Interactive Microsoft Mix Lessons!

Hi there! To round up our yearly eTips, we will be looking at using Microsoft Office Mix, specifically the creation of quiz and poll assessment within the mix to enhance teaching and learning.

Just in case you are not aware of what Office Mix is, Office Mix is a free plug-in for Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 that empowers users to swiftly convert presentations and slide decks into interactive online lessons!

Yes, with Office Mix, it is really easy, intuitive and quick to mix videos, quizzes and other content to make learning more engaging. This is particularly pertinent for educators as teachers are able to record themselves doing the following:

·         Presenting

·         Writing on the slides

·         Include screen captures and screen recordings

·         Incorporate quizzes, polls and other secure web-based elements

Such recordings could be paused, enabling teachers to collect their thoughts such that they are really assured of communicating what they wish to convey to the learners. The web camera could also be switched on and off. And presenters could also “erase” what they have written on a slide during the recording.

So here is a recap on why Office Mix is so empowering as an ICT tool for teaching and learning!

At the same time, it facilitates pedagogy.

In a nutshell, this really contributes to active learning – vital in this era of higher education and 21^stCentury Learning.  

So, to check on students’ understanding, Office Mix offers the following quiz and poll types:

• Free Response Quiz
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Multiple Response Poll
• True False Quiz

How to quiz or poll your learners?

Follow the steps to learn how to insert a quiz in your Mix:

Alternatively, you can check out the demo by accessing Slide 7 in the Mix here.

And follow the steps to learn how to insert a poll in your Mix:

Otherwise, you can check out the demo by accessing Slide 13 in the Mix here.

Also, we would like to share with you some Office Mix Hacks that will contribute to an efficient lesson design.

And here are some useful web resources

• Online video tutorials at Office Mix website
• Example Mixes at the online gallery on Office Mix website
• Web article on significance of flipping student and workplace learning for professional development
• Web article on suitability of Office Mix for the ‘Flipped Classroom’ blended learning approach

Overall, Office Mix’s ease of use and myriad of tools offers a good approach for turning presentations into interactive online lessons which students could refer to outside of the classroom anytime and anywhere. Do try it out and share with us how you have used the Quiz function to review students’ understanding. ^_^b 💗

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Conveniently using Internet Explorer to download Sharepoint files!

Hello!

Welcome back to another tidbit. In this post, we'll be sharing about how we can use Internet Explorer as our file browser to download files from Sharepoint!

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Using Data to Improve Student Achievement

Dear colleagues

In the context of education, data is a synonym for information. Data can be words, numbers, or observations that are collected systematically, usually for a specific purpose. 

Research tells us

• Planned use of data is a common characteristic of high-performing schools
• Successful use of data to drive decision making results from a strategic focus on specific issues.
• Translating data into priorities, goals and strategies requires that data are clearly linked to school-planning and decision-making processes.

Changes in Teacher Practice

As a result of using data to drive educational decision making, teachers report:

• greater differentiation of instruction
• greater collaboration among staff
• increased sense of teacher efficacy 
• improved identification of students' learning needs

I am pleased to share with you an excel template the Mathematics Department has developed to do marks analysis for individual questions for Mathematics paper. The template is able to analyse the results of individuals/classes/cohort based on the marks attained by the students.

Below are some examples (but are not limited to) for your consideration:

• Example 1 (English and Mother Tongue):

Comprehension involved different answering skills and techniques. Using the excel template, we are able to clearly identify the specific questions (and the techniques involved) which the students answered incorrectly. When we are doing error analysis, we are able to surface it to the team of teachers and seek to improve on the processes involved.

• Example 2 (Sciences):

It is relatively easy to do error analysis for MCQs as we can identify the percentage of students choosing each option. Imagine you are able to do that for the other sections as well! You will be able to see the percentage of responses for those short-answered questions and structured essays too!

• Example 3 (Humanities)

Ever wondered the exact number of students who chose to do Essay Question A over Essay Question B? Wondering if the students are avoiding certain 'difficult' topics because they lack the confidence to answer them? Now you can have a clearer picture on the number of students who attempted the different questions and their percentage of marks attained.

In conclusion, the conversations and collaborations that arise from teachers' use of data to plan for improvement can strengthen the link between teaching practice and success for students. While it may be time consuming, it offers an insight to our students' learning and I assure you that the end product is worth the effort. Please feel free to look into the template to customize it to the needs of your department.  The respective department eCoaches will always be ready to help!

You may wish to access the link here for more information on the academic paper 'Using Data to Improve Student Achievement' and the Marks Template.

Happy holidays! 

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11 New OneNote Features Tidbit!

By now, most of us would have updated our SSOE machines and have access to Microsoft 2013. Aren't you enjoying the new interface and features? OneNote, in particular, has gone through much changes. Check out the new improvements below that will make our work as teachers much easier!

Hope this brings you on board the OneNote bandwagon! If you're curious to read more about using Microsoft tools in education, do check out the latest May/June 2016 issue of The Innovative Educator!

If you have any other tricks or tips, do let us know via the comments!

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Leveraging on Microsoft Publisher for Real-World Context of Feature Articles

This month, for CGS ICT e-Tips, we will be taking a look at a much overlooked tool that comes with Microsoft Office - MS Publisher.

MS Publisher is a lightweight alternative to professional layout softwares such as Adobe InDesign. Being intuitive to those who are frequent users of MS Word, it is the perfect option for teachers to use to expose students to creating publications with having to deal with the fuss of having to teach the ins and outs of a publishing software.

This post looks at how MS Publisher is able to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. To illustrate the features of publisher, an example of how it was used to teach Feature Articles is used.

As per any lesson, students will first learn the fundamentals of a Feature Article using the steps shown above before starting on the creation of their own articles. In this examples, students learnt the structure and the language used in Feature Articles before they crafted their own.

Through this lesson, the above mentioned 21st Century Skills were chosen to give students an idea of how a corporate publishing company functions. With these skills in mind, MS Publisher was chosen to:
(1) allow students to think of the best way to organise the layout of their feature article taking into consideration both visuals and texts;
(2) the ease of using a software so that the main aim, which is writing the article, will not be overshadowed by the technicalities of the software used.

Here are some samples showcasing various groups and how they have used the different features of MS Publisher. The students were given the same time as other classes using the pen-and-paper method, yet, they were still able to complete the writing task, as well as take into consideration audience appeal.

On the whole, MS Publisher gives the students exposure to a real-world context without compromising on the necessary exam skills. If you try this out in your classroom, do let us know how it went!

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Microsoft Office 365 Contact Lists and Groups Tidbit!

Hello there!

This time round for tidbits, we will be teaching you how you can create Contact List and Contact Groups on our Microsoft Office 365! 

We understand how convenient it would be for teachers to use Contact list for sending emails to groups of teachers and/or students! Hence, we thought we would create an article for you to refer to, whenever you need to. Also, we would be covering in summary the differences between a Contact List and a Contact Group.

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OneNote Classroom - An Example of Classroom Use in Art Lessons!

Hello! Welcome back to CGS ICT e-Tips. 

For the month of February, we’re revisiting Microsoft One Note, but this time, it is OneNote for Classrooms! In this version of OneNote, Microsoft has included many more functions, which you’ll find really useful and suitable for your classroom teaching!

If you’ve not heard of what Microsoft OneNote is from us in 2015, you can read about it here!

So what’s new with OneNote Classroom? 

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Previously we mentioned how easy it was to create sections and pages for classes and students but this time, with OneNote Classroom, the application does it for you! Simply create a Notebook and start adding co-contributors/ editors and then pick the class or group you are making this Notebook for.

To start, name your Notebook! For easy referencing, I named the Notebook according to the topic I was teaching, and which class it was for.

After naming your Notebook, you will be shown what sections and pages are included in your Notebook.

Next, I added my co-contributor(s) / editor(s). 

And then I proceeded to add the class this Notebook was intended for. [NEW FEATURE! YAY!]

After which, I had an option to choose what I would like to have in each student’s private space. I wasn’t setting any quizzes for the students, hence, I have unchecked the box for that category.

Then, I was shown what the preview would be like.

The application provided me with a link to use for easy access with my students. The application also sent an email to all the students that have been added to this Notebook to inform them that a Notebook has been created by me, for them. Of course, if you would like, you can follow-up with another email stating any further instructions for them pertaining to the Notebook.

To access the Notebooks I’ve created, I simply went to the top right hand corner of my Microsoft Outlook (on browser mode) and click on the Grid Icon to drop down a navigation bar to access my OneNote Online.

Upon clicking the Notebook I’ve created for the class, I was delighted to find a section that was dedicated to guiding any first-time users! It was a comprehensive guide to setting up and using the different functions available in this version. Every Notebook created under Microsoft OneNote Classroom would have this section featured too.

However, I felt that the guide wasn’t necessary to be left in my Notebook as it might confuse the students with the real lesson material I would be uploading later onto the Notebook, so I deleted the section entirely. (Disclaimer: you are advised to delete this only if you’ve read and understood the functions available. As once the section and pages have been deleted, it is no longer retrievable. Unless you create a new Notebook again.)

The pages under the “Welcome” Section has also included tips and ideas by Microsoft that are useful and interesting. I would recommend browsing through the contents if you have the time!

It was also a relief to know that in case I didn’t know what or how to tell my students the use of this Notebook, Microsoft has a page specially for my referral. It definitely is useful!

Under my sections, I’ve also found that there were pages that could be dedicated for Collaboration (21CLD) and the construction of knowledge. This function is especially useful for getting students to discuss.

Clicking on each individual student will drop down a navigation for either one of the Homework, Class Notes & Handouts. As a teacher, I could choose to upload assignment brief onto the Handouts Tab, where students can refer to easily.

There were options for me to personalize the section as well as to delete or add new sections.

Here are some examples of how I have used OneNote Classroom for one of our Art Lessons on designing Personal Logo.

Students were asked to upload their completed image of their logos onto their personal tabs, under "Homework".

It made it convenient for me to access and have an overview of the entire class' submissions and also see their write-ups. It also helped me to keep up-to-date of any missing submissions.

Overall, OneNote Classroom is really a good way to get students to submit work or documents online. It eases the need to mark physical scripts and having to carry around stacks of paper!

We hope this eTip has given you a good introduction to how OneNote Classroom can be easily adapted to any lesson! Do try it out and share with us how you've used OneNote in your classroom! (^_^)

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Chronos Tidbit!

Hello there!

We hope you’ve had a good start to the year so far! We understand that as teachers, we are all busy with setting test dates and deadlines for students. Hence, we thought we’d help you a little with organizing your online calendar, Chronos!

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We know it can get a little overwhelming when we refer to our many calendars with the various previous and present classes and committees, so why not delete calendars which we might not be referring to?

To remove yourself from a particular calendar, simply click on the top left hand navigation button.

Select “Manage Calendars”.

Search for your name under the list of contributors and then click on the delete action.

Click “OK” to the prompt.

And you should be removed from the particular calendar (this includes removing any events that were under the calendar as well).

Please do note that if you would like to regain access to the calendar, you will need to approach anyone who has rights to the calendar to reissue the rights to you. e.g. The OIC to the CCA calendar that you wish to have rights to.

We hope this little tidbit to Chronos has been useful for you!

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Welcome

Hello! 

Welcome to Crescent Girls’ School’s ICT e-Tips site! Here, you’ll find plenty of bite-sized info about uses of applications or technology that would be interesting in your daily teaching and learning experiences! (: 

We hope that this site serves as a useful platform in giving you idea to create innovative lesson ideas or simply just to make your life easier. If you have any exciting discoveries and would like to share it with the family, please do drop us an email & we would definitely love to have your sharing featured!

Look forward to a year full of adventures with us! (:

Have a wonderful 2016!

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