Calling Middle School Student Bloggers!

I've been trying to get my 6th grade English Language Arts class at Ripon Christian interested in blogging. I started blogging with students a year ago for multiple reasons:

1. It's more motivating to write for and to classmates (and others) than the teacher.
2. It's an important skill to know in our modern world.
3. Learning to comment appropriately leads to positive interactions with many people you may not know well or at all.
4. It allows kids to feel pride in their hard work when they see their writing published online.
5. It's something new and different for them.
6. Kids have interesting and meaningful stories to share.
7. Students sometimes feel more free to share in writing than in person.
8. It's fun!

Last year we had an student from our buddy class in Australia come visit our small town and school. It was very rewarding for the students. Read my blog post about it here.

With that said, I'm having trouble finding middle school students from other schools to blog with, and a good chunk of that is my fault...my search parameters are very narrow. Let me explain.

I'm reaching out to Christian schools. 

I understand that we need to connect our faith to the larger world, but I decided to play it safe and only reach out to other Christian schools so that the parents of my students feel safe about their children's first interactions online.

I'm considering schools from other countries first. 

I want my students to learn about other cultures within a Christian setting. I want them to learn that they have brothers and sisters in Christ on a global scale. The common bond we have in Jesus is enough reason to begin a relationship. At this point, though, I wouldn't mind connecting with a class from the U.S.--I just want to get my kids blogging with somebody!

I need an English speaking school. 

While I search other countries for connections, my students do not have the skills to communicate with non-English speakers.

Reliable technology is key. 

The school we connect with must have the proper technology to communicate via blog on a regular basis. We have an iPad cart in our small middle school, and I can reserve regular access for us; I just need somebody who wants do and has access like we do!

Use Kidblog as a blogging platform. 

I like Kidblog because I can set the privacy settings and change them over time. I can also set it so that the teacher must "approve" the blog post or comment only after I have read it for appropriateness and/or correctness. I have begun my year with connecting my own 6th graders to each other. They are eager now, however, to connect with some buds across the globe.

Multiple schools would be ideal. 

I want options. We've connected with one class, and it worked well last year, but technical difficulties arise, and conflicting schedules get in the way. (Especially schedules from different hemispheres--while my class goes to Christmas vacation, an Australian class has finished their school year.) My students have not been able to connect with anybody yet this year, and I'm stuck!

If anybody who's reading this feels like they can connect with us, please do! Or tell your friends. And remember my criteria that helps me keep my students safe and parents happy: 

• Christian middle school class (we're 6th graders)
• From somewhere outside (or inside) the U.S.
• Reliable technology for easy access
• Currently using Kidblog, or a willingness to set Kidblog up

I created a website last year for a certification project. It's not completely up to date, but it would help anybody who is starting blogging for the first time. Check it out at blog2buds if interested.

8 Techs to Organize the School Year

I taught strictly 6th grade for years. While I used to identify myself as a 6th grade teacher when asked what I do, these days I just say I teach in the middle school. However, I'm still holding onto 6th grade English Language Arts, and I'm working to organize the upcoming school year for student growth. To that end, I plan to establish 8 techs that will encompass my 6th grade ELA classroom.


Smore.com

Last year Shannon Miller inspired me (unintentionally on twitter, mind you) to try out this free flyer site. She called it a mini-website, and it has transformed the way I think about communicating with parents. It is organized from top to bottom, so scrolling down is a necessity, and it allows for a good array of design, background, font, and color options. I use it to link to anything I want, be it a Google Calendar, videos, forms, etc. Check out these options:

I've used smore.com to organize resources for presentations, to set up a thematic unit on coding with kids, and as a website for my soccer team. Now I plan to use it as a class website. It's quick, easy, informative, and pleasing to the eye. It replaces my Google Site, which I had previously made way too complicated.


Remind

I started using this last year with the high school soccer team I coach. Previously called Remind101, it is a "text out only" service--no return texts. I had my players sign up via text so that I could send out text reminders to them about upcoming practice or game times or other general announcements about the season. This year I plan to give my 6th ELA parents the option to sign up for my "class" via Remind. All you have to do is set up an account, create a class, and you receive a unique phone number and code. Parents (and/or students) can text that number with the class code and voila! they are linked to your Remind account. I plan to use this when I've updated grades on our school's grading system, added something new to my smore.com site, or for other general announcements for the whole group. I'm quite curious to see how many parents take this bait at our annual "Back to School Night".


Google Docs

I've you haven't had students use Google Docs, then you haven't lived. Once all the confusing tech requirements get cleared up, students thrive when accessing their document from anywhere they have an internet connection. Beginning with the power of Google Drive (not to mention Slides, Sheets, Forms, and Drawings), students have the power to turn in paperless assignments by sharing them with the teacher or fellow students for editing purposes. Unlocking the collaborative nature of Google Docs is where the real magic happens. All you need is a Google account to get started, but your students each need one, too, which is a great reason to have your school or district on Google Apps for Education. I don't mind having students work with pencil and paper, but drafting and publishing is taken to another level with Google Docs.


Kidblog

As I've blogged about before, Kidblog has opened up opportunities for my 6th grade ELA students. We were able to connect with some Australian buddies from Canberra, and a whole different level of motivation for student writing was unleashed. You, of course, can choose another blogging platform, but what I love about Kidblog is that the teacher chooses the privacy settings. It can be as private or as public as you decide is right for your class. For us, we shared our blogs with only one class abroad. This year I hope to expand and add in a few more classes around the country or globe. Much of what we will do is create drafts in Google Docs and import or copy our writing into Kidblog as our main publishing tool. I typically grade the students on their revised and edited Google Doc, provide feedback, and then have students post their writing on Kidblog to begin their conversations with each other.


Evernote

I have used Evernote personally as a note-taking tool off and on for the last year or two, but this school year I want to take another leap with my 6th grade ELA students (and likely my other middle school classes too) in creating ePortfolios with Evernote. While Google Drive would be an effective way to organize all the students' writing, I want to have a central location for anything they might do in class, even other than writing. I plan to set up students with their own Evernote accounts using their GAfE emails. I can then teach them how to document their own work throughout the year or the semester. In Evernote, students will set up their own "notebooks", calling one of them ELA6. From there, students will create a "new note" within the "notebook" for each project or assignment we decide is worth documenting. With a free account, students will have enough space to link to their Google Docs, write reflections, and take and store pictures of their work, even annotating on top of the image if they desire. Tagging their notes allows for easy organization and retrieval. Video and audio takes up a lot of storage, so there will be little room for that. By the end of the year, they will have their own record of how they progressed. They could even add on to this the following year if they so desire, or if other teachers decide it is worth it for them. It's my first year attempting this, so we'll see how it goes!


ThreeRing

While I could use Evernote to organize student work for myself, I am fascinated with the possibilities ThreeRing offers. I first heard about ThreeRing from Drew Minock and Brad Waid while watching The Two Guys Show. ThreeRing allows a teacher to set up multiple classes, create a class roster and proper tags, and then choose a student, group, or whole class to share posts with. The main idea here is to easily document student work using an iPad. With ThreeRing I can snap a picture, add a note, record audio or video and post it under a student's name. It stays private, and I now have a record of student progress for myself, the teacher. I can use it to assess, to lead a parent-teacher conference, or simply for future reference. I think the power of this platform, however, is in the possibility of parent communication. I can set it up so that every time I post something new for a particular student, that student's parent who has a ThreeRing account receives an email stating that their child's ThreeRing has been updated. Click on the link, and there's the instant feedback that a parent often desires. They can communicate back if they want. It's that easy. Read more about it here.


Planbookedu.com

While the above platforms are free to use, I have to share just one paid service. Last year I purchased planbookedu.com, and it worked like a dream. I typed out my plans for the week, specifying steps for the lessons, as you would do in any planbook, color coded them by class, and then I printed them out for the week. You could bump your plans forward a day if you fell behind, and you could even insert links as necessary, which I opened in a new tab and projected from my computer onto the screen. And for you Common Core enthusiasts, you can even turn on the standards to show what you're covering. I will pay for this year after year until I find something as good for cheaper or for free.


Blendspace

Finally, something I just heard about this week from Richard Byrne on his Free Technology for Teachers blog is Blendspace. Formerly known as EdCanvas, its premium features have now gone free. I am still unsure of how it all will work for me, but it is marketed for face to face, blended, or online models of teaching. It looks promising for those of you who would like to try flipping your classroom from time to time. It sets up in a box-like pattern on your computer screen, and you use the video or upload functions (along with many others like research or quiz) to drag material into each box. Using it as a lesson plan, the class period is sequenced out ahead of time. I would use my iPad linked to my class computer and projector to open up box 1 to share whatever video, link, presentation, or text I want to show the students first. When that's finished, I would click on box 2, then box 3, and so on, until the lesson is finished. It looks quite promising and is worth a peek.

So there you have it. These are some of the encompassing techs I needed to flesh out so that I could organize my life as I enter a new school year. Of course, I have plans for using many different apps and websites for day to day use throughout the year...QuickKey for assessment tracking, Padlet for class brainstorming, Kahoot for fun whole class voting, and many more. Prepping for this tech so that students can have a smooth transition into the year is important for me, and now I can feel equipped to make my long term plans that will then give birth to my day to day lessons. Happy planning!

How Many Swings Does It Take?

How many sentences does it take to form a paragraph?

I have a philosophical issue with the question, "How many sentences does my paragraph have to be?"

I have taught mainly 5th grade and 6th grade throughout my career so far, and I understand these are prime years for learning proper paragraphing. I used to answer the question this way: "You're in 5th grade, so your paragraph should be about 5 sentences." Or, "You're in 6th grade, so roughly 6 sentences."

My answer to the question these days is, "It depends."

As we should know, a paragraph begins with a topic sentence which shares the main idea (hopefully in an interesting way!). Then come the supporting details with any variation of subcategories. Finally, the end of the paragraph should close down the main idea and transition into the next paragraph. This is the structure I teach.

So when the question pops up, "How many sentences?" I have to respond with a nebulous answer. It depends on your main idea and how much support you need to put into the paragraph to make it whole.

It depends when you're ready to close down the paragraph.

I had an idea the other day. A 6th grade boy walked up to my desk and asked me this forbidden question. I looked at him as he smiled at me. I smiled back at him, and then I banged my forehead on my desk. (I've tried to answer this so clearly.) Why does this question keep coming up? I think it's because students are afraid to take risks, or they're afraid to get something wrong. Or they have not been taught to think for themselves and make their own decisions. Maybe they just don't know after all the years of paragraph instruction how to do it.

So this boy who asked the question is on my son's baseball team--they love their baseball. I answered the boy this way:

"When you step up to the on deck circle, how many swings do you take to get ready for your at bat?"

He answered me, "I don't know. I swing until I feel ready to bat."

That was, of course, the answer I wanted to hear. I love using analogies with the students. Connecting a concept to an existing experience is my bread and butter, and I think it's the best way to help students learn.

If we can connect the dots here, we swing until we're ready, and then we step into the batter's box. In determining proper paragraphing, we write as many sentences as it takes to feel like we've completed the main idea. Of course, the student's idea of complete is oftentimes quite different from my idea of complete, but that's a topic for a different time.

What was cool about talking to the boy at my desk was that I got to see the light bulb ding above his head. The explanation was tailored to his strength, and that made all the difference.

Hopefully now when students attempt to determine how many sentences it takes to form a paragraph, they can understand that it could be different every time. They've got to write until it's complete. They've got to swing until they're ready.

Make Your Writing Hospitable

We put our house on the market this last week. To prepare the house, my wife and I (and our kids) did a thorough deep clean both inside and out, not to mention the remodeling and love we put into our house over the last 11 years. We also decluttered and organized the house better than we ever have.

The response I think I enjoy most from people who have walked through is simply, "It's very clean." I take that to mean that our home is free of dirt and grime, but I also believe people are saying that it's well-organized. And I hope they've noticed that we've tried to make it hospitable.

As a sixth grade writing teacher, I want my students to make their writing hospitable. Let me explain.

If you've ever walked through a house or apartment to consider renting or buying it, first impressions matter. When things are in good condition or look new, when the place is neat and tidy, and when floors are vacuumed and dust is minimal, a person can stay positive and feel at home. On the other hand, if it's a mess, or if there's clutter all around, it's difficult to remain interested.

I tell the students something similar with their writing. It begins with the introduction of their paper, and sometimes the first line of their entire essay or story can make or break it. First impressions matter. If I see that the student has taken great care in constructing a thesis or an interesting lead, I am inclined to desire to read more, and I'll keep an open, positive mind as a teacher throughout the writing assignment. However, if I see multiple errors or a lack of following directions from the start, I will likely notice similar errors throughout the paper, and my attitude will deteriorate.

So students: welcome me into your paper. Make your writing hospitable. When you do this, I feel good. And when I feel good, I like to give you the benefit of the doubt. If the beginning of the paper is not done carefully, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to do that. So as you revise and edit your first draft, make sure to tidy it up and do a deep cleaning that's noticeable right from the start...or else it feels like this.

7 Ways to Erase the Chalk

I start every year going over boundaries and setting expectations with my sixth grade students. This last year, after taking some classes and adopting a new English Language Arts curriculum, I overhauled my ELA program, so after introductions I had a great opening for the students on the first day. It went something like this:

"I've taught for 15 years, and I think it's gone quite well. But this year I've planned to transform my teaching. If I can change after so much time, you can turn over a new leaf as well...if you really desire it. Some of you had a rough year last year. Well, this year can be whatever you decide to make of it. You get a fresh start."

We started the year with a lot of positive energy, but as always, that energy waned after just a few short weeks. Keeping the students involved and excited is a tough task. Also, students who have had struggles for many years don't just succeed at the drop of a hat. So just because I attempt to keep it positive and uplifting, it doesn't mean the students are going to meet my expectations all the time.

Do we give up on our students? Are there middle school (or elementary...or high school) kids whose school habits are irredeemable? When do we get to the point of no return? I hope we can answer, "Never."

If you know baseball, it's such a mental game, and attitude is everything. My son's coach loves to talk, and one of the things he loves to quote over and over is, "Erase the chalk." If my boy is pitching and walks one or two people, Coach will say, "Just erase the chalk. Get the next batter." If my son makes an error, same thing. If somebody strikes out, same thing. Erase the chalk. Start over. He says, "Don't hang your head like you're defeated. Get your chin up and keep working."

I try to have that attitude in the classroom. Creating an intentional work environment for students gives them a chance to start fresh, to erase the chalk, when necessary. Generally, creating this type of atmosphere allows room for risk-taking and paths toward success. Keeping students positive and motivated is key. You might want to try these 7 ways to keep things fresh in your classroom.

1. Think outside the box.
Any teacher can follow the set curriculum. Get creative with it, add to it, create breaks within it, play games, go hands on. I will throw in literature circles and allow a small group to work through a book for a couple of weeks. Comprehension...check. Written response...check. Vocabulary...check. Well, you get the picture.

2. Surprise the students.
If you're experiencing the doldrums in your own classroom, I can almost guarantee that your students are feeling the same thing. I love it when the students ask, "What are we doing today?" One, it shows that they are ready to learn. And two, it tells me they are okay with something new. And it keeps it interesting for me--I hate it when I bore myself. Sometimes I give an assignment, but I allow partners (and usually create the partner groups myself) to turn in one assignment with both names on it. Many variations can and do occur within this partner work.

3. Throw in technology.
We all know that students need a "hook". If using technology as a tool to do that works to engage students, then why not? If a child is not very into the normal routine, try some tech once in a while. I would say some of the easiest ideas come when you start a lesson using a YouTube clip. Just search for something on topic, and you're sure to find something worthwhile. If you're brave, set up a YouTube account for yourself (or use an existing one) and be the star of your own show. The students will love it.

4. Keep good humor.
Students love a teacher with a sense of humor. School is not business, though it is a student's job for the time being. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't have some fun within your job. I keep saying that the students keep me young. I couldn't imagine teaching in a classroom without a smile on my face, or without a smile on the students' faces. I take it as a challenge to get a student to grin. How can you teach middle school without humor? Tell a joke a day. Share a funny situation that happened to you. Keep them on their toes.

5. Show students you care.
It's amazing to think that each of those students in your classroom has a history, present, and future all their own. If you let them know that you care about each one of these periods in their lives, they will never forget you. One of the ways I do this for students is on their birthdays. Of course, the old tradition of spanking children for fun on their birthdays is no longer feasible (and legally irresponsible to say the least), so I've adjusted to shooting them with a foam disc shooter. My students in sixth grade turn 12 usually, so I keep it loaded with 12 discs, and students look forward to their turn all year. Summer birthdays don't get forgotten. That's what "half-birthdays" are for, right?

6. Encourage question asking, continually.
Make sure you remain approachable. Students come in all shapes and sizes, and they have their own ways of dealing with problems, or questions. I think teachers need to make themselves available for whatever the students bring to the table. I typically allow students work time at their desks as I wander or sit at my own desk doing some of my own work, but they can always approach me. Smiling works wonders, too. My opinion, though, is that students (especially at the higher grade levels) should know to ask higher level questions. For example, a reminder of instructions could be taken care of with a classmate, but specific questions regarding process could be teacher solved.

7. Meet with parents face to face.
I definitely could do this better. When issues arise, students need to know you're taking their situation seriously. If they struggle, talk to them first. If it's necessary, get the parents involved. As a teacher and a parent, I've learned that parents just want to know that the teacher cares and is making efforts toward success. In any situation, documenting student progress or lack of it is tantamount. Also, documenting a plan for improvement is necessary. Follow through with administration is always encouraged. In the parent meetings I have been involved with, it gives a fresh perspective on how much families really love each other. And that situation helps me love the students even more.

A blog2buds face2face

Mrs. McKenzie's email said that a student of hers was in our area on vacation and wanted to visit our school.

Whaaaaaat?! This wasn't your typical pen-pal operation. We had launched our blog2buds initiative at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year after connecting with Mrs. McKenzie, a sixth grade teacher at Trinity Christian School in Canberra, Australia.

Blogging abroad is a brand new experience for students at Ripon Christian, and my sixth graders get a kick out of me jokingly calling them my guinea pigs...but they've taken the bull by the horns, proving their worth. And it's an understatement to say that I was excited to know they were going to be rewarded for their efforts.

Because of our hemisphere separation, our schools are opposite in seasons. While my students were sad to see Mrs. McKenzie's previous class move on after the Christmas holiday, they're excited to connect with a new bunch of "Year 6 Aussies", a group that began their new school year when we entered our spring season. The idea is to finish up our year with the new group and then have my incoming 6th graders connect with Mrs. McKenzie's current class next fall.

Ben, one of Mrs. McKenzie's new students, had flown into San Francisco with his mom and dad last week and had shown an interest in visiting our school, if possible. When they saw that our school was partway through their direct route from San Francisco to Yosemite, we together determined that it was meant to be. They would arrive Wednesday around 10:30, drop Ben off to experience school with us, and return a few hours later after lunch and recess to pick him up.

The visit was thrown together quickly, but I was amazed at how perfectly it went. When I told my students Tuesday that we were going to have a visitor from Mrs. McKenzie's class the next day, they were stoked! We made some loose plans for Ben and decided to be flexible with our school work.

When they checked in on Wednesday at our school office, it was just before our morning break. I walked over with two boys, Danton and Erik, and met Ben and his parents. After we exchanged our excitement over this unexpected opportunity, Danton took Ben to Band. When Band was over, Ben visited my English class. He wasn't shy to answer questions and share about his life in Australia with us or ask us questions about ourselves. For about 25 minutes he captivated his audience, showing us some Australian money, giving us a few mementos from Canberra, and telling us about kangaroos, school, and much more.

We then headed to the computer lab because we wanted to show him our blogging platform. He buddied with Erik and watched as Erik put his essay up on Kidblog.

My homeroom took a class picture with Ben, we ate lunch together, and then Ben roughed it with a bunch of kids at recess and played a little soccer. He visited Math class for a bit, and then his parents returned to pick him up. And that was it, a whirlwind of a tour!

The wonder of this blog2buds encounter would never have been possible without the concerted effort to reach out to a class across the world. And the wonder continues. As I mentioned, Ben is in the "new" class, so we will be able to connect with him when he returns to Canberra and gets blogging with his classmates. Perhaps we'll even attempt a Google Hangout between classes. It seems that the opportunities are endless.

Ben's mom, Ben, his dad, and me (Mr. T.)

I've set up a website called blog2buds that not only documents the beginnings of our blogging adventures but also gives tips on how to begin blogging with your class. I think the really cool part, though, is the Google Plus page you can link to from blog2buds where you can connect in discussion with other like-minded teachers. Take a look and perhaps you'll be able to connect online--maybe even face2face down the road--with some students abroad. Or use the #blog2buds hashtag on twitter (make sure to tag me @terpsmak) to start talking up your ideas with other teachers who also want to try out blogging with their classes.

10 Game Mechanics for the Classroom

About.me
I teach sixth graders, and I know they would be sold on the concept, but I struggle with the premise of applying game mechanics in my classroom. I loved video games as a kid, and sometimes I found myself connected for too many hours to my game of choice: Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo. As an adult I've found certain games for my phone that have created the same "time suck" that those Italian brothers did for me when I was younger. One game in particular, Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle Earth, occupied my thoughts constantly, so much so that I erased it from my phone, waited a couple of weeks, loaded it a second time, and finally erased it for good, never to return...yet. Maybe a bit of an addictive personality.

I couldn't get past the negative effects these types of games have on me. I figured these games were a waste of time and energy, and the people that I love were not getting my full attention because I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in my game at every instant.

Enter World of Warcraft.

Assignment
As part of a class I took, I was required to play WoW, so I dove in. After creating my character, a night elf rogue named Wolfsmak, I checked out level 1. I sat there for an hour trying to move and checking tutorial options, and then I frustratedly turned it off. The next day I thought I'd better give it another go, so after reading that you move through the game by clicking BOTH the left and right mouse buttons, I began traveling through the forests. It was fun! Altogether too much fun... I can see how incrementally gaining knowledge and powers bit by bit is motivating. But I was still terribly concerned about the "time suck".

Personally and professionally, I think children need to have balance in their video or computer game play, really for the time commitment it becomes. I believe there are much better uses of their time.

Going through the first 10 levels of the game (per the assignment instructions) has opened my eyes to the benefits educators can glean from understanding how these popular games work. Noting the mechanics of the game and the inspiration, motivation, and determination it creates in students was helpful. While I still believe that these games are mostly a waste of time in and of themselves, I have seen the benefits they can bring to a classroom environment. I specifically enjoyed the progress bar at the bottom of the screen in WoW and was very motivated to get that last little bit so that I could reach the next level. Creating this drive in students seems worthwhile to me.

So if you choose to play WoW or Minecraft or whatever, I trust that you will look through the lens of the educator "for the good of the students". I discovered 10 game mechanics from WoW and have listed them below with the classroom applications that may be helpful for you. Take a look.

Mechanic #1: 
Tailor your character to your desires.

• Give students choice for completion of the activity.
• If the same activity is required, give options within the activity.
• Include a student art project within the activity.

Mechanic #2: 
Seek advice with a "how-to" or tutorial on the Internet.

• Allow students to seek advice from classmates, teacher, Internet, or reference book.
• Create a FAQ sheet for the activity to help students help themselves.
• Train 2 different student experts for each activity so students can come to them with questions first.

Mechanic #3: 
Follow a step by step process for quest completion.

• Give clear written instructions and review with students.
• Make the sequence for activity completion logical.

Mechanic #4: 
Listen to encouraging words from those who give instructions.

• Stay motivating as a teacher and encourage students to use only positive words with each other.
• Every criticism should be started with something positive.

Mechanic #5: 
Spend as much time as you want to complete the quest.

• Allow students ample work time.
• Allow students to progress at their pace, teaching mini-lessons for small groups, focusing on differentiation.
• Set up stations in the classroom where small groups can go to work on a designated piece of the activity.

Mechanic #6: 
Note your progression with a progress bar shows what's been completed.

• Create a digital or material slide bar in the classroom to show progress on an activity.
• Give a reward (level up) when the progress bar reaches the end.

Mechanic #7: 
Revive your character without any other penalty by reaching the "graveyard" when death occurs.

• Give feedback to students and have them redo part of an activity for full credit.
• Remind students that it takes time to erase a mistake but that it's a necessary part of school and life.

Mechanic #8: 
Receive new abilities or tools as you progress, which help you to dive deeper into the story/game.

• Celebrate with students when they gain a new "tool" in understanding the activity or material.
• Give students a new tool (pencil or eraser) when they finish a tough activity.
• Create an activity that has multiple layers. Possibly allow different students to start at different points, progressing to the next level if they can reach the end.

Mechanic #9: 
Collaborate with other players within the game.

• Give classroom time for collaboration with peers.
• Find a class that's doing something similar and connect with them via Skype or Google Hangout or Blogging to discuss ideas.
• Create a website of some material the students have mastered and share it with other classes in different locations.

Mechanic #10: 
Receive rewards for quest completion.

• Give incentives like a homework pass or extra recess time when an activity is completed well.
• Create experience points that students can use in the classroom "market to buy small items.

Perhaps you have a game of choice and can add some more game mechanics for the classroom. Maybe you've tried something that has or has not worked. Feel free to share what you know and add to the discussion.

Write Me a Delicious Meal

Teaching writing makes me hungry.

Over the years, I've developed what I think is a memorable mini-lesson on the structure of essay writing in the middle school grades. To encourage students to organize their thoughts on whatever topic is required or chosen, we first create a concept web with a central bubble for the thesis and introduction details, three bubbles coming off the original intro bubble that represent the main ideas of the body paragraphs, and a final bubble connected in a different way (perhaps a dotted line) for the conclusion. We use this web to brainstorm, we scribble on it when we change our minds, we X out and add on as necessary throughout the assignment. This is the first step in the writing process: the planning stage.

The fun part, though, comes in the drafting and revising stages, the second and third steps of the writing process. To inspire students to put sentences down on paper, I like to tell a true story.

My wife and I decided to have a date night and go out to dinner. We picked Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse because we found a rare 2 for $20 seasonal coupon. Great food for two people for $20! What could be better? It was quite a steal. We walked up to the counter, put our name in, and were quickly seated. The smiling waitress approached and informed us that for the special, we could choose one appetizer, two entrees, and one dessert to share.

Appetizer--Introduction
My wife and I began when the waitress served us up the Jackpot Nachos: "piled high with refried beans, jack and cheddar cheese, tomatoes, jalepeños, and topped with sour cream, homemade guacamole and green onions". Oh, what a flavorful way to start our meal and prepare us for what was to come! The nachos had a distinction all to themselves--salty, strong, spicy, sharp--and the sharing of it prevented us from eating too much.
Much the same way, the introduction to an essay must be memorable. From the first thesis, the intro should have a flavor all its own. Consider a strong sensation, something sharp, that you can use sensory details to explore with your audience. Give them a solid base from which to begin, like the chips. Then detail where you're headed in your essay with a question, a story, some facts, the fixings on the nachos, if you will. Finally, build into a transition statement that brings the focus into the next phase of your "meal", the body.

Entrée--Body
Right about when we finished up our appetizer, the waitress dropped by to clear our plates and refill our drinks, noting that we were ready for our entrée. I had chosen Joe's Steak: "slow roasted for over 19 hours, then rolled in cracked black pepper and wood grilled". As usual, I ordered it medium as to retain the delectable juices of the beef. I also selected the Baby Greens Salad and the Mountain Mashers to go along with my main course. This phase of my meal had variety in color, flavor, and texture, and I was not disappointed when I took my first (not to mention my last) bite. I have to admit, I was feeling rather full at the end of this course, but I was delightfully satisfied.
This is really what we're here for, the main course. In the body of the essay, we arrive at the main points of the paper. Just as the waitress brought my steak entrée with my salad and potatoes, the body can be split into three topics. Each paragraph, then, should open with a topic sentence that clearly states the important point you're trying to make, follow with details in support of it, and end with another transition statement that relates to the next main point. The body as a whole should work together to support the thesis, but each paragraph of the body should appeal to the reader individually. At the end of the body, the reader should feel delightfully satisfied. Perhaps at this point, it's time to "push back the plate", allow for some reflection, and prepare for dessert, the final conclusion in the essay.

Dessert--Conclusion
When I'm satisfied after the main course, I tend to push my plate away semi-dramatically to signal that I'm finished. No matter how much I've eaten, though, there's always room for dessert. When the waitress came by and asked what dessert we'd decided to share, it was going to have to be the Nevada Cheesecake: "Joe likes his cheesecake tall, with a thick graham cracker crust and fresh whipped cream. You're going to like it too!" I knew it was the best option, and as my wife and I were served up the huge piece of cheesecake with two forks, we immediately dug into the sweet richness of our favorite dessert. We were relatively full, but we wanted that smooth end to a great meal.

While I didn't originally pick Tahoe Joe's for the dessert, it was definitely something I was looking forward to from the beginning. Teaching students how to structure a conclusion is tricky, but one thing I like to emphasize is that it should have a flavor all its own. Oftentimes, people save the most thought-provoking point until the end, or they share a related story that drives home their thesis. They may even review the main points and dive deeper into one of them, or end with a challenge for the reader. Whatever the structure of the conclusion, I think it should provide a smooth closing to the paper, just as the dessert does for the end of a meal. Keeping it relatively short and sweet, yet rich, will allow for a satisfying end.

The Experience
Encompassing my entire meal at Tahoe Joe's is the overall experience. The host or hostess, waiter or waitress, manager, and cooks (perhaps even a bartender) create that dining experience for me. There are lots of smiles, refills, check-ups, and there's attention to detail (think: editing in stage 4 of the writing process). If I'm unsatisfied, they'll even bring me something new. They're looking to ensure a positive environment for me so that I...#1 come back, #2 leave a fat tip, or even #3 publish a great review. As a writer, a student can likewise strive to create the proper atmosphere for the reader. Using the analogy above, the audience for the essay is the patron who walked in, coupon in hand, ready for a delicious experience. As a teacher, I read what the students serve up to me, and I look forward to my delicious meal.

I told you that teaching writing makes me hungry. How's your appetite?

Failure's Not Optional

I was watching as the sixth grader was tossing his pencil in the air, then catching it.

I gave him about 10 seconds to have his fun, after which I firmly reminded him to keep it locked down in his hand. We've had this conversation many times; it's a work in progress.

It got me to thinking about how distractible my middle school students can be. If the pencil isn't in the air, it's on the floor or in a neighbor's lap. Chairs scrape noisily on the ground, materials slam on the table, zippers unzip and zip again, pens endlessly click, and if somebody has something they really want to say they grunt as their hand goes up, as if the visual cue wasn't enough.

Does this mean the students are bored? Maybe... But there's no lack of discussion in my room. At every pause there is some sort of response. Tommy has to nudge his buddy Jack and tell a 2 second story in what he thinks is a whisper but definitely is not.  That's not a problem necessarily, but Jack has to respond for 2 seconds and Tommy has to finish his thought after that. In the meantime, they've lost track of the larger discussion and distracted Charlene and Maria across the way who have missed their cue to respond to the teacher's question. The noises continue, and as I look around to see whose low, recently "changed" adolescent voice is rumbling continuously in the distance, the classroom has been thrown into a random series of separate conversations. I've been teaching for 15 years and I still struggle with keeping the environment fun while maintaining control.

Is there a lack of engagement? No! In fact, I think it proves the students are excited about their learning; but it does show a lack of respect for the rules of the classroom, which is why a clear management system is necessary. Once all systems are go, it's the classroom teacher's task to harness that middle school, or elementary, or even high school, energy.

Does traditional teaching work? There are teachers who would tell you it does, but I'm torn. I want students to be disciplined. I believe there is character to be gained by sitting quietly and listening to somebody speak, teach, lecture, what have you. Just because students' attention spans may not be what they used to be doesn't mean we should throw out lectures when frontal teaching is the best option. Students still need to receive information sometimes. I also want students to figure things out for themselves, to solve problems without the teacher's solutions, to discover information. I want them to come up with new ideas and create things I couldn't predict for them.

Tap into the students' energy. In my experience, students (especially middle schoolers) are up for anything. If they have a tough time sitting still, get them out of their seats into groups and put a challenge in front of them. They're not shy, particularly when they can lean on their peers for support.

This is the first year we've tried to use iPads in the classrooms. In our middle school, we share an iPad cart for check out. We've discussed security, privacy, policy. We've tried to be careful in the technology integration. When we finally got the iPads the way we wanted with the right procedures and the right apps, and when we felt the students had been prepared enough, we put the iPads in the students' hands. And do you know what they did?

They dove in. Without inhibition.

They were craving the discovery.

Yes, students need some structure. But they also need some freedom. Freedom to explore, to create...to learn. To get on the wall to look out at their world. And sometimes they need to do this on their own terms.

Listen. You've got some pretty intelligent little humans in your class. Ask them what they'd like to do, how they'd like to learn. With a little feedback from your colleagues on site, your PLN, and your students, you could design some amazing lessons using the technology at your fingertips...ahem...your students' fingertips. Ask them what tech they use, with which apps they've been successful, what's fun, what's boring...you get the picture. You'll have those rambunctious little rascals eating out of your hand in no time.

Fail. My biggest fear going into the classroom 15 years ago was failure. My biggest fear 15 years later is still failure, but I'm finally learning to take risks, especially when integrating technology into my classroom. There are days when the tech doesn't work and we have to try Plan B or Plan C. My students don't look at me and decide the period was worthless. They know we'll try again another day. What a terrific way to model problem solving and perseverance, ingenuity and innovative thinking. Take the risk. What did Thomas Edison say? "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

I tell the kids almost every day that I'm easily distractible. They probably don't care, and yes, they continue to distract me and others. I learned a long time ago that mini-lessons are best. Take that first part of class to explain what's going to happen, to teach content and to show students what it is to sit quietly and listen, but don't drag on too long like I do. As soon as you can, get the students physically involved, whether they're moving around the room, working on a particular assignment, making a poster, targeting a certain project or problem to solve, or manipulating the iPad or some other tech tool.

Let them loose.

Let them fail, and see what they discover about the content and themselves.

blog2buds

Well, I finished the Innovative Educator Advanced Studies Certificate, the IEASC, an online educational technology certification through Computer Using Educators (CUE) and Fresno Pacific University. I can say to everybody who cares that it has transformed how I teach. It was quite a ride: I was able to succeed in completing 18 units in 6 months from April to October. Completely done.

From learning Google Drive...to exploring numerous Web 2.0 tools...to implementing iPads...to taking the plunge into classroom blogging with my sixth graders, using technology as a tool to help students create deeper meaning has become an expectation I have of myself, and I hope to spread the joy within my sphere of influence.

As a class, we have published our first blog posts to our Australian

photo credit: Lisa Nielsen

friends. In the welcome paragraphs that the students shared with the Australian class, they made sure to begin with a jovial greeting, continue with some information about themselves, and end with a few questions for their buds across the globe. After a 2 week term break in Australia, we eagerly await responses within the blog comments. This will be our first real communication with our buddies who live almost 8,000 miles west of us!

We have just completed one quarter of our school year, so you could say that our road has been slow-going. But I believe it is extremely important to do something like blogging for the very first time in a deliberate manner. We laid the groundwork in August, September, and some of October, and now we will continue our journey and see what's around the bend.

As a teacher who just completed an intensive series of courses to earn the title "Innovative Educator", I feel as if a journey is ending, but if I'm completely honest with myself, I know my journey is far from over. And I want to take as many as I can along for the ride.

Part of the requirement of the IEASC program was to create a project that could innovate education and be effective on a global scale. As I took an elective course as part of the program through FPU called Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom in June and July, my eyes were opened to student blogging, and I decided then that I wanted my Language Arts students to blog their way through sixth grade. I didn't quite know where to start: some pieces fell into place and some had to be pounded into the proper shape, but my final project became blog2buds. It is a website that documents my blogging journey with my students, offers suggestions for other teachers who would like to start blogging in class, and connects educators by using my blog2buds Google Plus global community.

If you haven't already clicked on the link above, you should check out blog2buds now!

This is an unveiling of sorts. It's the road I'm taking. As I travel, I hope to see you along the way. Perhaps we could travel together for while and get to know each other and share some stories as we walk along toward our destinations.

Climbing

Question: How many bloggers does it take to change a lightbulb?  

Answer: 50. 1 to actually change the bulb and 49 to take a picture and post it on Instagram.

Regardless of who’s changing the lightbulb or how many people it takes, the truth is somebody’s got to get climbing to reach it.  We, as sixth grade Language Arts students, are working to reach our “lightbulb”.  The bright idea for which we’re reaching is successful blogging, and we’re getting there.

I wanted to take some time to post about the steps we’ve taken to get where we’re at right now.  I also want to show you where we’re going.  When school began, we talked a lot about what blogging was.  I don’t know if a lot of the sixth graders really understood the various purposes why people blog.  I have a friend who blogs about her day in order to practice her writing and to comment on life as she knows it.  Another friend blogs about family life.  My wife blogs about the blessings she sees in an insanely busy time in our family’s life.  Some people blog about cooking.  Others blog about their own personal hobbies.  I have a buddy who reads some stranger’s blog because each new post is the next chapter in an intriguing story that’s being written.  I’ve only started blogging recently.  I had one blog that documented my reflections about Web 2.0 tools in the classroom for a course I took. Another blog I have is used for taking notes and turning in assignments to another instructor.  The purpose of this blog is to keep you updated on how and what we’re doing in class.  I have plans for another blog that will be more instructional for other teachers who want to begin blogging with their classes.

The first blog post students wrote with their Kidblog account was to identify the purpose of their blog. I gave them the first few reasons that they should have used in their welcome blog: 1) to write final drafts for the teacher, and 2) to share their ideas with others.  I allowed them to choose a third reason of their own for times when I allow them to “free write”.  Their post was titled “Welcome to My Blog”, and they practiced the writing process on paper--planning, drafting, revising, editing--and then typed the final paragraph on their Kidblog.

For the second blog post, students were tasked to work through the writing process on paper again and then type the final into their blogs.  Their topic this time was simply, “What do you want to write about when you’re free to choose your own topic?”  It basically was an extension of the third reason from their first post.  Both these posts were purposed to orient the students to their Kidblog, and I think they now have a handle on the technology.  We’re still working out a few kinks, but it’s looking up.

These first two posts were completely private, meant to be viewed only by the teacher. I wanted the kids to find a comfort level with the whole process.  Now that we have formed that connection, I plan to open up their third post to the entire sixth grade.  I want to move the students from writing only for their teacher (for a grade) to writing to share their ideas with each other.  I figured that writing a sequel full of mystery, humor, and suspense related to Chris Van Allsburg’s The Garden of Abdul Gasazi would be a wonderful way to begin to share stories with each other.

Not only that, but students will now get to comment on each other’s stories.  We have spent much time in class forming our 3 star commenting procedures.  Comments must 1) be in sentences, 2) be thoughtful and positive, and 3) add to the conversation. While we had some trouble with this process during the learning stage, the students should now understand the “how”.  Now we have to make sure it happens.

If you think about what we’re doing here, students now write for a real audience--their peers.  In the past, I would try to find time for students to read their stories in front of the class.  Whenever we managed the class time, it was definitely worth it, but I couldn’t ever get to everybody’s stories in front of class.  Now, though, the students’ stories are published for their peers to read at their leisure. While there will be requirements on the number of stories to read and comment on, I hope that this will lead to a genuine interest in each other’s writing.  I want to also motivate the students to do their best for the audience that’s waiting for them on the other side of the computer.

Soon, very soon, I plan to open up the students’ blogs to our buddies in Australia.  I have connected with two teachers at a Christian school in Canberra who serve 54 students.  This will link nicely with our 56.  We are very excited to begin to share our stories, experiences, and ways of life.

Our class is getting there.  We’re climbing the wall, but it’s still a long, steep climb, especially for those who are new to sitting in front of a computer, and for now there’s nowhere to go but up.  The risks are still low...by design.  I pray that the students begin to reach new levels with this whole blogging concept.  I plan to teach them how to interact with each other and with their world.  I know their buddies in Australia are waiting for them to get on that wall, too.

Part 3: On the Wall

This is the beginning of our school year together, and I want to start out on the right foot--a foot that takes a step toward the wall with the intention of standing atop it with a confident view of the world and my place in it.

I want your children to make that step as well.

How are we as a classroom going to stand on the wall?

First, I plan to teach my class on the basis of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  Your kids were created by the Lord to fulfill their purposes in this world he’s made. I am here to help them along that path, to continue down the road that God has marked out for them. I will work to reveal his plans for them and allow him to lead me in this endeavor. These are the types of behind the wall conversations I will have with your children. I would appreciate your trust and your encouragement, and I welcome any questions or input you may have.

And second, the activities I design for the students are based on a lot of research that I’ve accumulated over my years of teaching (and learning how to teach) middle school kids, specifically in the arena of English and Reading with a recent focus on educational technology. I’ve worked to refine what the best methods are to teach your children how to write and understand what they read, thinking critically and solving problems along the way. I plan to use carefully selected Internet tools throughout our time together.

I will be introducing your children to the positive side of the Internet as it fits into an educational setting, discussing with them important strategies on how to stay safe during the process.

There is a World Wide Web of information in our world. It turns out that this Internet is full of cultural influences, those beyond the wall ideas that we’ve discussed. The Internet really is its own animal, and it continues to expand and change at an alarming pace.

Your children's professional careers may consist of jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. The 21st Century skills that they will be using in those professions will rely very heavily on the use of social interactions on the Internet, a space that is growing exponentially as you read this.

I’m excited to have the behind the wall conversations about our Christian heritage and to witness the faith-building that happens by way of the Holy Spirit.

We will put one foot in front of the other, approach the wall of our faith, and climb confidently. Standing on the wall, we will look at the culture laid out in front of us, hold fast to our Christian heritage learned behind the wall, and determine our place in this wide world.

Psalm 62:2 says, “[God] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Let’s stand on the wall of faith together.

Part 2: Behind the Wall

To bravely approach the protective wall that stands between pop culture beyond and Christian tradition behind, we need to study our faith. (For a quick introduction to the analogy here, you can see the first post of my blog.)

Owing to wise people such as Bret Lamsma, Kenda Creasy Dean, and Walter Brueggemann, as well as King Hezekiah, and, well, God, a reading of 2 Kings 18-19 is in order. You can read it here.

I’ll share a summary, though, to make my point. The nation of Judah led by King Hezekiah, who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”, was under attack by the Assyrians, but because of his trust in the Lord, he was able to rebel successfully against Assyria, and the king of Assyria (Sennacherib) turned his attacks elsewhere. Later on, Sennacherib returned to attack Judah, and King Hezekiah’s military personnel began negotiations with the Assyrians at Jerusalem’s aqueduct of the Upper Pool, which we will designate as “the wall”.

To make a long story short, the Hebrews chose to negotiate in the language of the day, Aramaic, something the Assyrians knew well. The prophet Isaiah got involved and prophesied about Sennacherib’s defeat with some choice words from God himself. The end of God’s speech went like this: “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.” 2 Kings 19:34

The end of the story? That very night an angel of the Lord killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand of Sennacherib’s men in the Assyrian camp. When Sennacherib withdrew to Nineveh, his own sons killed him. Talk about God the Savior!

Hezekiah’s trust in God is epic. God’s response to Hezekiah’s devotion is miraculous!

Where did Hezekiah gather his confidence? How did he muster enough courage to approach the wall, climb the wall, and stand on the wall?

How can we?

It begins at home behind the wall, constructing a wall of faith.

Work with me here; the analogy goes like this. The city of Jerusalem, God’s holy city, is behind the wall. Traditions are taught in the native language--stories of God’s faithfulness, parents’ faith journeys, celebrations of love. It is not without its struggles, but the gospel is preached. Your homes represent this Jerusalem. As an extension, Ripon Christian represents it too, and we have a tall order to fill as parents and teachers. We need to speak truth to the children so that their faith will grow in the Holy Spirit. This is what happens behind the wall in our own native language based on our Christian heritage.

Beyond the wall are the Assyrians who speak a different language altogether, the language of popular culture. I bet your kids know this language and are already testing out their interaction beyond the wall. Relating back to the story of Sennacherib, are your children listening to the hollow promises the culture, the “empire”, presents?

Here’s a gut check. How many commercials do your kids know by heart? What do those commercials advertise? Or the Internet--how many mindless YouTube videos or inappropriate Instagram posts or violent video games enter your walls? Hey, I’ve got a finger pointed at myself here, too. How do we interact with this culture? With what lens should we view our world? What should we do?

I’ll tell you two things I think we should not do: 1) we should not send our kids beyond the wall unprepared, in essence throwing them to the wolves of the culture in which we live; and 2) we should not keep them behind the wall forever without giving them the tools to interact with the larger world. So, are we at an impasse? I don’t think so.

Solomon built the wall around Jerusalem. It is a wall of strength.

Hezekiah approached the wall with confidence in the Lord, who is our Strength.

The conversations behind the wall must occur. Please don’t leave the conversation to somebody else to have with your child. In her book Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean, says this:

We can safely assume that the modern-day Assyrians (media, marketers, and other culture-makers of global postmodernity) are immersing American teenagers in the official language of the commercial empire. The empire’s language dismisses Yahweh, offers tantalizing but ultimately empty promises of salvation, and hands out scripts that the empire expects teenagers to follow. Unless the church cultivates a behind-the-wall conversation that reminds young people who they are, who they belong to, why they are here, and where their future hope lies--unless we hand on a tradition that gives them cultural tools to help them lay claim to this alternate vision of reality--then the empire’s conversation is the only view of reality they have (pp. 114-15).

Though it speaks of the church cultivating the conversation, chapter 6 of the book clearly points to the family as the main influencers of the children.

And again, by extension, we teachers must have these behind the wall conversations.

The empire is on our wall meeting with us, and our children can hear what they’re saying. Our kids have been instructed to remain silent for now, but they are considering the empire’s words, and images, and clothing, and food, and videos, and games. Perhaps they feel fearful, or curious, or insulted. We know they are deeply affected by culture beyond the wall. Let’s talk to them about what’s going on. Let’s cultivate in them a confidence in the Lord that cannot be shaken.

Let’s teach them about Hezekiah’s faith, and let’s help them construct a wall of faith of their own.