This week’s featured community member is Marko Markolovic. He’s also a ShowMe Ambassador and you’ll see Marko’s name around here on the blog more often. Definitely check out his lessons on Economics and Macroeconomics ! Thanks for all of your help Marko!

Tell us about yourself!

I have been a Social Studies teacher for 11 years, the last 4 of which have been at Blind Brook High School, which is 20 to 25 minutes north of New York City. I teach AP Macroeconomics, AP Government and Politics, Law, and Economics to both 11th and 12th graders. Blind Brook High School presents an excellent environment to teach in because of the wonderful and dedicated students. My favorite subject (besides the ones that I teach) really is everything to do with technology and how the educational experience can be impacted by technology.

How do you use ShowMe?

I record my AP Macroeconomics lectures on the ShowMe app and then email my students a handout to help organize the formation of their notes. In the classroom, I try to bring various real life problems that I have students discuss and solve in a collaborative environment. I strive to create an environment where students are using higher order thinking skills and problem solving techniqued to develop a deeper understanding of the course content and the world around them.   In turn, I’m hoping to create well-informed citizens. I also try to formatively assess the students’ understanding to foster an environment where the instruction can be more tailored to individual needs as apposed to a one-size fits all approach to teaching.

What’s the coolest ShowMe you’ve ever seen?

The coolest ShowMe I have seen was on Gerrymandering.  I thought it was well-done and made a complex topic easily understood.

How has technology made a difference for your students?

I think that the ability to rewind, pause, and fast forward has been very effective for my students to review and learn content at their own pace. ShowMe’s have provided students this opportunity, and I have noticed that students are more engaged and more comfortable in learning.

Where do you see education technology headed?

I think that educational technology, for the first time in my career, is focused not on the teacher but on the student and the approach the students takes to learning. I think that, going forward, educational technology is going to require more of the 1:1 formats that we read about having success at reaching every learner, as opposed to creating a one size fits all method of teaching or learning. I think that iBooks Author and digital resources give teachers the opportunity to create material catered to their students, rather than purchasing a physical textbook that needs to be replaced every 5 years. I think that tools like the iPad, the apps associated with the device, and the various Google applications available in the Cloud present the opportunity for students to collaborate and create original content in a meaningful way.   Further, I think the future of technology allows for originality in its use and implementation rather than the cookie cutter, cut and paste sort of educational materials that have existed to date. I think the future of education technology is very exciting; but, in these economic times of do more with less and property tax caps, teachers are going to have to find their own ways to integrate technology at their comfort level. Free applications, like ShowMe, are an excellent resource to help facilitate that process.

When you’re not teaching, where can we find you?

When I’m not teaching or reading about the content that I teach or reading Flipboard or the 5 or so blogs about technology, I am at home playing with my twins, Julia and Jackson, who will turn 9 months old in a few weeks.

Claudia is a kindergarten teacher in Little Rock, Arkansas. Several weeks ago I came across a ShowMe that Claudia had created with one of her students. I was so impressed with the reading, writing and math skills these five year olds were demonstrating in their ShowMe presentations, and I knew I had to get in touch with her. To see Claudia’s complete ShowMe library, visit her profile here. 

Tell us about yourself!
I am from La Ceiba, Honduras. I came to Arkansas to pursue my teaching degree (P-4) whictch was obtained December 2008. I decided to go on to graduate school because I felt that as a teacher the more I studied the better a teacher I would become. I graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in May 2009 with a master’s degree in reading. After my graduation I was hired as 3^rd grade teacher at Amboy Elementary but the following year I was asked if I would like to teach kindergarten. . This is my second year teaching in the North Little Rock School District.  I believe that having taught 3^rd grade has helped me a lot to push my kindergarten students to their maximum potential. I am a strong believer that kindergarten students can do anything my third graders could do, although it takes a little more modeling and support. I love teaching every subject, especially now that we started using the common core curriculum because everything is intertwined and it has made planning for technology a lot easier.

How do you use ShowMe?
My literacy coach, Jennifer Kimbrell, actually introduced me to the ShowMe application. We started playing with it and thinking about how we could use this wonderful app in my classroom. I was telling her that I had a hard time seeing all of my student’s work in a daily basis, and that I needed a better way to asses their needs as readers, writers, and mathematicians. I use ShowMe to increase students’ math and writing meta-cognition as well as allow them to reflect on their work using rubrics. The authentic think-aloud provides an excellent assessment opportunity for me to see what students are able to do on their own and what my focus needs to be for them during one-to-one conferencing. This app has helped me so much in evaluating the needs of my students.

What’s the coolest ShowMe you’ve seen?
Jennifer Kimbrell got the idea of using the app in this way from the following blog: http://teachinglikeits2999.blogspot.com/search/label/Metacognition. After exploring the website and watching all the videos, I could just see myself as a high school student struggling to understand my homework, like I so often did, and to just be able to go online and look for my teacher’s video on how to solve for X and Y would be amazing. This website is going to change the way students take notes, and do their assignments. I also have been working on a lot of personal art projects and the videos on how to draw hands has really helped me develop that skill.

How has ShowMe made a difference for your students?
One difference using the ShowMe app has made is change over time in my students’ writing has been phenomenal! Before allowing students to be more meta-cognitive and self-assessing themselves, students struggled with working independently during writer’s workshop. However, after only a week of using the app in this way, students’ dependence on me began to shift and there was a noticeable difference in their writing samples.

Where do you see education technology heading?
Students that are able to use technology in the classroom will have a greater advantage over students that do not because technology offers a way to make thinking more transparent. Students will be better equipped to see how they think as well as how others think. I think technology will allow students to become more reflective and self-regulated if used appropriately. It is important to note that it is not about the technology itself but how the technology is used.

When you’re not teaching and learning, what can we find you doing?
When I am not working, teaching or learning about all the technology out there, which really takes up a lot of my time, I share my time between writing children’s books and painting with acrylics and watercolors.

Meet Mark Herring, one of our favourite educators from New Zealand! Mark has been a big fan of ShowMe from the start and is adding it to his tool box so he can continue doing innovative things in this classroom. Way to go Mark!

Visit Mark’s excellent ShowMe portfolio, complete with examples of student work!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m the Assistant Principal at Myross Bush School in Invercargill.  We’re a fantastic rural school with 170 students and an incredibly supportive community.  I’m also a classroom teacher of 27 10 and 11 year olds.  That’s Year 5/6 in New Zealand terms.  I’ve been teaching for 6 years and at the start of the year I was an ICT Facilitator for a local cluster of schools, here in Southland. 

I’m also a big outdoors fan.  I’m into running, mountain biking and have I’ve just reignited a love for skiing which is a bonus of living down here in the south.

How do you use ShowMe?

I’ve been using ShowMe to create videos by students and myself.  At the moment it’s mostly been to consolidate some learning that has occured or to help students grasp a concept when I’m not around.  I’ve been looking into ways I can encourage students to take more responsibility for their learning  - seeking the skills and answers they for themselves without relying on the learning being ‘spoon-fed’ to them.   ShowMe has allowed me to create a teachable moment for them whereever and whenever.  Even at home if they are that motivated and lots of them are.  I’m also looking into how I can use ShowMe to record student reflection on their learning, especially because the videos are so easy to embed into their student blogs.

What’s the coolest ShowMe you’ve seen (aside from your own)?

The best ShowMe I remember was one created by a student here in New Zealand in a classroom run by Stephen Baker (@palmyteacher).  He put me onto ShowMe.  I saw the power of student voice and using that tried and true method of having someone teach someone else something to make sure they have really understood the concept.

What advice do you for someone new to creating a ShowMe lesson?

Just have a go and don’t be embarrased to put yourself out there.  Teachers can be quite shy about having their colleagues see them teaching and a showme vid can be seen by lots of them.  Also, I’ve been amazed at how quick the students pick it up.  They’re a lot faster at mastering a new technology so I’d just let them at it!

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges for teachers?

I’m concerned a the political meddleing that is happening world wide.  I think there are lots of politicians who are listening to some ‘experts’ about how schools should be run and, in the process, missing the rea; essence of what a rounded / holistic education is all about.  I hope that we, as a profession will continue to have the courage to stand up for our convictions and always put our students first in our decision making.

Where do you see education technology headed?

I’m excited where technology is taking us.  I’ve been passionate about personalised learning for sometime and have see the power and potential for our students.  It’s amazing to see them grow in confidence and enthusiasm for being in control of their learning.  I had a student tell me last week that our class doesn’t feel like school anymore!  That’s really encouraging to me cause when I was at school I was pretty bored most of the time.  Any technology that empowers us, inspires us and gives us the flexibility to create our own learning journey is a great thing – just like ShowMe.  I’m looking ahead to seeing what we know as traditional school continuing to break us out of the four walls mentality that we’ve had since the industrial revolution!  I think the change has only just started.  I hope we’re bracing ourselves!