I had a math professor in college, an eccentric fellow to say the least. As he hunched over and peered into the overhead projector to show us an enlarged example of the solution to his math problems, he would pause, look up with a conspiratorial squint in his eyes, raise his inky index finger, and say, "Coincidence? Or Grand Design?"
He was making a statement about how God has placed the universal truths of math, along with its recurring patterns, into this created world.
I wouldn't say these coincidences happen to me frequently, but from time to time they pop up without warning, and it's usually about something I'm teaching. Here's the most recent one.
I was teaching a lesson on Tuesday in Bible class to my 7th graders, and a piece of the lesson was directed toward Bible translators around the world. We discussed this for a bit, and then I referred to somebody from a particular organization who spoke in my church about this over a year ago. I walked the students through the process of how a translator might do the job in a different country. But for the life of me, in that moment, I couldn't remember the organization's name. The bell rang, and we went off to chapel. Since it's our Spiritual Emphasis Week this week, we have chapel every day. Of course my thoughts shifted during chapel to how the Spirit moves in our lives, and I forgot about our class discussion for a while.
That afternoon, I received one of those emails I get from random organizations once in a while. However, this organization didn't seem so random--it was Wycliffe Bible Translators.
What?! I hadn't ever received an email from them before, and now it was on the same day I had discussed it in class. They were asking for teachers interested in considering working in the organization. It was funny, too, because the email wasn't even intended for me--it was for my wife who also teaches (and who has a very similar email address as me).
That's not the end of my coincidence, though.
The next morning in Bible class we reviewed some material about Bible translation, and I shared with the students again about how the Spirit moves in mysterious ways. Then I told them about the crazy coincidence about how I found out the organization's name. Some of them were quite impressed. I shared with them that when we visited chapel again directly after class to be open to the Spirit's leading, and I left them with that.
We sang some songs and had an altogether wonderful time of worship. Our speaker for the week began talking, and about 10-15 minutes into his talk he told our group of middle school and high school students about his conversion story as a high schooler and his ensuing plan to work for...
...wait for it...
...Wycliffe Bible Translators!
My 7th grade Bible class was way on the other side of the auditorium, so I just sat up a little higher and checked to see if any of them caught the connection. After a couple of moments, one of the boys in my class popped his head up and looked over at me. We exchanged a knowing nod, and I sat marveling about what these connections could mean.
Some people would say they mean nothing; it's just coincidence.
But could it mean more? Maybe the Lord was speaking to me about working with Wycliffe Bible Translators someday. I couldn't even contemplate doing that right now, but maybe someday... It sounds really cool! Maybe since the mysterious email was addressed to my wife, it was meant for her (but of course we're a packaged deal).
But maybe, just maybe, it was meant for a certain 7th grader in my Bible class. I don't know. Maybe through our discussion in class, the random email, the mention of the exact organization in chapel where we hope the Spirit moves mightily, maybe through these coincidences, God had a message for somebody, maybe God decided to spark somebody's purpose.
Coincidence? Or Grand Design?
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
Positive Peer Pressure
At my Christian school, with the 7th grade Bible class I teach, students were "required" to volunteer. I know, I know, how can you require people to volunteer? That's an argument for which I really don't have a defense, other than this: service often must be taught.
In response to a discipleship lesson about what it means for students to carry their crosses, each student designed his or her own service. The requirements were few. Students needed to: 1) do something out of their ordinary, 2) work for free, and 3) use parents only for driving to and from the destination.
The first part of the assignment consisted of simply writing the action down on an index card and getting a parent signature of approval. Cards were brought in the next day and taped to a construction paper cross on the board, representing the carrying of the cross.
As we discussed the projects at the beginning of the period every day, students were forced to think through when and how they would complete the project. When hands went up to ask for the due date, I stated, "We'll figure that out later." I didn't tell them that I simply hadn't thought that far ahead.
After the following weekend, students represented to me that their project was finished by coloring their index cards with a crayon, a symbolic gesture which made the cross even more beautiful.
During the next two weeks, almost all index cards were colored in. We began to discuss the projects in class, and it was clear that students were proud of themselves and their efforts at service. They were using their own minds, muscles, and merit to share something valuable with somebody in need. As color went up, more students felt left out. Hands shot up with the question, "When is this due?" "When do I need to finish?" And again I didn't answer.
Not all students finished without a given due date, but 90% of them got it done before it got to that point. And I think many students were motivated by others who colored their cards in early. For something like this, positive peer pressure made positive things happen!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
When Tech UN-Cooperates
Technology does not always cooperate.
After a championship season coaching high school boys' soccer, I used all my post-season free time to create a slideshow using photographs taken by a talented senior who made it out to many of our games. I inserted 250+ action shots into an Apple Keynote presentation that I would turn into a self-playing slideshow with transitions between slides set to the beat of my hand-picked audio. Aside from my incessant analytical tendencies regarding sequence and sizing of the photos and recording the audio and transitions, the process seemed to go smoothly. I finished the Friday before our Monday awards night...or so I thought. Sunday evening my wife asked to see the completed recording, and when I played it back in its entirety, the show didn't work past 29 seconds. The next 24 hours felt like a mad dash to solve the problem before I would show it to the guys and their families.
Over time I have learned a few lessons about the problems that are sure to arise when using tech, in education, or really anywhere.
Always Have a Plan B
With all the things that could go wrong (the downloading, the uploading, the app crashing, the bandwidth overload, etc.), something will probably go wrong. Trying out first what you want students to do is so important; however, I've fallen prey to "winging it" with something I think I understand. There may be an update that makes it confusing for you to demo in front of the students. Or there simply may be a missing piece that you, well, missed. Have a back up plan. In my classes, I like to have some longer term project running in the background. That way, you can just say, "Well, it looks like we're blogging today!" or, "We can work on our poster presentations instead." My Plan B for my slideshow was to show the video recording silently through the computer while listening to the playlist from my iPhone.
Search the Message Boards
I don't know about you, but I tend to randomly come up with what I think would be great inventions. Wouldn't you know it that when I look into if my great idea would be plausible, I see that somebody's already invented it! The same is often true of problems that arise. It will be rare that you are the very first person to have the problem with your tech. Get on the Google train and research it out. Begin generally with your search, and you'll see what other people have been posting. Look for a question similar to yours and read what answers were given. Interestingly, I found that people were talking about the Keynote presentations recordings losing audio at 29 seconds, the same exact timing issue I was dealing with. In the end, even though I had to dig through the Apple support pages with the proper key terms, this is what solved my audio issue.
Sleep On It
I racked my brains toward insanity to solve the problem with the tech. Somehow we think that we can do the same thing over and over and get a different result. Realize that the problem likely will not get solved when you're in a frustrated mindset and unable to think of a creative alternative. It is at that point that you should just go to bed and try again tomorrow. I'm not saying you won't dream about it, but at least your brain will be rested enough the next day to start fresh. When I could not solve the problem with my Keynote on Sunday night, I finally went to bed and had new energy and a fresh look in the morning.
Stick With It
I feel like there are many students these days who do not stay with a problematic situation long enough to make progress. Persistence must be modeled, a sort of "stick-to-it-iveness" that my college professors always talked about. I'm often tempted to give up, but understanding that a failed attempt can lead to greater success later is a great motivator. I didn't have a chance to give up on my slideshow since I had previously told everybody it would be ready for Monday night. Without knowing it, I had forced myself to stick with it by advertising it ahead of time.
Stay Calm
I will often say to my students, "Relax." Giving in to panic just unleashes a whole lot of chaos. Take a breath and think it through logically. It's another trick in allowing your mind to solve the problem effectively. With my slideshow, I have to admit there were a few "arrgghhs" and balled fists along the way. After crossing my fingers and then running into the same problem, I gave in to frustration. But I was able to turn around and try again.
Ask an Expert
Chances are you know somebody more tech savvy than yourself. The thing about technology, though, is that there are so many different spheres. Try to find somebody who has experience with the particular problem you are trying to solve. When you don't know somebody who can help, search online--there's likely a message board or help topic listed somewhere. I talked to somebody from church who has experience with Apple products. I texted him and he offered to help me out, though I solved the problem before I met with him about it.
The Problem is Part of the Process
Take solace in the reality that running into problems with technology is just how it works. There are times when you will need to use your plan B or plan C, or even scrap the whole project because of time constraints. But more often than not, there's a fix for the issue, and if you go in with a patient attitude, you will figure out a way to solve the problem. Patience and persistence pays off. With my slideshow, I figured my Plan B (silent video and separate audio) would work for that evening, but I knew I wanted to present a stand-alone presentation that included motivating audio that would create the right atmosphere for our end-of-season soccer shindig. I stuck with it and realized again that the process allowed me to find ways NOT to solve the problem, which in essence led me to the solution.
When my slideshow finally worked as planned, the feeling of satisfaction was immense. Listening the my soccer players' reactions to their action shots--along with the music I had worked so hard to include--brought me great joy. In the end I had learned to roll with the punches, and I think I'm a better person for it. Our students need to learn to stick with a problem until completion, within reason. For them to feel the satisfaction and joy when they conquer the uncooperative technology (or really any problematic situation) will mold them into our persistent problem solvers of the future.
After a championship season coaching high school boys' soccer, I used all my post-season free time to create a slideshow using photographs taken by a talented senior who made it out to many of our games. I inserted 250+ action shots into an Apple Keynote presentation that I would turn into a self-playing slideshow with transitions between slides set to the beat of my hand-picked audio. Aside from my incessant analytical tendencies regarding sequence and sizing of the photos and recording the audio and transitions, the process seemed to go smoothly. I finished the Friday before our Monday awards night...or so I thought. Sunday evening my wife asked to see the completed recording, and when I played it back in its entirety, the show didn't work past 29 seconds. The next 24 hours felt like a mad dash to solve the problem before I would show it to the guys and their families.
Over time I have learned a few lessons about the problems that are sure to arise when using tech, in education, or really anywhere.
Always Have a Plan B
With all the things that could go wrong (the downloading, the uploading, the app crashing, the bandwidth overload, etc.), something will probably go wrong. Trying out first what you want students to do is so important; however, I've fallen prey to "winging it" with something I think I understand. There may be an update that makes it confusing for you to demo in front of the students. Or there simply may be a missing piece that you, well, missed. Have a back up plan. In my classes, I like to have some longer term project running in the background. That way, you can just say, "Well, it looks like we're blogging today!" or, "We can work on our poster presentations instead." My Plan B for my slideshow was to show the video recording silently through the computer while listening to the playlist from my iPhone.
Search the Message Boards
I don't know about you, but I tend to randomly come up with what I think would be great inventions. Wouldn't you know it that when I look into if my great idea would be plausible, I see that somebody's already invented it! The same is often true of problems that arise. It will be rare that you are the very first person to have the problem with your tech. Get on the Google train and research it out. Begin generally with your search, and you'll see what other people have been posting. Look for a question similar to yours and read what answers were given. Interestingly, I found that people were talking about the Keynote presentations recordings losing audio at 29 seconds, the same exact timing issue I was dealing with. In the end, even though I had to dig through the Apple support pages with the proper key terms, this is what solved my audio issue.
Sleep On It
I racked my brains toward insanity to solve the problem with the tech. Somehow we think that we can do the same thing over and over and get a different result. Realize that the problem likely will not get solved when you're in a frustrated mindset and unable to think of a creative alternative. It is at that point that you should just go to bed and try again tomorrow. I'm not saying you won't dream about it, but at least your brain will be rested enough the next day to start fresh. When I could not solve the problem with my Keynote on Sunday night, I finally went to bed and had new energy and a fresh look in the morning.
Stick With It
I feel like there are many students these days who do not stay with a problematic situation long enough to make progress. Persistence must be modeled, a sort of "stick-to-it-iveness" that my college professors always talked about. I'm often tempted to give up, but understanding that a failed attempt can lead to greater success later is a great motivator. I didn't have a chance to give up on my slideshow since I had previously told everybody it would be ready for Monday night. Without knowing it, I had forced myself to stick with it by advertising it ahead of time.
Stay Calm
I will often say to my students, "Relax." Giving in to panic just unleashes a whole lot of chaos. Take a breath and think it through logically. It's another trick in allowing your mind to solve the problem effectively. With my slideshow, I have to admit there were a few "arrgghhs" and balled fists along the way. After crossing my fingers and then running into the same problem, I gave in to frustration. But I was able to turn around and try again.
Ask an Expert
Chances are you know somebody more tech savvy than yourself. The thing about technology, though, is that there are so many different spheres. Try to find somebody who has experience with the particular problem you are trying to solve. When you don't know somebody who can help, search online--there's likely a message board or help topic listed somewhere. I talked to somebody from church who has experience with Apple products. I texted him and he offered to help me out, though I solved the problem before I met with him about it.
The Problem is Part of the Process
Take solace in the reality that running into problems with technology is just how it works. There are times when you will need to use your plan B or plan C, or even scrap the whole project because of time constraints. But more often than not, there's a fix for the issue, and if you go in with a patient attitude, you will figure out a way to solve the problem. Patience and persistence pays off. With my slideshow, I figured my Plan B (silent video and separate audio) would work for that evening, but I knew I wanted to present a stand-alone presentation that included motivating audio that would create the right atmosphere for our end-of-season soccer shindig. I stuck with it and realized again that the process allowed me to find ways NOT to solve the problem, which in essence led me to the solution.
When my slideshow finally worked as planned, the feeling of satisfaction was immense. Listening the my soccer players' reactions to their action shots--along with the music I had worked so hard to include--brought me great joy. In the end I had learned to roll with the punches, and I think I'm a better person for it. Our students need to learn to stick with a problem until completion, within reason. For them to feel the satisfaction and joy when they conquer the uncooperative technology (or really any problematic situation) will mold them into our persistent problem solvers of the future.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Musings from Fall CUE-with presenter links!
Fall CUE 2014. It was my first CUE conference--what a whirlwind! 10 sessions and 2 keynotes in 2 days. And no raffles won...oh well. I want to share some of my thoughts on each activity I attended, some semi-deep, some not so much. Maybe it'll be helpful for you; just skip the sections you don't need. The links will take you to the presentations or resources each presenter created for you!
The Great iPad vs Chromebook Showdown - 2014 with Jon Corippo and Chris Scott
It really comes down to preference. If we are teaching the students the presentation and not simply the technology, it really doesn't matter which one you use. iPad has lots of stuff. Chromebook has a good amount, too. If your school is 1:1, check your budget, make a choice, and enjoy learning how to incorporate the tech to deepen your content.
The Hour of Awesome with Sergio Villegas
We crammed into a classroom and heard many tips and tricks for teacher efficiency. We were encouraged to take away a few things that we could incorporate into our normal routine right away. The link below is to Sergio's resources. One thing I noted and have used since the conference is to share a folder from my school Google Apps account to my personal account. I had been frustrated with being able to only log in to one Google account per browser, but with a shared folder I can access many of my school files right on my personal Google Drive. Simple yet amazing!
Bit.ly/hourofawesome
Why I Love My (Google) Classroom with Lisa Nowakowski
Being relatively new to Google Apps for Education, I wanted to see how this whole Google Classroom thing worked. I enjoyed Lisa's energy, and she was able to walk us through how to get set up with Classroom. I introduced this to my sixth grade Language Arts students a few weeks back, and we plan to use it for the rest of the year. It's super-slick and pretty easy to understand, as is most everything Google. My students will begin writing their documents after viewing the assignment instructions in Google Classroom. They "turn in" their assignment to me, which gives me ownership, I check it, comment, and "return" it to them, which gives them back ownership. They can make changes and begin the process over. Fun stuff!
http://classroom.nowatechie.com/
The Wonderful World of Student Blogging with Travis Phelps
I attended this session because of some contact I had with Travis on Twitter about blogging, and I really just wanted to see what somebody else was doing with student blogging. Travis was spot on with his philosophy and encouraged us to set up a philosophy of our own before we started having our students simply throw ideas out into cyberspace. I set my student blogging up very carefully, and it was nice to see that he was as careful about it as I was. Some ways to use blogging in your class that we discussed in this session include genius hour, role playing, plain old writing, book reviews, and reflections. I've written a lot about my own student blogging experiences in my other posts.
http://bit.ly/PhelpsBlogging
Make Every Minute Count - Quality Instruction Using the Flipped Model with Lisa Highfill
This session was a great reminder for me to spend less time presenting in front of the class while allowing more time for students to create and explore. If I could curate video for the students to engage in at home, class time could be spent taking learning further with student activity, which is where the real learning occurs.
http://goo.gl/n1DdLp
Opening Keynote with Lucien Vattel
The founder of Game Desk offered us a huge free platform called Educade.org which includes free open source materials to use in our classes. Lucien Vattel stated that this was the "lowest hanging fruit" available to us as educators. I'm excited to explore what's available as we work with what already motivates students and add in these mechanics to our classrooms.
Stop Teaching and Start Learning with Diane Main and Karl Lindren-Streicher
If you've ever been involved in a Twitter Chat, this session was designed just like one of those, except we were all in the same room in a circular arrangement. The presenters had questions prepared for us to discuss, and the focus was on giving students ownership over their own education, encouraging them to do the work as we guide them along.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JRNAw4WPttmtTqkl9dJr6fNN_LuGlUmzbJamQfPJqp4/edit
YOU...Are the Infinite Thinking Machine with Mike Lawrence and Bill Selak
Another packed classroom found me in a corner, back against the wall. I wanted to experience the brains behind the show The Infinite Thinking Machine. The creators of the show shared some cool new tech with us in the form of the Pixton program, where teachers could have students create comics to tell a story or to report information. Again, I was reminded how important it is to get the students to create. Among other things, they showed us the latest unpublished episode on mystery skyping "hot off the press". It was a good time.
3D Printing in the Classroom with Christine Mytko
This session blew my mind! I have little to no experience with 3D printing, so what I saw in this session seemed way over my head. I felt like I stepped in to something beyond an intro college course on my first day as a freshman. As I tried to keep up with all the printing terminology, I realized that beginning 3D printing in the classroom wasn't that tough, especially with the price-drops in 3D printers these days. I also learned that a great group to be a part of was K12 FabLabs.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ye4XmaQzzjL_1l09S1eG-cm5Y667jMpmqkjsjpZQvxM/edit#slide=id.p
Level Up! - Classroom Gamification for even the Non-Gamer with Megan Ellis
This was by far my favorite session. Megan Ellis had set up a gamified classroom and shared with us how she did it and what her students' reactions were. As you can probably guess, it works really well for middle school aged boys, which is a huge part of my own target audience. Megan shared terrific resources and ideas to use in any classroom, elementary to high school.
https://sites.google.com/site/meganroseellis/gamification
The (Google) Classroom of the Future with Will Kimbley
I hit my second Google Classroom session, thinking from the title that it would be how Google was structuring Classroom for the future. It ended up being another walk-through, but I enjoyed listening to another person's interpretation of how to use it. And it was a great motivator for me to incorporate it as soon as I could.
https://sites.google.com/site/willkimbley/google-apps
Closing Keynote with Diana Laufenberg
Ms. Laufenberg brought the audience to their feet at the end of her inspiring talk. Early on, she hit on the way information has changed, especially since the rise of the Internet. She shared that an "Information Deficit shifted to Information Surplus". She said that even though the whole reason for school changed, our classrooms did not. A few more slides in her presentation stated: "We need to shift our expectations for the work from 'what do you know' to 'what can you do with what you know?'" Diana Laufenberg spoke matter-of-factly about changing education and then posed some great ideas and instances of how this could be done. Again, the role of the teacher must change and students need to be given greater autonomy. Laufenberg said learning should be experiential and creative, and we need to allow our students to take charge of their own learning, with well-designed activities directed by teachers.
https://sites.google.com/site/fallcuelauf/creating-the-classrooms-keynote
That was Fall CUE for me. I grabbed a lot of information I haven't even attempted to incorporate into my teaching yet, but as the year goes on, I look forward to trying new things and allowing students to try new things as well.
The Great iPad vs Chromebook Showdown - 2014 with Jon Corippo and Chris Scott
It really comes down to preference. If we are teaching the students the presentation and not simply the technology, it really doesn't matter which one you use. iPad has lots of stuff. Chromebook has a good amount, too. If your school is 1:1, check your budget, make a choice, and enjoy learning how to incorporate the tech to deepen your content.
The Hour of Awesome with Sergio Villegas
We crammed into a classroom and heard many tips and tricks for teacher efficiency. We were encouraged to take away a few things that we could incorporate into our normal routine right away. The link below is to Sergio's resources. One thing I noted and have used since the conference is to share a folder from my school Google Apps account to my personal account. I had been frustrated with being able to only log in to one Google account per browser, but with a shared folder I can access many of my school files right on my personal Google Drive. Simple yet amazing!
Bit.ly/hourofawesome
Why I Love My (Google) Classroom with Lisa Nowakowski
Being relatively new to Google Apps for Education, I wanted to see how this whole Google Classroom thing worked. I enjoyed Lisa's energy, and she was able to walk us through how to get set up with Classroom. I introduced this to my sixth grade Language Arts students a few weeks back, and we plan to use it for the rest of the year. It's super-slick and pretty easy to understand, as is most everything Google. My students will begin writing their documents after viewing the assignment instructions in Google Classroom. They "turn in" their assignment to me, which gives me ownership, I check it, comment, and "return" it to them, which gives them back ownership. They can make changes and begin the process over. Fun stuff!
http://classroom.nowatechie.com/
The Wonderful World of Student Blogging with Travis Phelps
I attended this session because of some contact I had with Travis on Twitter about blogging, and I really just wanted to see what somebody else was doing with student blogging. Travis was spot on with his philosophy and encouraged us to set up a philosophy of our own before we started having our students simply throw ideas out into cyberspace. I set my student blogging up very carefully, and it was nice to see that he was as careful about it as I was. Some ways to use blogging in your class that we discussed in this session include genius hour, role playing, plain old writing, book reviews, and reflections. I've written a lot about my own student blogging experiences in my other posts.
http://bit.ly/PhelpsBlogging
Make Every Minute Count - Quality Instruction Using the Flipped Model with Lisa Highfill
This session was a great reminder for me to spend less time presenting in front of the class while allowing more time for students to create and explore. If I could curate video for the students to engage in at home, class time could be spent taking learning further with student activity, which is where the real learning occurs.
http://goo.gl/n1DdLp
Opening Keynote with Lucien Vattel
The founder of Game Desk offered us a huge free platform called Educade.org which includes free open source materials to use in our classes. Lucien Vattel stated that this was the "lowest hanging fruit" available to us as educators. I'm excited to explore what's available as we work with what already motivates students and add in these mechanics to our classrooms.
Stop Teaching and Start Learning with Diane Main and Karl Lindren-Streicher
If you've ever been involved in a Twitter Chat, this session was designed just like one of those, except we were all in the same room in a circular arrangement. The presenters had questions prepared for us to discuss, and the focus was on giving students ownership over their own education, encouraging them to do the work as we guide them along.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JRNAw4WPttmtTqkl9dJr6fNN_LuGlUmzbJamQfPJqp4/edit
YOU...Are the Infinite Thinking Machine with Mike Lawrence and Bill Selak
Another packed classroom found me in a corner, back against the wall. I wanted to experience the brains behind the show The Infinite Thinking Machine. The creators of the show shared some cool new tech with us in the form of the Pixton program, where teachers could have students create comics to tell a story or to report information. Again, I was reminded how important it is to get the students to create. Among other things, they showed us the latest unpublished episode on mystery skyping "hot off the press". It was a good time.
3D Printing in the Classroom with Christine Mytko
This session blew my mind! I have little to no experience with 3D printing, so what I saw in this session seemed way over my head. I felt like I stepped in to something beyond an intro college course on my first day as a freshman. As I tried to keep up with all the printing terminology, I realized that beginning 3D printing in the classroom wasn't that tough, especially with the price-drops in 3D printers these days. I also learned that a great group to be a part of was K12 FabLabs.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ye4XmaQzzjL_1l09S1eG-cm5Y667jMpmqkjsjpZQvxM/edit#slide=id.p
Level Up! - Classroom Gamification for even the Non-Gamer with Megan Ellis
This was by far my favorite session. Megan Ellis had set up a gamified classroom and shared with us how she did it and what her students' reactions were. As you can probably guess, it works really well for middle school aged boys, which is a huge part of my own target audience. Megan shared terrific resources and ideas to use in any classroom, elementary to high school.
https://sites.google.com/site/meganroseellis/gamification
The (Google) Classroom of the Future with Will Kimbley
I hit my second Google Classroom session, thinking from the title that it would be how Google was structuring Classroom for the future. It ended up being another walk-through, but I enjoyed listening to another person's interpretation of how to use it. And it was a great motivator for me to incorporate it as soon as I could.
https://sites.google.com/site/willkimbley/google-apps
Closing Keynote with Diana Laufenberg
Ms. Laufenberg brought the audience to their feet at the end of her inspiring talk. Early on, she hit on the way information has changed, especially since the rise of the Internet. She shared that an "Information Deficit shifted to Information Surplus". She said that even though the whole reason for school changed, our classrooms did not. A few more slides in her presentation stated: "We need to shift our expectations for the work from 'what do you know' to 'what can you do with what you know?'" Diana Laufenberg spoke matter-of-factly about changing education and then posed some great ideas and instances of how this could be done. Again, the role of the teacher must change and students need to be given greater autonomy. Laufenberg said learning should be experiential and creative, and we need to allow our students to take charge of their own learning, with well-designed activities directed by teachers.
https://sites.google.com/site/fallcuelauf/creating-the-classrooms-keynote
That was Fall CUE for me. I grabbed a lot of information I haven't even attempted to incorporate into my teaching yet, but as the year goes on, I look forward to trying new things and allowing students to try new things as well.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
5 Tips for Creating Podcasts on the iPad
7th graders make up the heart of our middle school. It's a huge class, and they're sandwiched between a small 8th grade class and an even smaller 6th grade class. These 7th graders are energetic and always looking for a good time. Let's just say that for many of them school is not a priority.
Sometimes I think that's the perfect group with whom to try something innovative.
In 7th grade Media class this year, we're working through some handy applications using the iPad cart we share with our middle school. After spending a few weeks at the beginning of the year working through some free and extremely helpful commonsense.org curriculum, some typing, and some Google related activities, we dove in to creating podcasts using GarageBand on the iPads. My inspiration came from Greg Kulowiec and Holly Clark with EdTechTeacher at the Boston ETTiPad workshop I attended in July.
After working through the process, here are my 5 tips for creating podcasts in the classroom:
1. Demo the tech.
I have found this to be a terrific way to build interest. Explain what each symbol or icon does, and just let the students' minds start working through how they want to use it. They may even have questions about the app you hadn't considered, which you can explore in real time to teach creative problem solving.
2. Create a clear-cut instruction sheet and grading rubric.
Decide what you want for your students. Start backwards: determine the outcome and then fill in the steps students need to take to get there. I separated our podcasting structure into pre-production, recording, post-production, and publishing. Check out my instructions and rubric on my Google Doc here. Feel free to use it!
3. Get your students in groups.
Even though iPads are personal devices, I find that any technology lesson lends itself to group work. One student is sure to either have experience with what you're discussing or has the pre-existing skills necessary to catch on quickly. This person can be the group tutor who troubleshoots any technical issues that arise, which is also super-handy when you have 5 hands in the air and can't get to all the questions in a reasonable amount of time.
4. Let students brainstorm topics that interest them.
You have to make sure they are engaged in what they're doing. What better way to engage students than to let them explore their own interests! This works well in a computer or technology class (technology for technology's sake), but in a self-contained or core classroom, you will need to narrow it down so the technology is simply a tool for a deeper understanding of your content. For example, in History class, have students interview an historical figure. In literature, have students discuss characterization with each other.
5. Give students at least 1 class period to explore GarageBand.
This is what I think is the most effective piece of the puzzle. It is the "dramatic pause" in your classroom that allows students to become comfortable with the app and then take risks. It also sets aside time for you to visit the students 1:1 and help, suggest, problem-solve, and teach as necessary.
Give it a try! I knew very little about how I would even publish the podcasts for others to hear, but I thought I could figure that out when the time came.
Sure enough, when the podcasts were in final form and we wanted to put the GarageBand podcasts from the iPad onto our Google Sites in the computer lab, it took a go-between service. After some of my own online research, a quick question on via Twitter to Greg Kulowiec confirmed that using SoundCloud would work well. The students created an account on SoundCloud using their Google Apps for Education credentials and then uploaded their podcasts to SoundCloud. From there, they were able to open up SoundCloud on the desktop in the computer lab and insert the embed code to their Google Site for all to listen to and enjoy! I've attached my favorite one below--if you're interested in learning about almond farming from some boys pretending to be their fathers...
Sometimes I think that's the perfect group with whom to try something innovative.
In 7th grade Media class this year, we're working through some handy applications using the iPad cart we share with our middle school. After spending a few weeks at the beginning of the year working through some free and extremely helpful commonsense.org curriculum, some typing, and some Google related activities, we dove in to creating podcasts using GarageBand on the iPads. My inspiration came from Greg Kulowiec and Holly Clark with EdTechTeacher at the Boston ETTiPad workshop I attended in July.
After working through the process, here are my 5 tips for creating podcasts in the classroom:
1. Demo the tech.
I have found this to be a terrific way to build interest. Explain what each symbol or icon does, and just let the students' minds start working through how they want to use it. They may even have questions about the app you hadn't considered, which you can explore in real time to teach creative problem solving.
2. Create a clear-cut instruction sheet and grading rubric.
Decide what you want for your students. Start backwards: determine the outcome and then fill in the steps students need to take to get there. I separated our podcasting structure into pre-production, recording, post-production, and publishing. Check out my instructions and rubric on my Google Doc here. Feel free to use it!
3. Get your students in groups.
Even though iPads are personal devices, I find that any technology lesson lends itself to group work. One student is sure to either have experience with what you're discussing or has the pre-existing skills necessary to catch on quickly. This person can be the group tutor who troubleshoots any technical issues that arise, which is also super-handy when you have 5 hands in the air and can't get to all the questions in a reasonable amount of time.
4. Let students brainstorm topics that interest them.
You have to make sure they are engaged in what they're doing. What better way to engage students than to let them explore their own interests! This works well in a computer or technology class (technology for technology's sake), but in a self-contained or core classroom, you will need to narrow it down so the technology is simply a tool for a deeper understanding of your content. For example, in History class, have students interview an historical figure. In literature, have students discuss characterization with each other.
5. Give students at least 1 class period to explore GarageBand.
This is what I think is the most effective piece of the puzzle. It is the "dramatic pause" in your classroom that allows students to become comfortable with the app and then take risks. It also sets aside time for you to visit the students 1:1 and help, suggest, problem-solve, and teach as necessary.
Give it a try! I knew very little about how I would even publish the podcasts for others to hear, but I thought I could figure that out when the time came.
Sure enough, when the podcasts were in final form and we wanted to put the GarageBand podcasts from the iPad onto our Google Sites in the computer lab, it took a go-between service. After some of my own online research, a quick question on via Twitter to Greg Kulowiec confirmed that using SoundCloud would work well. The students created an account on SoundCloud using their Google Apps for Education credentials and then uploaded their podcasts to SoundCloud. From there, they were able to open up SoundCloud on the desktop in the computer lab and insert the embed code to their Google Site for all to listen to and enjoy! I've attached my favorite one below--if you're interested in learning about almond farming from some boys pretending to be their fathers...
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
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:
- It's more motivating to write for and to classmates (and others) than the teacher.
- It's an important skill to know in our modern world.
- Learning to comment appropriately leads to positive interactions with many people you may not know well or at all.
- It allows kids to feel pride in their hard work when they see their writing published online.
- It's something new and different for them.
- Kids have interesting and meaningful stories to share.
- Students sometimes feel more free to share in writing than in person.
- 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.
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.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Who Cares? Part 2-Words
We had a chapel talk at our school the other morning. Four people shared some stories of their elementary and middle school years, specifically the things that hurt them. Those sharing included a mom of elementary kids, a high school senior, a teacher, and our principal. They all told stories of being involved in either receiving, dishing out, or seeing forms of bullying.
As I thought back to my own history as a middle school kid, I remember the words that helped me, but I even more vividly remember the words that hurt me.
My English teacher told me I was good at using semicolons in my writing; I've remembered it to this day.
My History teacher teased me for missing my shots in my basketball game. I remember slinking down in my seat as he continued on for what seemed like forever. He turned out to be one of my favorite coaches of all time, so I forgave him quite quickly after that.
As far as classmates from the past go, I don't remember many of the positives they shared, but I do remember the negatives. Just like anybody, I have a tough time getting past the criticisms I hear, even to this day.
Before we relate this to the classroom, this is one of my favorite videos to show kids at the beginning of the year.
As shared in my first "Who Cares?" post, I mentioned physical touch as a love language of children but warned of the social constraints of using this in the classroom. A second love language of kids, according to the book The Five Love Languages of Children, is words of affirmation. Please just think back to your own life and the words you heard about you, spoken to you, the words you said about others, to others. What message are you sending to your students with your words, with your tone?
I am not a proponent of the self-esteem movement because I think it's important to be real with the students, but I do believe that everybody needs to hear something genuinely encouraging about themselves from time to time. In order to reach students on a deeper level, we as teachers need to get to know them. And when we truly know them, we can find a positive aspect of our shared experience to send from teacher to student. We can find words that will lift up rather than break down.
Here are some things I try to do in my classes.
As far as classmates from the past go, I don't remember many of the positives they shared, but I do remember the negatives. Just like anybody, I have a tough time getting past the criticisms I hear, even to this day.
Before we relate this to the classroom, this is one of my favorite videos to show kids at the beginning of the year.
As shared in my first "Who Cares?" post, I mentioned physical touch as a love language of children but warned of the social constraints of using this in the classroom. A second love language of kids, according to the book The Five Love Languages of Children, is words of affirmation. Please just think back to your own life and the words you heard about you, spoken to you, the words you said about others, to others. What message are you sending to your students with your words, with your tone?
I am not a proponent of the self-esteem movement because I think it's important to be real with the students, but I do believe that everybody needs to hear something genuinely encouraging about themselves from time to time. In order to reach students on a deeper level, we as teachers need to get to know them. And when we truly know them, we can find a positive aspect of our shared experience to send from teacher to student. We can find words that will lift up rather than break down.
Here are some things I try to do in my classes.
- If a student has been struggling with turning in homework, I will simply say great job when they do get the work in. (High Fives also work.)
- I like to tell a student 5 minutes before the end of class to come see me after class. As they spend a bit of time worrying that they're in trouble, the compliment I give them when they approach after everyone has left makes their day 10 times brighter.
- Be accepting when a student catches your mistake and make sure you thank them publicly.
- Keep a tally of students (even 1 per day) that you compliment from time to time. Intentionally plan to focus on one student at a time and make sure you affirm that student. You will be surprised how positive your classes become. You'll likely need to affirm multiple students...because it's contagious.
- Blog with your students and require commenting. Encourage students to keep the comments positive and to focus on their classmates who don't have a lot of comments yet. On Kidblog you can set it so the teacher must approve the comments before they're published. This way you can monitor the conversations.
- When making groups, designate group leaders whose sole job it is to keep the conversation positive. Make sure all people in the group know that this role is of utmost importance.
- When correcting students' writing, begin your comment with a specific positive, then instruct on weaknesses, and end with another positive. This takes a lot of teacher time, especially with those who struggle, but it's worth it
What else can we do to make sure our words are uplifting rather than degrading? You tell me.
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