A look into a few awesome things going on around Marshall...

1. Susan Nygaard invites Molly Smith (Richards) into her classroom via Skype to discuss the class's current book The Lovely Bones, as well as motherhood and her Marshall experience (including some things about my high school experience that I have tried very hard to forget :) ).

Susan carefully designed the session with Molly so that students in small groups prepared questions based on four themes: the book, mothering, blogging, and Molly's Marshall experience. Four to five students at a time sat in front of the camera and directly conversed with Molly while the rest of the class listened and reviewed their potential questions for her, simultaneously editing on their doc to avoid repeat conversation. The other students not directly in the conversation also took notes for a future blog post that they would be writing regarding their conversation. Click here to link to the senior class's student blogs.

A lot of the success of this activity has to do with the preparation discussion work Susan has done with the class. This year two "captain" students drafted their respective discussion teams. Class discussions work similar to a fish bowl activity, where one group on the inside holds a discussion while the group on the outside takes notes and prepares for their time in the center. Groups each receive a group grade based on the quality and distribution of conversation points among the group. For the Skype session, Susan divided the two main groups into four sub-groups. As groups joined in conversation with Molly it was apparent that certainly the premise of the group conversation grade still motivated most students to buy into the conversation, but more so, students wanted to have a great conversation for the sake of the conversation. In fact, to help navigate the conversation among the four in the "hot seats," I noticed that students were using the chat function on the Google doc to let each other know if they needed to make adjustments in their conversation and question plan they had previously created. (This is probably the best use of the chat feature I have seen in the last three years.)

Finally, after Molly needed to leave the conversation, Susan spent time reflecting with the class on how the discussion went. While watching this activity, it was easy to see how much interest the students took in Molly's perspective as a mother and as a Marshall grad. Some groups focused more heavily on her experiences after leaving Marshall and going to college, while another focused more heavily on how her lens as a newer mother colored her perception of the text. Overall, Molly and Susan's classes nurtured a natural, informative, and fun conversation that really allowed for the soon-to-be Marshall graduates an opportunity to ask an alum a lot of questions regarding, essentially, parallel Marshall experiences and experiences that await these seniors once they leave Marshall. 

To get a feel for the conversation, check out the following video:

2. Dave Risdon incorporated video to push students to work on their own improvisations on a piece of student-chosen music.

Dave talked about how much of high school Strings has to do with students learning director-chosen pieces, whether for concerts, small-group ensembles, or solos. On the other hand, he also places value on the skills and enjoyment students gain through improvisation and through student-choice in playing music to which they may regularly listen. Particularly, with improvisation students must be aware of the scale their chosen piece is set to so that the notes they add as harmony are in the same key and complimentary.

Here is a video of Jon's improv on the bass:

The second thing I like about this project is that it really would not be possible without technology. Sure, students could perform their improvisations outside of class, but realistically, something like this could not be built into the class schedule. Additionally, the use of video recording allows students to get it right, to have multiple chances to come up with improvisations that sound good with the melody. (Granted, this second point requires students to review and analyze what they recorded and then go back and fix it, which not all chose to do.)

Finally, Dave also scaffolded his assignment for his students just as Susan scaffolded her class's conversation. Here is the video Dave created for his students to give them an idea of what he was looking for with the assignment. 

(Added note: Dave, this video is unlisted on Youtube so that no one can find it other than those who find it here.)

3. Scott's sixth grade English class created a video book review and audio book summary, which were then linked to classroom books via QR Codes. 

Here is a link to the Sixth Grade Google Site.

During this project, students first learned the basics of video filming, transferring files from iPad to laptop, and finally, manipulating the film in iMovie. As students gained greater confidence with these skills, they honed in on their final product for the book review video. Students shared their completed videos with me; I uploaded them to Youtube to my account as unlisted videos, and then we created a Google Site where the videos could be embedded for easy viewing. In addition to the video component, students recorded themselves reading the summary of their book in Garageband. We then exported the files out of Garageband as mp3s and used an embedded music player on the Google Site to play the mp3 files we had uploaded to the site.

(screenshot of the sixth grade book review website)

The sixth graders did not stop there, however. The beauty of the iPad in part is that it allows for students to have a portable QR Code reader, and to leverage this, we connected all the video and audio with QR Codes, which students then taped to the books in Mr. KJ's class.

Eventually, the goal is to add QR Codes to books in the library to help students get an audio or visual quick representation of what they may want to read for class, outside reading, or on their own. 

Here is an example of one of the student book review videos:

How do we engage the students in the content of other students' presentations?

Photo manipulated from geralt.

This question has been on my mind ever since I sat in on Nate M.'s 9th grade English class. That afternoon he prepped his students for their upcoming in-class presentations focusing both on traditional Japanese haiku artists, as well as a few of the student's own original haiku.

To be completely clear, Nate's approach looked good. Students would demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter, show artifacts of their own creations in the content area, and touch on the communication standards through the in-class presentations. To me, this is a solid incorporation of multiple strands that English/Language Arts Standards hopes to accomplish, and by putting the student in front of the class, Nate has the added benefit of being able to analyze and provide feedback on the skill and content areas right there in class.

The problem was this particular group of ninth grade boys. How do we keep these boys engaged in the content of the presentation? How can we help them to see the benefit of listening rather than tuning out, or worse, negatively influencing the presentation? Is it even possible to hope for such a thing, or is the better course of action to sit near these boys throughout the class period?

I am going to admit right now that I have yet to find the perfect answer for this question. Instead, I would like to help generate some ideas (which I am hoping some will do via commenting on this post) by presenting a few overall mechanisms that can be tinkered with to enhance the presentation experience. Keep in mind, also, that the ideas below are in addition to techniques that the presenter must learn, practice and execute, e.g. elocution, audience interaction, use of humor, etc.

1. Presentation Tool
   Changing the presentation tool to allow for more multimedia interaction and different ways of displaying information (check out http://www.tiki-toki.com/) has the potential through novelty to make the presentation more engaging.


2. Commenting/Backchanneling
   Students could backchannel during the presentation (https://todaysmeet.com/‎) to offer feedback, what they found most interesting, what they would like to know more about, what they will take away from the presentation. If the class used Google Presentation, you may consider allowing students to use the chat function during the presentation to express their thoughts. The same could be done with TweetDeck and Twitter.
   
   
   

   

   Rosaura Ochoa / Foter.com / CC BY

3. Presenter-created Polls/Quizzes
   You could require each presentation individual/group to create a mini-quiz using Google Forms or PollEverywhere to gauge the audience's grasp of key concepts. Both these tools I mention could be displayed as the audience answers questions, thereby adding engagement to the process.


4. Peer-reviewing/Critiquing
   A few students for each presentation could evaluate the presenter's presentation using the presentation rubric (works especially well if students have helped in creating the presentation's rubric). This task could rotate through the class with each presentation. Similarly, if you would like to avoid the critique aspect of this activity, instead have a rotating group of students take "class notes" for anyone who missed the presentations, or in the event of a teacher assessment pulled from the student presentations.

I am sure I have missed some ideas. Let me know your thoughts by commenting on this post. Thank you.

Using Blubbr to turn youtube videos into quizzes

This app has potential, although its features are not as great as they could be. First, an explanation. Blubbr allows you to take a youtube video and add multiple choice questions to twenty-second-or-less segments of the video. The question added videos are called Trivs. Only those parts of the video that you segment end up in the final product. Students earn points for answering the multiple choice questions correctly, although they only have twenty seconds to answer each question. Additionally, a buzzer sounds if the student gets the question wrong.

Click here to play the triv I created regarding the second Blogger tutorial.

It is a lengthy process to take a two-plus minute video and segment it down to twenty-second spurts. One option around this is to show the entire video then have picked out a few twenty-second or less of the most important segments to quiz the students.

Currently, there is no way to see how your students performed on the quiz unless you ask them. At the same time, adding these questions is less about "getting the students" and more about creating some interaction with the passiveness of the video, as well as helping the metacognitive workings of the student.

If are interested in how these might be able to work in your classroom, please contact me for a conference.

Keep up the good work,

MW

Sixth grade students share their thoughts on all things Google

Enjoy!

An automated system for tracking student progress using Google

Although not necessarily entirely involved in the conversations regarding homework at either Division meeting, I appreciate the focus and thoughtfulness put forth in thinking about the type, length, purpose, and outcomes of the work we want students to complete for class. To spoil the rest of my blog post, I am not going to go into great detail about what I think about homework, but I do wish to put in a word about the overall mechanisms for how we assess student success.

To me those mechanisms need to include process, product, and progress. The first two are common in most classrooms. The degree to which and how they are measured lend themselves to much debate, but it is the third, progress, that I will focus.

Progress is growth. At the beginning of the year I would explain to my eighth graders one overarching goal: to grow as writers. Little did they know that to do this requires insight and practice in six complex facets of writing that only become more complex the greater writing ability you gain, especially if you are like Julie Ball, and you earn your poetic license, which in math terms must equal something similar to an imagery number. I landed upon this singular concept when I was thinking about what I really wanted my students to take away from my class - a desire to learn beyond the classroom, a budding knowledge of what makes good writing, moments where they thought school might actually be okay - and how could I fit these into one or two course goals? Growth.

Keep in mind this is an eighth grade class; I did not need to remedy an AP exam or exposure to a certain number of concepts or any other end of the year force that prompted me to have covered a certain percentage of criteria. So, what I wanted was real growth. Growth where students would have a reliable expectation and a self-knowledge regarding what they knew about writing. Of course, even this is ideal because I have seen students in my tech office who still do not remember/recall many of the things I thought for sure they had taken away from the course. Additionally, with growth comes the necessity to measure and reflect on growth. First, how do I as the teacher know that the student is making progress? And second, how does the student know that he or she is making progress? In the past this used to require mounds of paper and binders, not to mention the time needed to categorize and sort notes then align them with the student work.

Enter technology. It is a beautiful thing when classroom processes can be automated, and what I am sharing with you today is something, that although in its current form is best suited for an English classroom, truly has remarkable capabilities. I present the Writer's Conference Tracking Form - a system that automates, categorizes and shares notes, tracks conference content, and tracks the number of student-teacher conferences you have had with each student. See below for a better break down. (I have also included a video for those who prefer the audio/visual method.)

Writer's Conference Tracking Form's Capabilities

1. As you conference with a student, you take notes in a pre-created form that tracks specific criteria you hope to track for your semester or year long course - think of the elements that you really want your students to walk away from your course knowing.
   
2. After you submit the form, the spreadsheet takes the notes from the conference and does several things:
   
1. It combines the notes and associates them with the student. Each successive conference's notes are mapped horizontally, attributed to that same student.
2. It logs the conference notes under the specific conference target area (year-long goals).
3. One of the selections in the form asks whether or not this conference should be a whole-class mini-lesson. A specific sheet tracks whether or not you have presented that particular topic to the class.
4. The last two sheets track how many conferences each student has had, as well as arranging those students who have not conferenced into a column for easy reference.
   
3. Finally, the google script associated with the form looks through your Google Drive to determine if you have a folder labeled "Writing Conference Notes." If it does exist, a Google Doc of the notes is placed in it, the student is added as an editor, and the Doc is removed from your My Drive so that it only exists in the folder, and if the folder does not exist, same process, but the script first creates the "Writing Conference Notes" folder. As an added reminder, a pdf of the Google Doc with the notes on it is emailed to the student.
   
4. Think about the possibilities - many teachers move around the room and guide students through skill-acquisition, inquiry, understanding concepts, etc. It used to be impossible to track that, but imagine with the ease of a bookmarked form, how you will now be able to track the conversations you have with students and have a record of the conversation for both them and you to look back on.

Here is the video:




I hope that you give this some thought because the possibilities really are significant, particularly if you do track progress. Additionally, I would be more than happy to help or guide you through the process of manipulating this system so that it fits your own classroom needs.

To access the template for this system so that you can copy it into your own Drive, go to Marshall School's Drive Template Gallery -- you can access it by clicking here -- search Writer's Conference -- the template for this system will appear. Once you have opened it, you can rename it whatever you would like and then being to modify it / add student names and emails.

Keep up the good work!

Matt

"The Pop In"

I have been able to talk with many of you, but I still have a long list of teachers that I want to get in touch with, and I am changing my approach to be able to cut out some of the hassle on your end.

My new approach is two-fold:

1. "The Pop In"

Although I would not consider myself a huge Seinfeld aficionado, I do remember many evenings watching the show with my mother, and this clip of apartment neighbors coincides perfectly with my new approach for better supporting you with technology and curriculum.

So with no further ado, "The Pop In."



At the beginning of the day I will do my best to email a few teachers whose classrooms I hope to stop by during class to observe for about 20-30 minutes. Afterward I will send an email with my thoughts and invite you to setup a conference if you would like. Keep in mind that I am not an administrator, and I am in no way going to judge what you are doing. Additionally, do not worry if you are not doing a bit of tech. I am also looking to get an understanding of what you are doing and how tech might make things easier, more efficient, and/or incorporating 21st Century skills and learning.

2. Appointment slots to schedule tech integration conferences with teachers

Speaking of scheduling an optional conference with me, I have created a google calendar with appointment slots. To setup a conference with me, click here to go to a calendar with available 30-minute time slots. To schedule a conference, write your name in one of the blank slots. By doing this, you will add the time slot to your and my calendar. (See the screenshots below to get a better idea of what I am talking about.)

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

See you soon!

Matt

Who's got the pacifier?

2:00 a.m. last night I was bent over our pack-n-play in the middle of attempting to lay my 11-month-old son to sleep. After having rocked him for a count of 150 past his last movement, I ever-so-slowly stood up, switched his head from arm to arm, and leaned over to gently lay him to rest. I hovered my hand on his back; I softly rocked him from side to side; and again, ever-so-slowly I lifted my hand off his back.

This is not the first time I have run into deep frustrations attempting "the switch." As a younger non-sleeper, he at least readily accepted his nook (pacifier). Now, it largely remains on my pinkie away from his protesting mouth while we rock. But tonight, predicting failure, I must have moved the nook to my mouth, and as I rocked him and tried to perform my best disappearing act, the inevitable occurred: I stood to creep away; he flinched and the gig was up.

I realized the picture was backwards. Obviously, the pacifier does more good in his mouth than mine, but also, I realized I am doing a whole lot of learning about awesome technology use in the classroom (thanks to those teachers I have met with and those who I stay to watch when called in for a little troubleshooting), but this picture is backwards, too. Why am I gaining more than other teachers from my observations and conferences with classroom teachers? The list is long for things I am excited to try when I get back in the classroom (next semester), but I need to do a better job of getting the ideas and creativity from the teachers I observe into the lenses of all teachers.

I came across an article titled "Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age" in which George Siemens (2005) argues for a new theory to represent the way today's generation of students best comes to know. Whereas various earlier theories approached learning as largely gained through experience, thinking, or internal, individual construction (behaviorism, pragmatism, constructivism), connectivism approaches learning as a social activity rooted in both experience and individual thinking, as well as the thinking and experiences of the group, and in addition, the digital tools that afford social learning within the group.

Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity. How people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized. The field of education has been slow to recognize both the impact of new learning tools and the environmental changes in what it means to learn. Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era.

Back to my in-class observations, as I said, I am getting a lot of benefit, and humbly, I hope that my insights help further the work of the individual teacher, but at the same time, I know we all can be benefiting from the knowledge and creation occurring in classrooms to adjust to the new ways in which our students gain knowledge.

The first portrait I would like to offer up is of Anita's senior history class this week as they came to understand elements of the Whiskey Rebellion. The overall goal was for two teams to create newspapers for each side of the argument: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Extended Learning: Slideshow from Ms. Lau's Government Course, Los Angeles Unified School District

Federalists vs. Republicans

The students struggled through difficult articles on the rebellion for homework, but in class, when divided into teams, they eagerly approached putting together newspapers that reflected each side. What I love about the way Anita setup the argument lies in the freedom she creates within the structure. She gave the students an expected outcome, told how each member of the group needed to have a role in the final product, but also allowed the freedom of how and where the product would be created totally up to the students. This autonomy of both providing choice to students and creating structure so that each student knew he or she would be held accountable for his or her part in the final product reached even the students who have shown little interest in classroom activities.

Here are two of the end results after a single class period of work:

The Federalists




The Democratic-Republicans



I call this the many paths to the top of the mountain philosophy, and I think it is crucial to engaging students with technology. Within this framework, of course, there has to be a solid foundation of checkpoints, clear guidelines, and clear criteria in which you will be assessing the work, but ultimately, look at the amount of learning that is occurring. Students are no longer the passive sponges of knowledge; they get to get their hands dirty; they get to think about the constructs of our current society and evaluate whether or not they would have fit the values, expectations, practices, and culture of the former - who's to say that in private Jefferson wouldn't have used the word "stupid," particularly if he had a phone to text it. At the same time, look at the skills necessary for navigating not only the analysis of text, but then the potential for the evaluation of resources, critical thinking skills required to bring two text in contrast with one another. All of this cannot be done in a single class period, but with the use of technology, it allows the teacher to spend more time on the genesis and practice of these skills while the technology takes care of the output.

During class, Anita did not need to be at the front of the room, obviously. With the students engaged in the material, she was able to walk around and do what research proves is most effective, working one on one with students, assessing and giving feedback in the moment.

Huxley had already sat up in his pack-n-play by the time I had retreated the two steps to his side. After hoisting him (he is a big boy) I was back in the rocking chair, but cleverly, in his sleepy state, I snuck the nook into his mouth, thereby making the second transfer successful (...until he awoke forty minutes later).

Who has the pacifier? I don't want it to be just me, so I hope that there will be more who will join me in sharing classroom ideas, getting them out there, encouraging each other, motivating, connecting, and feeding off each other to explore new ways in which we can reach students, engage them, and ultimately leave them with something (nay, many things) memorable.