Verizon grant enables Hamline Elementary to offer one-on-one instruction using iPads

Over 400 iPads being used by grades 2-5

by Tesha M. Christensen

Using iPads in the classroom has enabled Hamline Elementary School teachers to provide personalized instruction to their students.

And it’s making a difference. Kids are more excited about learning, and teachers report that they are more engaged.

Hamline Elementary (formerly Hancock-Hamline University Collaborative Magnet School) has been able to incorporate iPads thanks to a $50,000 two-year grant from the Verizon Foundation and the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE).

This past year Hamline had over 400 iPads deployed in grades 2-5. “In an end-of-the-year survey students reported increased interest in school work when using the iPad and increased access to information,” pointed out Hamline Principal Craig Anderson. “Teachers reported increased student engagement and ability to meet individual needs with different levels of curriculum when personalized through the use of technology.

All classrooms used the iPads several times during the day.

HOW ARE THE IPADS USED?

Teachers use the mobile devices to present to students, as an independent activity during work time in reading and math, and as a research tool. With the iPad, a teacher can also get instant feedback on lessons, and assess student understanding, noted Anderson.

They record information, make videos for learning, and take photos.

Plus they can collaborate with students and teachers around the world.

They use apps that help reinforce math and reading skills. Apps that motivate and engage. Apps that allow students to create technology projects. They play games and take quizzes.

“With the iPads, I am empowered to individualize lessons more quickly and efficiently,” noted fifth grade teacher Diane Smith, who appreciates seeing results in real time. “It takes so much less time than searching through printed material to find activities appropriate for each student's level. Students have the ability to master skills at their current level and then continue to move higher. They are self-motivated to advance their skills. We use the iPads everyday, pretty much all day in some capacity.”

With the iPads, Smith has begun to front load her classes, which is also known as incorporating a flipped classroom. Students view their lessons at home in the evening and then practice in class the next day.

“They use apps that allow them to show and record their work for me,” noted Smith. “I create interactive lessons. They are able to choose topics to study on the iPads and then create a finished project.”

Last year, Hamline partnered with wonderopolis.com, a web site with multi-disciplinary content that purposefully aligns to Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the STEM Educational Quality Framework, and Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. Through this partnership each student in grades 3-5 created a science fair virtual poster using gloogster.edu.

“Our students are making better and faster progress — it’s amazing,” Smith stated.

Smith watched one of her students, Shayd, dramatically increase her basic math skills over the course of the last school year by using an iPad. A shy student, Shayd has been more willing to take risks when she is working one-on-one with her iPad. She is also highly motivated to take on the next challenge.

Smith noted that the tutors from Hamline University tell the elementary students how they use technology in their college work. “The tutors help my students find information on the iPads during research projects,” said Smith. “They also show them tips that help them utilize the iPads more effectively. I feel my students know that they are learning to use this tool that will help throughout their educational career.”

FOCUS ON TEACHER TRAINING

The focus of the $50,000 grant is to help students develop the skills to support higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The grant provides Hamline staff with two years of on-site and virtual innovative training led by ISTE. The training is designed to prepare teachers to incorporate mobile technology into classroom learning with strategies that support STEM courses.

The Verizon Foundation launched the Verizon Innovative Learning School (VILS) program in 2012 to support 12 underserved STEM schools across the country in their goal to have their students STEM-ready for the future. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, by 2018 there will be approximately 18 percent growth in careers that require education in STEM fields.

It was such a success that Verizon Foundation doubled the number of grant recipients to 24 schools in 2013, expanding their reach to more than 12,000 students.

“The focus of the Verizon Foundation grant is professional development for teachers implementing a one-to-one technology initiative,” pointed out Anderson.

The grant provided Hamline with the money to have a technology coach and access to a consultant from ISTE, as well as hourly stipends for teachers to collaborate and spend time learning with the tech coach.

Teachers also participated in a full-day virtual conference and attend many webinars. They were also able to attend the ISTE national conference.

“The goal for the professional development was to meet individual teacher needs to customize and personalize the experiences,” observed Anderson.

He added, “The professional development helped teachers to integrate technology into every subject during the school day.”

“I’m so excited to continue the virtual training sessions and learn more that I can share with my students,” Smith said.

WHAT DOES 2014 HOLD?

This next year, Hamline will focus on refining and sharing its learning with each other and the district, according to Anderson.

“SPPS is going to personalize learning for students by implementing a one-to-one environment over the next two years,” Anderson remarked. “I hope the great things we started in year one will be extended in year two -- giving kids the ability to work at their ‘just right’ level during most of the day.”

For more information about the Verizon Foundation’s VILS program, visit http://www.verizonfoundation.org/our-focus/.

Local resident writing book on Charlie Chaplin’s movie ‘The Kid’

Carrie Pomeroy planning trip to Italy to research at the Chaplin Archive for her first book for young adults

by Tesha M. Christensen

Midway-Como resident Carrie Pomeroy has loved Charlie Chaplin and other classic movies since she was a kid. In November 2014, she will spend a week learning more about his life when she visits the Chaplin Archive at the Cineteca di Bologna in Bologna, Italy.

She’s able to take the trip thanks to a Literature Travel and Study grant from the Jerome Foundation.

The information Pomeroy gleans from the archives will be used in the nonfiction book for young adult readers that she’s writing about the making of Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 silent comedy “The Kid.”

The archive is the largest collection of Chaplin-related materials in the world, and in many cases, it’s the only place to access key documents related to her story.  “I’m especially looking forward to digging into the daily production sheets, where studio secretaries recorded the nitty-gritty details of every single day of the film’s production,” said Pomeroy. “I’ll also be able to look at telegrams, hand-written letters, historic photographs and movie stills, and scrapbooks.  

“I anticipate gasping and getting goosebumps on a daily basis while I’m over there.”

Pomeroy has been to Italy only once before. In 1994, she took a backpacking trip with her friend Katrina Vandenberg, a respected local poet who now teaches at Hamline University. This time around she’ll be traveling alone, leaving behind her husband, 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. “I’ll miss them terribly, but I think I’ll get more work done if I go by myself,” Pomeroy explained.

She is most looking forward to getting a clearer sense of the chronology of The Kid’s filming.

“At the archive, I’ll be able to see exactly what days certain key scenes were filmed and answer some questions that have really been bedeviling me,” Pomeroy observed. “I also look forward to being surprised and finding out things I never would have guessed about Chaplin. Many of the materials I’ll be looking at have only been made available to researchers very recently, so it’s incredibly exciting to be able to see them.”

WHY A BOOK ABOUT THE KID?

Two years ago, Pomeroy watched a documentary about the story behind The Kid. “I found out that Chaplin’s first child, a baby boy named Norman, died just a few weeks before Chaplin began work on The Kid. I was fascinated and wanted to know more,” said Pomeroy. “That sent me on a research journey that has lasted ever since.”

There have been many books written about Chaplin, but not very many for young people and none focusing primarily on The Kid, so she saw a gap on the bookshelf that she hoped she could fill.

“The film The Kid was very much inspired by Chaplin’s own childhood, so I think that’s part of what makes the story behind the film a great choice for young readers,” said Pomeroy.

The film co-starred a five-year-old boy named Jackie Coogan as Chaplin’s onscreen son, and Jackie and Chaplin developed a very close friendship during the filming that she explores in detail.  

“I think the idea of being a kid working and playing with one of the most famous clowns in the world is a really appealing one for young readers,” observed Pomeroy.

“Chaplin was a complex person who definitely had a dark side to his life and his personality, but I think ultimately the story I tell in this book is an inspiring one for young people. It shows Chaplin overcoming enormous obstacles and his own deep insecurities to make art that still inspires people and makes them laugh. My hope is that readers will recognize some of their own fears and aspirations in Chaplin.”

WRITING ASPIRATIONS SINCE AGE 8

Pomeroy has wanted to be a writer since she was eight years old, when her second-grade teacher noticed how much she loved to write and turned one of her stories into a book with a fabric-and-cardboard cover.

She studied writing as an undergrad at Southern Illinois University and earned an MFA in fiction at the University of Arkansas. Pomeroy currently writes a blog about local silent movie events for the Twin Cities Daily Planet online newspaper.

“I’ve published essays and short stories in literary magazines and anthologies and worked for several years on a more personal book about my family that I ended up shelving, so I really consider this my first book,” stated Pomeroy.

“For this book, I started out taking notes on index cards, just like I used to do in grade school,” observed Pomeroy. “I keep the cards organized by category in a couple of shoeboxes--it’s all very high-tech!”

Eventually, she realized that she could research endlessly and never find everything that’s out there, so she decided to get to work on writing a draft, which she began in January 2013. “I figured I knew the general outlines of the story and could fill in details and check facts later,” Pomeroy said.

She’s written several drafts since then, and is currently revising her fourth draft.

FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, VISITS & TOURS

Along the way she’s read books, old newspaper and magazine articles.

She’s also had the opportunity to interview David Totheroh, the grandson of Chaplin’s longtime cameraman Rollie Totheroh, and Diana Serra Cary, a child star in the 1920s who knew Jackie Coogan and his family. Pomeroy took a walking tour in Hollywood of filming locations for The Kid with silent-film location expert John Bengtson. One of the most moving experiences for her was visiting the grave of Chaplin’s son.

“My family also visited London last year, and I had a chance to see many of Chaplin’s childhood homes and other important sites in his formative years and talk to Chaplin experts in England,” said Pomeroy.

Throughout this whole process, Pomeroy has found it helpful to have other writers provide feedback on what she’s written.

“My critique partners are helping me bring the story to life with more sensory detail and closer attention to characterization, and they’re helping me make sure I have a clear central theme and purpose and don’t just ramble on about everything I’ve discovered about Chaplin--which I find all too easy to do!” Pomeroy said.

She isn’t yet sure when the book will be complete.

Pomeroy needs to hunt down photos to use for illustrations, and secure copyright permissions. She plans to send queries to agents within the next year, and then solicit a publisher.

BARGAIN-BASEMENT TRIP

Pomeroy was one of 117 who applied for a Literature and Travel Grant from the Jerome Foundation. Seventeen grants were awarded

In Italy, Pomeroy plans to rent a small apartment, which was cheaper than staying in a hotel, and to shop at local markets and cook in her rental apartment rather than eating out. There will be no need to rent a car, because she’ll take the train from the airport to central Bologna and then walk to the archive every day. 

In applying for the grant, Pomeroy said,  “I really pitched kind of a bargain-basement budget to make my application more attractive.” She received $2260 to pay for airfare, lodging, food, and other travel costs.

The Jerome Foundation is a non-profit founded by J. J. Hill’s grandson Jerome Hill, an accomplished artist and filmmaker in his own right. The Foundation has supported artists and arts organizations for 50 years in Minnesota and New York City.

Look in the Monitor later this year for a story on Pomeroy’s journey to Italy.

SIDEBARS

ABOUT THE STORY IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS

In the summer of 1919, Charlie had hit a crossroads in his career and his personal life. At the age of 30, he was the most famous comedian in the world, but he felt very creatively stuck and worried that he might have forgotten how to be funny. He was also unhappily married to a 17-year-old actress named Mildred Harris who was expecting the couple’s first child. 

That summer, two life-changing events helped Chaplin break through his creative block. The first creative trigger was that Charlie met an amazing young vaudeville performer named Jackie Coogan. The second creative trigger was that Charlie’s son died only three days after he was born. That tragic loss helped inspire the story of Charlie’s Tramp adopting an abandoned baby boy and fighting fiercely to nurture and protect his son. He quickly got to work on a film that recreated many of the most formative moments of his own childhood.

My book recounts the childhood experiences that Charlie drew on as he made The Kid, and shows the many obstacles he and his cast and crew faced during the film’s production. Many so-called Hollywood experts thought the film could never work because it mixed dramatic, tear-jerking scenes with comedy; they figured audiences didn’t want to see Charlie’s Tramp in dramatic scenes and the film would flop. They were wrong--The Kid ended up being one of Chaplin’s biggest triumphs, and it made a huge star of Jackie Coogan.

What are 10 things you’ve discovered about Charlie Chaplin?

1. He was born not far from where the London Eye ferris wheel stands today.

2. From ages 9 to 12, he toured as a clog dancer with a troupe called the Eight Lancashire Lads.

3. He was left-handed.

4. He played the violin and piano and helped compose musical scores for many of his films but never learned to read music.

5. Many of the original buildings at his studio in Hollywood still stand today, and his studio is now the headquarters for the Muppets. A big statue of Kermit the Frog dressed up as the Tramp stands at the front gate.

6. His nephew Spencer Dryden was the drummer in the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane.

7. His mother Hannah Chaplin is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery along with Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, and Stan Laurel.

8. He once invited his cameraman Rollie Totheroh to kick him in the rear after Charlie had acted like a jerk to Rollie. Rollie took Charlie up on the offer.

9. His granddaughter Oona Chaplin appeared on the TV series Game of Thrones from 2012 to 2013. She is named after Chaplin’s fourth wife Oona.

10. With his fellow stars Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and director D. W. Griffith, Charlie helped found United Artists, the first and still the only movie distribution company ever to be run by actor-directors.

Free Family Fun on the Mississippi River: See ‘Star Wars’ Parody on Waterskis

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Outdoor Concerts in Minneapolis: Jamming for Free at Minnehaha Park

Read full post: http://blog.redcurrent.com/2014/08/11/jamming-for-free-at-minnehaha-park/

Don’t Miss Event: Harriet Brewery’s Food Truck Rally on Saturday

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Behind the Scenes with Loring Park Art Festival Founder and Director Pat Parnow

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Diabetes Support Group meets monthly in Longfellow

Living with diabetes can be discouraging, but a support group can provide an encouraging community

The Longfellow Support Group is led by four women: (left to right) Bev Young, Anita Martinez, Mary Ann Crolley and Carol Engelhart. It meets monthly at the Hiawatha School Park building from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

 

by Tesha M. Christensen

Living with diabetes can be very discouraging, according to Longfellow resident Mary Ellen Crolley. She should know. She’s had type 1 diabetes for 37 years. For the last three, she’s had an insulin pump and continuous blood glucose monitor.

“To stay healthy with this disease requires more effort than most diseases, more self-care,” Crolley explained. “It's hard work, and you have to keep it up year after year, so it's easy to get discouraged.”

Three and a half years ago, Crolley began helping co-lead a Diabetes Support Group that meets on the second Wednesday of each month at Hiawatha School Park from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

“It's helpful to share encouragement with taking care of diabetes,” observed Crolley. 

“We encourage each other to exercise and eat healthy. Also, it's good to see the same people every month; it feels like community.”

Crolley was asked to help lead the group by Carol Engelhart, a certified diabetes nurse specialist who works at Health Partners – Riverside. “I started the group with Mary Ann Crolley, Anita Martinez and Bev Young because I saw a need for a continual monthly support group in the South Minneapolis neighborhood,” explained Engelhart. “I am passionate about people getting the help they need to stay healthy with diabetes.”

She added, “I asked people who have had leadership experience in community groups, teaching community education classes, church or their work to be co-leaders. A support group does not work well unless there is a core group of leaders who have the disease assisting in leading it. It also really helps to have a diabetes expert.”

WHAT A MEETING LOOKS LIKE

The group is for those with diabetes and also for their loved ones. Attendees range from pre-diabetes, gestational diabetes, types 1 and 2.

Each meeting starts with a check-in time that includes both an introduction and something of interest. “Attendees can share what is going well or not going well in their daily lives with diabetes in a confidential group experience,” said Engelhart.

She stressed, “Everybody’s journey is their own.”

During check-in time in July, she reminded attendees to listen and accept each other’s stories. “We are all listening to each other. We are all there for each other,” Engelhart remarked.

The group frequently has professional guest speakers, including a dietician and an endocrinologist. Currently, Engelhart, a diabetes nurse specialist, is in the middle of a two-part educational series on “Juggling It All.” The July meeting focused on “How Your Body Metabolism” works normally and how it works with diabetes. It included information on the body, food, monitoring targets, and more.

The second meeting on Aug. 13 will include information on the latest medications, the standard medications, an emergency plan and a circle of support to stay healthy. 

Other topics at meetings have included:

-        How do you eat or pack a healthy lunch?

-        What would you do to treat a low blood sugar?

Anybody can suggest or request topics.

“The educational meetings are top-notch,” stated Crolley. “I recently learned from an endocrinologist why some foods raise my blood sugars more than expected.”

 “We have speakers and Q&A time, and we have time to talk amongst ourselves,” observed Anita Martinez. “Often we divide up into smaller discussions groups according to how we treat our diabetes; for example, a small group using insulin pumps or insulin injections, one using various oral medications, and one focused on diet/exercise.”

When her blood sugar is high, Trisha VanErt’s 18-month-old Black Labrador Faith alerts her by nuzzling her chest. It’s one of the ways VanErt is managing her diabetes. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

INSPIRATIONAL AND HELPFUL

Martinez was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 38 years ago. When the group began, she lived in the Minnehaha neighborhood of Nokomis East. 

“It helps me to know that there are others facing the same and similar challenges as I am. It's interesting and inspiring to hear how others handle things,” Martinez observed.

TOWARDS GREATER HEALTH

 “It takes commitment and usually support of others to stay on track with a healthy lifestyle for diabetes,” said Engelhart.

According to Engelhart, a healthy lifestyle includes choosing activities that decrease stress, such as yoga, reading, and quiet music. Daily movement such as walking, swimming, biking, chair exercises, and gym classes are also important. There are free or low-cost senior classes available through Longfellow Seniors, Nokomis Seniors and the Minneapolis Community Education Department. One of the most important lifestyle choices you can make for healthy living with diabetes is eating natural, healthy foods from the farmers market and the grocery produce aisle, she pointed out. Portion control is critical. Avoiding regular pop with high fructose corn syrup, baked goods, deep fat fried foods, candy and chips is equally important.  

“What is truly contributing to diabetes today is high fructose corn syrup,” said Engelhart. For many years, people thought that low-fat diets were the answer, but then everyone ate too many carbohydrates and put on weight. “Weight is the issue,” said Engelhart. That makes the amount a person eats very important.

She pointed out that if a diabetic ate a controlled diet, their own body might be able to handle the sugar they take in and they might not need as much medication.

Regular meals are important, a way to avoid the “glucoaster,” as Martinez labeled it.

Engelhart pointed out that there are two common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes: thirst and lack of energy.

“We are here for you if you have diabetes and want help to live healthy!” said Engelhart.

To learn more, contact sponsor Longfellow Healthy Seniors at 612-729-5799 or email carolengelhart@gmail.com.

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TIPS FOR DIABETICS

• Carol Engelhart: Juggling it all is hard on your own. Find the help you need to live a life in healthy balance of exercising, health eating, and reducing your stress in addition to the help from your medical clinic.

• Anita Martinez: Keep on trying to do the best you can. If you think you are too much or too many carbs, just try again at the next meal. Move as much as possible throughout the day, and remember that house and yard chores and playing with the kids count as exercise, too. During any and all holidays, remember that it's a holiDAY, not a holiWEEK or a holiMONTH!!!

• Mary Ellen Crolley: Find a way to exercise that you enjoy. Find a buddy to go on walks with, or bike or swim, or take a movement class, or try a competitive sport. It doesn't matter what, it matters that you do something to get your heart rate up.  Scary movies don't count.