Using @IdeaPaint In The Classroom

I've long been a fan of IdeaPaint. Covering my desks with this paint has been great in allowing me to look at lessons in a different way. I've come up with a few fun ways to use the desks for class that I wanted to share with you.

1. Note-taking - This is a simple one to start. I allow my students to use the desk to take notes and then just take pictures using their iPad or phone to add to their Evernote account. For some, it is way easier to write out their notes and draw arrows to connect ideas to one another. Kids love to take their notes and doodle on the desk. Some might say that this can all be done in a notebook, but this helps save paper and the kids can keep all of their notes safe in a digital space. Kids sitting at tables will sometimes collaborate on note-taking and share notes they have written on the desks. It can create a nice collaborative environment for students in class.

2. Creative Writing - This has been a fun lesson I have done with my students from time to time. I would have students draw on there desks. Anything they want. It doesn't have to be anything specific. I can just be random shapes or images. I then have students change seats and then add to the drawing. I will do this a few times until the final student gets to the seat. They are instructed to take a picture of the image on the desk and create a one paragraph short story based on this image. The stress for the lesson is imagery. Kids get a kick out of the lesson and students like to read the story based on the image they created. It's great for sharing and getting kids thinking about imagery in a way that is right in from of their face instead of in a story that are trying to understand.

3. Group Planning - IdeaPaint has been huge when it comes to project planning for my students. I'm a big PBL guy and I really want to see my students plan out their projects. IdeaPaint covered desks all the group to bring their desks together and draw out their plans. I've tried having them use Google Docs in the past, but this is much better when they are all together in class. They can take pictures and add it to the GDoc when they are at home. There is something powerful about a group hunkered down over a desk and collaboratively working on a project.

4. Essay Writing - I have found it much easier to help students work on essays since I have covered their desks with IdeaPaint. Google Docs is nice to use to help students with their writing, but sometimes, you just need to sit next to them and rewrite a sentence together. I will have students write a thesis statement or a topic sentence on their desk and I will come around and review their work. I can take my marker and eraser and make edits to their work with them. This allows them to see the corrections on their desk and then they can snap pictures of it and add them to their Evernote account. It's much better for the students to sit and work with the teacher at their desk than just having a note placed on a Google Doc. I have found that this approach has really helped my struggling writers.

There are so many other ways that teaches can use IdeaPaint in the classroom. Math teachers love having students work out problems on their desks and foreign language teachers have students conjugate different forms of words on their desks. Teachers can quickly come around and check the work and make any corrections as needed. This helps create a paperless environment that allows students to make mistakes and erase them.

I highly recommend all teachers to check out IdeaPaint and consider adding it to your classroom. It's a great way to engage students in a different way and open up some creativity in your lesson planning.

As a special Back to School Special from IdeaPaint, use the code "NERDYTEACHER" to receive 20% off your purchase! The offer is good through August 31st. Give them a shoutout of thanks on Twitter at @IdeaPaint.

Making Is Not Just For STEM #MakerEd

I'm an English teacher and I'm building a Makerspace. Since October, I've been raising funds and working out deals to put in a Makerspace in our school library. I've been working with our Media Specialist to make this happen and I've had wonderful support from our admin staff. We are close to having a completed space and have chosen to call it the Blue Devil Maker's Lounge. I had a chance to take my Freshmen down to the space to show it off and share with the students what will be possible in the space. While a bit stressful, the Maker's Lounge has been a great project where I have learned many different things from friends across the country and right at home in Michigan. However, there has been some skepticism. 

A week or two ago, I heard that someone had said, "What does English have to do with a Makerspace?" I feel this question comes from a place of misunderstanding. While STEM and STEAM are important and a Makerspace can help support these ideals, there is much more to the space than just 3D Printing and Raspberry Pie. One of my jobs is going to be explaining that to all students and staff once we are open for business. A Makerspace needs to be viewed as something more than the gadgets that fill it. The items do not define the space. The student define it every time it's used and it has a different definition for each student using it. 

Our Maker's Lounge is designed to be a project space for all students. These students can be working on any project for any class and this space will be there for them to work on it. They might not need a Makerbot 3D printer, but they could use the IdeaPaint wall to organize their project. They might need a comfortable place to charge their phone and curl up on a Bretford chair with a Chromebook to do some research. They just might want to explore something completely new to them and use our Post-it® Notes to connect with other inquisitive students. A student club might want to meet here and plan a service project. Anything can happen here. That's the point of the space.

As a project-based teacher, I see the value of collaboration using different media to express understanding. A Makerspace is perfect for any teacher that encourages students to create original items to demonstrate learning. The class subject is irrelevant. If we want to have more thinkers and problem solvers, we need to create more opportunities for kids to create. We have to stop telling students that spaces are for only certain things. It is a major problem in education. For many students, they think learning does and should only happen in the school building. Our students are going to pay dearly for these thoughts down the line if we do not start changing the narrative. 

Another reason I've chosen to work on a Makerspace has to do with 20 Time. My idea in creating a Makerspace would allow students their own guided 20 Time projects. They could freely explore anything that interests them and have a safe and open space to do that in school. I asked my students if the space would have changed what their project might have been, about 25% said it might. That is reason enough for me. 

For those students and staff that wondered why an English teacher is building a Makerspace and sharing it with his students, the best answer comes from a student who emailed me her thoughts after seeing the Maker's Lounge, 

"Hi. I was really interested in the printing and coding stuff today. I would really like to make an app and also think it would be cool to print a camera lens. I'm still thinking of some more ideas but I'm really excited to start working on these kinds of projects!! See you tomorrow:)" 

Keep Making...

Hugs and High Fives!

Why @IdeaPaint is Awesome! #EduTour

This is a post I write some time back about the awesomeness of IdeaPaint and I want to share it again for the #EduTour. I would have loved if we could have covered the car in IdeaPaint or something so people could leave comments. If you are not familiar with IdeaPaint, here is my post on why I would rather have IdeaPaint than an IWB.

I did get the IdeaPaint and used it on my desks and my kids loved it. It was a real game changer for collaboration and note-taking for many of my students. It was a great investment and I'm glad we were able to give a painting kit to one lucky winner on the #EduTour.

Why I would take IdeaPaint over an IWB.

As an Evernote Education Ambassador, I sometimes get to see products up close and personal. When I was at the Evernote offices in California, I was able to see first-hand how Ideapaint is used. What I saw blew my mind and made me want to cover my classroom with it.

For those that do not know what Ideapaint is, here is a video that explains it in more detail. 

Turning surfaces into whiteboards is such an awesome idea. It is so much better than the IWB in my classroom and here are my reasons why. 

1. Currently, my IWB sits in the front of the room and requires all students to face that way for instruction. It makes me have to stay in the front of the room to use the board. I'm not a fan of that. I like to walk around and interact with my students and the class environment. I feel it gives me a better sense of what is going on in the class. With Ideapaint, any wall can be the focal point of the class. Heck, a student's desk could be the focal point of the discussion as I walked around and wrote notes for the kids. Ideapaint allows the discussion to be anywhere in the classroom. That freedom is so important to a teacher like myself that wants to move around and engage students all over the room. 

2. I'm stuck having my IWB connected to my computer. If my computer is on the fritz, which happens time to time, my IWB is just there. That's it. It sits there in front of my chalkboard and I look out at my kids feeling a bit helpless. With Ideapaint, I could use any surface at any time regardless of my computer. As a tech guy, I love the analog feeling of the walls and sharing ideas on them. It is a great option for teachers that have to deal with network issues in their classroom. 

3. Collaboration is not easy with a IWB in the classroom. Unless the district pays a ton of money to get the IWB that allows multiple users at the same time, it's general function is one person at a time at the front of the room. That is not how I roll in my classroom. My room is designed for collaboration. My lessons are created around teamwork. An IWB is not conducive to this type of environment. Ideapaint would allow my students to collaborate in groups on the walls or their desks. They could all work together seamlessly. This approach could really change the dynamic in my classroom. I want kids to work together easily and Ideapaint would allow them to do so. 

4. Sharing is nice with most IWB software. I can write notes on the provided software and save it as a PDF and then post it on my website or on a shared Evernote notebook. It's doable, but takes a few steps. In an Ideapaint classroom, not only could I post notes on any surface, but my students could write their own notes on walls for other students. Imagine a class dedicated for writing notes for specific chapters or themes in a story all over the classroom. Once the groups are done with their part of the notes, they could go around and take notes on the notes created by students. Over the course of a school day, all of my walls and desks would be covered with student created notes. My students now become the creators of content in a way that a IWB could never provide. By using Evernote, students could just snap photos of the notes and save them into their notebooks. 

5. Every year I come to school and the software needs a new upgrade to work on the IWB. The problem we often face is the update does to work very well on our older computers. What's the point of having the IWB if I can't use all of the features? No updates needed with Ideapaint. As long as I have a clean wall, my students can write , share and collaborate freely in my classroom. 

6. The price of projector bulbs is ridiculous. Seriously, they should not be that expensive. When they do go out, the IWB is useless. You can't do anything without the projector. Not a problem with Ideapaint. I can just go to any wall I want and start writing. Not bulbs required. Heck, if it is a nice day out, I'll turn out the lights and write on the walls using old fashioned sun light. 

7. IWB do not provide much creative space for students. It's a board controlled by the teacher's computer that students are generally kept away from. Kids sit and stare as the teachers used the IWB and take notes. Students should have the space to write down their ideas to share with the class. It should also serve as a creative space for kids to express themselves through poetry, drawings or music lyrics. I'm not talking about Art classes or English classes only, but all classrooms should have this space for kids to express themselves. The more space students have to be creative, the more likely they will feel comfortable enough to relax and learn. 

8. The last one is price. The amount of money it takes to buy, install, provide PD and IT support an IWB is crazy. Ideapaint can cover a classroom at a fraction of the cost. Also, no training is needed to show a teacher how to write on a wall. We have all been doing it since we were kids. Take out a dry erase marker and start sharing!

These are just some of the reasons why I would love to have Ideapaint in my classroom. I hope to paint the back wall of the stage in my room with Ideapaint to create a more collaborative environment for my students. I think the creative space would have a positive impact on all of my students.

Using my @IdeaPaint on the desks #EdChat #EngChat

I'm excited to share this lesson with all of you that had my students drawing on their desks!

At the start of the second semester, I painted my desktops with IdeaPaint so my students could have an extra paperless space to take notes, draw diagrams and doodle. All of their drawings and notes can then be saved directly into Evernote and become a searchable part of their notes system.

We are wrapping up our unit on Gothic Literature and I wanted to give my students a chance to be creative. Each student was given one dry erase marker and given 20 minutes to draw. The students were not told what to draw and they had no idea how the drawings were going to be used. They just needed to draw. It could be just shapes, trees, sunshine, or anything they want. After the 20 minutes, I had every student stand at the front of the room and I randomly selected students to find another seat at a different table. Once there, I told the students there assignment is to write a gothic story based on the image on their desk. They need to include at least four of the six Gothic Elements discussed in class and use imagery to describe the image in front of them.

There were some groans, but once students started to settle in to the idea, there were some happy faces. I changed it up the next hour and had students switch desks twice and added their own art to the desk and then told them to write a Gothic story based on that picture. I can keep changing it up for each class to keep it fresh. When it comes to creative writing, there are no limitations.

For those of you who do not have IdeaPaint covered desks, this works great with pieces of construction paper, computer paper or lined paper. Give the students one marker or crayon and tell them to get to work. The picture they have to write about can become the cover of their story.

Creative Space in the Classroom #EdChat

I'm excited about the new additions to my classroom this week. I was lucky enough to get some IdeaPaint for my classroom a few weeks ago. I was excited to have this back wall painted with it so I could have this large space where my students could work, plan and just be creative. Sadly, my plans were not able to unfold due to some problems with the wall I wanted to paint. I was frustrated, by the school's team of awesome engineers came up with a solution that ends up being a win win for me and my students.

The engineers installed two large pieces of particle board on my wall. They look like whiteboards and are just as easy to write on and clean. The boards were up for only two class periods and this is what students did.

                              

You will notice the epic nerdiness of my students in these photos. I assure you that I had no influence over the quotes or pictures the students used. 

It is so awesome to see students get excited at the chance to be creative. A blank canvas and some dry erase markers inspired my students to draw and share their passions. Whether it was by drawing a TARDIS or the symbol for Skyrim, my kids were excited to share. The board is even crazier looking today than it was a few days ago when the picture was taken. Students have really taken to drawing and sharing bits of wisdom. 

Now I have the creative space I wanted, but I have IdeaPaint that needs to be used. I'm excited to take the paint and use it in a couple of places. I will be painting the door between the two pieces of particle board and I will be painting my desks as well. Now, my students will have a space to draw right on their desk and will be able to capture their work on their iPads using Evernote. This is perfect! 

As much as I love tech for certain aspects of my personal and professional life, I also just love to draw things out. It helps me think through various issues and plan my writing. I know that this is true for my students as well. The IdeaPaint will now allow my students to draw their ideas out and save them into Evernote. All of this can be done without the need to scrap paper. More trees will be saved!

The Plan:

The left wall will be used for planning. This is where groups can get together and plan out larger ideas for their projects. They can use it for story boards or large mind maps if they want. It is a work area for the groups that can't get all of their ideas out on their desks. 

The right wall will be the creative space. This will be reserved for students that need a place to doodle or share some art from their brain. It will be for before or after class use, but it will be their space. The board will be refreshed every Monday, so students are encouraged to take pictures, leave comments and support the work of their peers. It's a fun chances to bring some art into the classroom and I feel I can have some really great writing prompts created based on the art my students put up. 

The door is going to be a place for goals, dreams and quotes. I want this to be where students can write down what they aspire to be or do with their life. It can serve as a constant reminder of why they do what they do. This might be my favorite idea for using the IdeaPaint. 

These are just some of the things I plan to do with the creative space I know have in my class. What would you do with this space? I would love to hear from you. 

Thanks! 

Nick

This Is Why I Would Prefer Ideapaint Over an IWB In My Classroom

As an Evernote Education Ambassador, I sometimes get to see products up close and personal. When I was at the Evernote offices in California, I was able to see first-hand how Ideapaint is used. What I saw blew my mind and made me want to cover my classroom with it.

For those that do not know what Ideapaint is, here is a video that explains it in more detail. 

Turning surfaces into whiteboards is such an awesome idea. It is so much better than the IWB in my classroom and here are my reasons why. 

1. Currently, my IWB sits in the front of the room and requires all students to face that way for instruction. It makes me have to stay in the front of the room to use the board. I'm not a fan of that. I like to walk around and interact with my students and the class environment. I feel it gives me a better sense of what is going on in the class. With Ideapaint, any wall can be the focal point of the class. Heck, a student's desk could be the focal point of the discussion as I walked around and wrote notes for the kids. Ideapaint allows the discussion to be anywhere in the classroom. That freedom is so important to a teacher like myself that wants to move around and engage students all over the room. 

2. I'm stuck having my IWB connected to my computer. If my computer is on the fritz, which happens time to time, my IWB is just there. That's it. It sits there in front of my chalkboard and I look out at my kids feeling a bit helpless. With Ideapaint, I could use any surface at any time regardless of my computer. As a tech guy, I love the analog feeling of the walls and sharing ideas on them. It is a great option for teachers that have to deal with network issues in their classroom. 

3. Collaboration is not easy with a IWB in the classroom. Unless the district pays a ton of money to get the IWB that allows multiple users at the same time, it's general function is one person at a time at the front of the room. That is not how I roll in my classroom. My room is designed for collaboration. My lessons are created around teamwork. An IWB is not conducive to this type of environment. Ideapaint would allow my students to collaborate in groups on the walls or their desks. They could all work together seamlessly. This approach could really change the dynamic in my classroom. I want kids to work together easily and Ideapaint would allow them to do so. 

4. Sharing is nice with most IWB software. I can write notes on the provided software and save it as a PDF and then post it on my website or on a shared Evernote notebook. It's doable, but takes a few steps. In an Ideapaint classroom, not only could I post notes on any surface, but my students could write their own notes on walls for other students. Imagine a class dedicated for writing notes for specific chapters or themes in a story all over the classroom. Once the groups are done with their part of the notes, they could go around and take notes on the notes created by students. Over the course of a school day, all of my walls and desks would be covered with student created notes. My students now become the creators of content in a way that a IWB could never provide. By using Evernote, students could just snap photos of the notes and save them into their notebooks. 

5. Every year I come to school and the software needs a new upgrade to work on the IWB. The problem we often face is the update does to work very well on our older computers. What's the point of having the IWB if I can't use all of the features? No updates needed with Ideapaint. As long as I have a clean wall, my students can write , share and collaborate freely in my classroom. 

6. The price of projector bulbs is ridiculous. Seriously, they should not be that expensive. When they do go out, the IWB is useless. You can't do anything without the projector. Not a problem with Ideapaint. I can just go to any wall I want and start writing. Not bulbs required. Heck, if it is a nice day out, I'll turn out the lights and write on the walls using old fashioned sun light. 

7. IWB do not provide much creative space for students. It's a board controlled by the teacher's computer that students are generally kept away from. Kids sit and stare as the teachers used the IWB and take notes. Students should have the space to write down their ideas to share with the class. It should also serve as a creative space for kids to express themselves through poetry, drawings or music lyrics. I'm not talking about Art classes or English classes only, but all classrooms should have this space for kids to express themselves. The more space students have to be creative, the more likely they will feel comfortable enough to relax and learn. 

8. The last one is price. The amount of money it takes to buy, install, provide PD and IT support an IWB is crazy. Ideapaint can cover a classroom at a fraction of the cost. Also, no training is needed to show a teacher how to write on a wall. We have all been doing it since we were kids. Take out a dry erase marker and start sharing!

These are just some of the reasons why I would love to have Ideapaint in my classroom. I hope to paint the back wall of the stage in my room with Ideapaint to create a more collaborative environment for my students. I think the creative space would have a positive impact on all of my students.