly make that happen, you should watch this video taken during Friday night's reception. It shows Etienne performing one of my favourite songs "Aller" while conference attendees attempt a simple line dance for the first time on stage. Myself included! Avoir II is still my favourite and funny enough, it happens to be Justin Bieber's go-to French song, too!

Joining in for Wordless Wednesday this week? Link up your post below.

Fact: More than 29 million children across North America live in low-income households. Not surprisingly, these children often go without age-appropriate books at home. We all know that reading is important for a child's growth and development, and I firmly believe that it is beneficial to instil a love of reading at a very young age. Stop by my home and you will find it is full of books. New books. Old books. Pop-up books. Workbooks. And not to mention the dozens upon dozens of used books from when I had my own classroom. I felt fortunate  that my kids had their very own library and firmly believe it is why my little guy showed a love of reading at such a young age. Just watch this video of my two-year-old son 'reading' a bedtime story.

1. Start early. - Start as soon as your children are able to count and make money the topic of regular family discussions. And make it fun! Play a round of Monopoly or The Game of Life to teach the importance of making smart money decisions. Monopoly can help children learn the importance of budgeting and setting aside an emergency fund. The Game of Life demonstrates how focusing on education can increase earning potential. 
2. Want vs. need. - Don’t give children everything they ask for and don’t feel guilty about it. I know this is a tough one but it’s important that children understand the difference between needs and wants, and that they may have to wait to buy what they want. This will help encourage them to make sensible spending decisions.
3. Teach your child to save regularly and plan purchases. - Set up a process for saving money, whether in a piggy bank for young children or a bank account if they’re older. Regularly monitor to see how much they’ve saved and introduce goals for saving and planning larger purchases. You can find out which bank account on the market is best for your child's needs here. 
4. Money means choice. - Money is a finite resource, and therefore it is crucial for children to learn how to make wise choices about spending. If your kids are young, during story time read them a book that teaches the basics of budgeting and saving. Remember to chat through lessons-learned at the end. If you have a young adult, test out the Rewards Calculator on RateSupermarket.ca. It's a quick, four-step tool that identifies which available credit card provides the best rewards for your needs (cash back, travel, gas or specialty rewards) based on your current, everyday spending habits. 
5. Lead by example. - As a parent, you have a great deal of influence on your little ones, especially when it comes to financial habits. Children have a tendency to copy their parents’ behaviour, so be open about your spending habits and savings goals, and try to limit the amount of shopping trips you take as a leisure activity. They might start to think money is unlimited and spending is fun. 

To help you teach your little one about spending, saving and personal finance, RateSupermarket.ca is excited to offer a fun-filled prize pack with educational games & books valued at $75.

From now until March 29, 2015, neurons of all ages are invited to explore the amazing, ever-changing brain by embarking on an adventure of 'mass' proportions at the Ontario Science Centre with their newest exhibit BRAIN: The Inside Story. Learn about the bundle of neurons that form the human brain and how this control centre is connected to our thoughts, senses and feelings. As you enter the exhibit, you will walk through a forest of tangled wires and flashing lights that illustrate the numerous firing synapses inside the brain. 

Once inside you will be able to watch an introductory video projected on a giant brain model and learn about the various areas and functions of the brain. Test your knowledge of parts of the brain and reassemble a model at an interactive booth. 

You can view a side-by-side comparison of a healthy human brain versus a human brain with Alzheimer's Disease.

Dive deeper into the brain and explore how your brain processes emotion and stores memories.

  

Discover how the brain processes language, experience the Stroop Effect and challenge yourself with puzzles and games that probe neural connections and pathways. 

After sketching out a rough design, I used green, red, yellow and black felt to cut out the body, mouth, eyes and nose. Then came the hard part: sewing all the pieces together. I don't own a sewing machine so I resorted to the needle-and-thread method. You know, the one where I prick myself at least once twice thrice. While my stitching technique could use much improvement, I feel the Dimoitou puppet turned out just fine. 

I am putting together three sets of Dimoitou chez nous take-home bags, one for each of my grade 1 classes, which will contain a Dimoitou puppet, a Dimoitou chez nous journal, a pencil, a pack of pencil crayons to illustrate an activity, a book to read, a contents checklist and instructions for the parents as well as a vocabulary reference sheet should they want to attempt writing out a sentence. I am hopeful that students will be enthusiastic in sharing what they are learning with their families while caring for Dimoitou. If you'd like to make your own Dimoitou puppet, I have included my template for you below. (Click on the thumbnail to download a PDF copy.)

As one of Canada's longest-standing symphonic ensembles, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra has been offering programs for young people for the past 90 years. With the goal of inspiring a love of classical music in children and their families, the TSO welcomes over 80,000 children each season as part of their curriculum-based education programs. The TSO is a not-for-profit, charitable organization that boasts an incredible roster of 88 musicians which include acclaimed solo and chamber music artists and teachers in music faculties from across the continent. Established in the second season in 1924/1925, the TSO Young People's Concerts showcase classical music to children aged 2 to 12 in a way that is simple and fun.

As guests of the TSO, my son and I recently attended the Symphonic Spooks concert and joined families as well as musicians donning Halloween costumes as we listened to classic pieces by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Edvard Grieg, John Williams and more. My favourite was performed by Waldo, er, I mean, David Simon who played the extraordinary and unmistakeable theme from The Phantom of the Opera. It sent shivers up my spine, it was so beautiful!

The conductor that evening was Francesco Lecce-Chong who provided a brief introduction to each piece and encouraged audience members to join in a little dance during the "Dem Bones" number. Also performing on stage were the Tha Spot Halloween Dancers who were absolutely adorable.

Thinking back on how many toys the kids have had over the years, I am flabbergasted by the number of toys that served their purpose for a relatively short time. In some cases, my kids simply had no interest. In others, the kids outgrew them faster than the designer outfit their aunties bought for them for Christmas. With the exception of a really sweet party thrown together by colleagues at my first school here in Toronto, I never had a baby shower so we were very particular with what we purchased for our growing babies. Several toys the kids enjoyed in their toddler years were in fact handed down from my nephew or from my goddaughter once they no longer needed them, many of them bearing the Fisher-Price logo. These were the toys that I look back on with fondness, in addition to a must-have nursery item - the Fisher-Price Cradle N Swing - which I had purchased second-hand. Not only were they sanity-savers, they were extremely durable and withstood endless hours of play even after three or four children outgrew them. But just imagine if they could last even longer, adapting to developmental stages as your child grows, just like the new Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair!

One of the things my kids liked to do when they were infants was mimic mom and dad. They wanted to be just like the big people and the original Laugh & Learn chair was perfect for that. With the NEW Smart Stages Chair, little ones can do that and whole lot more. And with simple, straightforward assembly, mom and dad can have the chair ready in no time. It comes with five parts, screws and instructions which I suggest you read first. It took me less than five minutes to build before I realized that it is much easier to install the batteries first before assembling the rest of the chair. Also note that the conjoined rear legs have a protruding lip which helps prevent the chair from tipping backwards when baby tries to mimic daddy's infamous reclined position.

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair has a similar flip book as the original with brightly-coloured images.

In lieu of a lamp, the new chair has a light-up remote to help teach baby about numbers and shapes.

It also features a "magic" ABC seat that knows when baby sits, activating learning songs and phrases when baby stands. And the lift-up cushion is perfect for a fun game of peek-a-boo.

But what makes this chair so unique is the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages technology. It is what allows this chair to evolve with age-appropriate learning content that suits your child's learning stage, all with a flip of a switch.