When Parents Push Back

It's too bad that we focus on the negative. I've had a successful career so far, and I've received a lot of accolades about teaching writing to middle school aged kids. I don't mean to say that my instruction is perfect, because I can tell you it is not. But I do get students to work hard. One thing I always tell my students is that you get better at something by practicing. If you want to make free throws, practice free throws. If you want to learn to dance, practice. If you want to become a stronger reader, read. And, of course, it follows that if you want to be a better writer...

Write.

Over the years I have given my 6th grade students a lot of opportunity to write stories, narratives, and essays, and I've seen growth.

When parents push back, though, you tend to analyze your existing methods and consider what should be done better. After a particular doozy of a meeting, I unintentionally became more intentional about my teaching of the writing process. The tone of the parent requested meeting was completely negative, and we resolved little. And I wasn't planning on changing things.

But I did.

While I didn't want specific parental comments to guide my methodology when teaching personal narrative, those negative comments stuck with me and affected change.

At the end of the day, parents want what is best for their kids, and teachers should always listen. With writing process criticisms in the back of my mind, my recent writing process instruction approached another level.

I don't know how many of you English teachers out there read ALL your students' papers, but I do, and I've worked out an efficient way of correcting over the years. However, efficiency can breed routine, and routine can give birth to stagnancy.

I am not at the point of stagnancy, but efficiency and routine have become close confidants of mine. Don't get me wrong - I think my lesson plans are ever-improving, but this particular meeting was the wake up call I wasn't expecting.

Enter: Deeper thought when lesson planning for writing instruction.

We have a new resource for writing across the curriculum at our school, and I was able to tap into the Step Up To Writing resource for my 6th and 7th graders for the first time this year. I had planned to study the resource and add depth to my writing even without the parental contact, but our meeting caused me pause, and it allowed me to reflect.

Perhaps I would have reflected on my methodology anyway when I began to teach personal narrative to the students with the Step Up To Writing resource; I would like to think I would have. But I guess I'll never know the answer to that.

Regardless, our personal narratives are done. Now all that's left is the grading.

Taming Your Gaming

Props

This being our first year with 1:1 chrome books, I figured I had the perfect opportunity to initiate a gamified 7th grade English class. As always I owe a debt of gratitude to somebody else and have to give her props. I attended a session led by Megan Ellis last year at Fall Cue 2014 in the Napa Valley, and her resources have been so helpful in my integration of gaming in the classroom.

I didn't want to completely restructure my English instruction, though, so I've been taming the gaming - what is available to students is completely for enrichment purposes.

Level Up
We call our class gamification program "Level Up", and many students have responded positively. When English work is finished in class, students may work on vocabulary lessons, read, take reading quizzes, or work on their blogging or commenting. This year in my class students have the new option to work on "Level Up" activities using their chrome books.

I use Google Classroom to provide the link to our class "Level Up" site www.smore.com/h512w.

XP
Students click in and find more links, but the Bonus XP document lists all the activities students may choose to do to earn points toward rewards. Students are completing online games or lessons for writing, vocabulary, typing, coding, educational video, and more.

XP stands for "Experience Points", you know, like students achieve in video games. Students begin class each day with 5 XP. They must be on time for class, prepared with their materials, attentive, respectful, and actively participating. If this happens, they keep their 5 XP for the day. If not, I note it and write it down. Their citizenship grade for class (5% of the total grade) is based on a percentage of their actual XP for the quarter divided by their potential XP for the quarter.

I wasn't considering this system to work so well for managing my classroom, but the behavioral issues and even the late assignments have decreased significantly since I taught these same students last year - talk about a Bonus!

Above and Beyond
The Bonus XP document previously mentioned gives students the option to go "above and beyond" what's expected in class. They can enrich their knowledge and practice of the English language as well as some tech-oriented activities by clicking into the document and choosing something of interest. They can even watch instructional and educational video and summarize their learning for Bonus XP. These activities have led students to consider what self-directed learning in the 21st century is all about. And this gaming system has led many students to compete against each other for the top spots in the class. Most of these activities were presented by Megan Ellis at our CUE Conference.

Rewards
The top students made it about halfway through our XP chart this first quarter and achieved some mystery rewards available for their incremental efforts. Each Monday for about the first 5 minutes of class we "Level Up" by checking the Leaderboard and moving clothespins along a wire "progress bar" strung in the back of my classroom. For each level passed, students get the new level number written on their clothespin, and they move it back to the beginning of the wire "progress bar" for the new round. One reward is called the "Head Honcho". A girl in my class achieved this goal and was allowed to wear a hat in my classroom all week. Another student earned "The Bottom Drawer" and was able to open the bottom drawer of my desk to find a bag of Halloween candy and choose a piece. So far the secrecy is paying off. Students are beginning to wonder what "The Switcheroo" and "The Black Throne" are, and they realize they won't find out until they've reached that specific level.

Leaderboard
When students complete a Bonus XP activity that is linked on the document, they take a screenshot of their accomplishment, which is saved in their Bonus XP Google Drive folder and then shared with me via a Google Form. The amount of work it takes for this enrichment activity is completely worth it. All I have to do is check the form responses once in a while to view their screenshots with a little bit of final work on Sunday night or Monday morning to update points to the Leaderboard (see below), and voila! the students are ready to start their new week with a bang.

Engagement
One of the fun parts for me is hearing the students talking about their Bonus XP in the hallways, or seeing their anonymous animals popping up on my Bonus XP Google Doc or my Leaderboard Google Sheet.

Seeing students engage themselves in worthwhile educational opportunities while online on their own time is my "Bonus XP". I of course don't achieve any of the mystery rewards for myself, except when my sweet tooth sends me to "The Bottom Drawer" where I keep the Halloween candy. There's still enough candy in the bag for us all.

The Google Forms Advantage

In previous years, I had students create with Google Docs or Slides or Drawings for various assignments in middle school English and Media classes. Then they would present their masterpieces by trudging up to my computer, logging in under a student Google Apps account, waiting for everything to load, and finally arriving at the point where the presentation was ready to go. By that time, the class had to be wrangled to silence again because of all the transition time. It was a bit of a headache.

An alternative would have been to have them share everything with my Google Apps account. However, I realized early on that they would always forget to uncheck the send email box, so I would have tons of emails. Also, with things like Google Sites and Maps, I found it very difficult to get rid of a student's project if they never "remembered" to unshare it with me.

Then came Google Classroom, a wonderful solution to the problem, but I realized it wasn't exactly the easiest way to get projects to me.

Finally...Hello Google Forms. When I saw a demonstration of this in my EdTechTeacher Chrome Book Workshop (thank you @AvraRachel !) this last summer as a way of gathering links to projects, I just about hit my head in realization.

Now, I simply create a Google Form for students to fill out their name(s) and their sharable link to their project. They all show up in one place - my Google Form (Responses) in my Google Drive. Now, when students have to present successively in my Media Class, I just give a quick click to their specific link, and they're ready to go, transition time wiped out. Look below for my procedure from our last assignment.

In your Google Drive, create a new form:

After naming your Form, I use just 2 required questions: name(s) and sharable link:

Once students fill out the form, I receive a spreadsheet of their responses in my drive and simply click on student links to view. If students are new to Google Apps, they will need some practice learning how to make their docs or slides or whatever sharable. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to open a link and can't view it because the share settings were not correct. Once they get it, though, it's a piece of cake.

21 (New or Seasoned) Teacher Requests

As a learner, I pretty much just put my head down and I study; that's the way it's always been.

I also enjoy online classes. I earned my masters degree and a educational technology certification completely online and loved it. That's not to say that I don't enjoy regular classes where I can discuss things with people, but if I need to get something done, I typically don't wait for others to put in their 2 cents. I'll just go for it.

All that to say I don't mind working through things on my own. Is anybody else like that?

With that said, I would have liked more supervision as a new teacher; I would like more supervision as a seasoned teacher.

And I'd love more feedback. So I share these 21 requests that I think would challenge me to become a better teacher.

• Tell me if my lesson hook appeared to work.
• View the students and share if they're engaged in the lesson or not.
• Check my lesson plans or curriculum maps and tell me if I'm on the right page.
• Pick apart my teaching style and share what's good and what needs work.
• Give me the big picture.
• Pay attention to the details and talk to me about them.
• Try to understand the connection I just can't seem to make with that student.

I want to be challenged. Because believe it or not, I can run stagnant and do the same things I feel I've done great every year. While I know my heart's in the right place with the effort I put into teaching my students in middle school, I constantly need to learn new ways to reach out to them.

• Tell me when I sit at my desk too much.
• Give me a written evaluation of an alternate strategy for teaching direct and indirect objects.
• Just show me you care enough to spend 30 minutes sitting in my class.
• Teach me to use less sarcasm with my middle schoolers.
• Make sure I'm on time to yard duty and Wednesday morning devotions.
• Value my reaction to your comments.
• Recognize when I'm sending an email asking for help and support.

We all want what's best for the students, and I know my ideas aren't the best out there.

• Take my class for a period so I can sit in somebody else's class to see their techniques.
• Be a listening ear when I'm frustrated.
• Give advice when I need it.
• Tell me if my room smells like B.O. I have plug-ins, I really do.
• Notice my new bulletin board and ask me about it.
• Respond to the emails I send seeking ideas.
• Notice when I'm looking ragged and ask me about it.

Be honest and available. Be cordial and professional. Be personable. Be there.

If my requests go ignored, I'll put my head down and work hard; I don't mind tackling things on my own. But I value the opinion of others, so go ahead and share.

Students Spread the Joy with Blog Commenting

My 6th grade English students have killed it with their blog comments so far this year. I have told them repeatedly how proud I am of them, and I have also told my 7th grade English students who learned similar skills last year how awesome the 6th graders are doing. There's nothing like some healthy competition.

It's the 6th graders first year officially exploring what online life is all about. We have a class blog through Kidblog, and they each have their space to create. Once I approve their blog posts (a time consuming affair), students are free to comment on their classmates' posts, which I also must approve.

The long term idea is to open up our blogs to other classes around the globe, but I'm starting small, and we're being very careful and safe. No real identifying personal information makes it into the students' blogs, and if I do see something, I simply don't approve the post or comment until it's fixed.

In order to make it a positive experience for everybody involved, we've set up some guidelines, 4 of them to be exact. While many more could apply, this is what seemed most manageable for my middle school students at this time. Special thanks to Linda Yollis who has so many great blogging resources for her elementary students. Link to her educational blogging wiki here.

Make a positive connection.

Our comments are designed to note the good in somebody else's post, whether it be their writing style or ideas presented. However, we try to make sure that we're more than generic in our praise. While it's nice to read, "Great post", or, "I liked your paragraph", I tell the students to be specific when responding to what they've read. I'm surprised when students who've been going to school together for years know very little about what is important to their classmates. Making that connection a positive one opens up continuing conversations that occur, hopefully building or beginning friendships along the way. I've seen great stuff from my 6th graders lately, like, "I didn't know you took dance lessons. I did ballet when I was little."

Add new information.
One of the things I want students to learn through blogging and commenting is to expand what they know about each other or about a particular subject of interest. A piece of new information could be something about themselves that makes a connection; it could also count for what's described in the paragraph above. What I really aim for here is a continuation of the conversation. Rather than having a few comments below the blog post relating to just one narrow topic, I want students to go beyond and add different angles or perspectives, even share (respectful) alternate viewpoints. This way the conversation can begin to go deeper. In middle school, I love to see the higher level thinking that occurs when students challenge each other.

End with a question.
This is the invitation. I really like to see this one done well because students validate each other's interests or concerns and ask clarifying questions about what somebody else has written. When on topic, it shows respect to a classmate's ideas and encourages them to share even more. One thing I advise students to note when they ask a question in their comment is how many other questions are already on the comment thread. Staying on topic (at least for a while) is important. If too many different questions arise, it becomes a random mess of fractured ideas. Students have enough distractions in their lives without adding to the chaos!

Proofread.
Oh, yes. This one. I had to make it official. In my class, students are graded on the quality of both their blog post and their commenting. I don't demand perfection, but I need to see care. On Kidlbog, when students struggle with grammar and language, I have the chance to sit down with them one on one to help them note particular issues before I "approve" their writing. If I encourage proofreading ahead of time, it covers over a multitude of possible mistakes. I also think taking great care in proofreading is a sign of respect to the others who will be reading and trying to understand their thoughts. And don't get me started on "text speak". The little i for "I" and the letter u for "you" will unfortunately send their comment straight to the trash.

And a couple bonus thoughts:

Keep your comments to 1 or 2 sentences.
I do this for a two reasons. Let's just say the main reason is so that the students learn to be creatively concise. I don't want their comment to be another story all in itself; it should be a response to some previous information. Arguably, if students know how to combine sentences and cut down ramblings, they can fit in all the comment requirements (positive connection, new info, question, proofreading) into a couple sentences. We all know that students will choose to read the shorter comments anyway. My second reason is that it cuts down on my approval time. Remember, I have it set up that I have to approve absolutely everything the students put online, original blog post and each comment. I can read a comment in a snap and decide to approve it, trash it, or help the student edit it.

Spread the Joy.
And what about the student who receives no comments on their blog post? They've been working hard to follow my instructions on commenting. They've blogged, and they've shared 5 comments on other people's posts, and they honestly love doing it. But they get nothing in return for their trouble. So I tell the students to spread the joy. I have them think about how they would feel if they saw no comments on their post, and typically they understand. I'm not necessarily into the self-esteem movement, but I am into my students showing a concerted effort of care for each other. Respect. Obviously, some students will have more traffic on their posts than others, but they know that it's more important to give than to receive.

So there you have it, my thoughts on blog commenting with middle school students. I'd love to hear what works for you! And don't worry, I won't grade you on whatever comments you leave...

5 Musts for the "Tech-Tense" Teacher

I had the pleasure of leading a few computer training meetings during our before school festivities. As I'm sure you know, all of our teachers were gung-ho about implementing new technology tools into their curriculums! For some teachers, you say "technology in the classroom" and they shudder. Others press you for details expecting you to have all the answers on how to use tech in their particular classes.

At my school, we are just beginning to unlock the potential of Google in the classroom. Every one of our middle school students now has a Google chrome book full time. The question has been, "How can we make this a successful initiative?" Some teachers are still not sold on using the chrome books in their classes; they may consider themselves "tech-tense". I've come to the conclusion that proper implementation has to be driven from the top down. Without the leadership expecting chrome book connections from teachers, the initiative will fail. It is no longer accepted for teachers to say they don't see the need to use chrome books in every classroom because, well, there are chrome books in every classroom.

I do not have all the answers, but I love to help out. However, I want my colleagues to rely less on me and learn to plan their own lessons with the chrome books in mind.

Teachers must RESEARCH.
I teach English, Bible, and Media in the middle school. I've used Google tools for a few years now. My go-to is Google Docs. I love that you can get into and edit your documents anywhere and on multiple devices. Responding to students is a breeze once the doc is shared. And Google Classroom is getting easier and easier to use for teachers and students. I can show you how to use these things, but I need you to apply it to your own class. Sign up for Google Classroom and spend 10 minutes learning it. It's what we teachers do, right? We bring in new resources all the time. It's time to research how to use a Google Doc in History or Science or even Math.

Teachers must PRACTICE.
There are times when I learn the basics, show the students what I want, and then let them run with it. Sometimes the students take it to a level I didn't expect, and they wow me. More often, though, students only do what you've instructed them to do. And to teach a skill, I need to know the skill first. I've known how to type a document for forever, it seems, but a Google Doc has some cool pieces I didn't originally understand. It has a research function where you can look up something on the Internet you just finished typing. Using this tool, you can also cite your sources. And one of my favorites to use with students is the revision history. Say they've selected the whole document to switch it to double space everything and they accidentally hit a key and erased it all. While the undo button is a savior for kids (and myself!), sometimes it doesn't work perfectly. Go to the student's revision history and see minute by minute the changes that were made. Restore the version with a single click, and viola! you have the entire document back. You can even see what the collaborators are writing at any moment. The point is you have to practice on a Google Doc and understand the toolbar before you can help the students with it.

Teachers must SERVE.
While I may not have time to go around to all the teachers to help them individually, it's my top priority to connect with my students. So I have to walk around and teach them how to use their chrome book and specifically their Google Doc. If there's trouble with the wi-fi, I need to take extra time to help them with a work-around. If the parents have a question from home, I need to make myself available to answer those questions.

Teachers must demonstrate FLEXIBILITY.
When I took my first educational tech class, the professor asked us to share our biggest "tech-fail". I think that says a lot about how often issues with technology could hinder a teacher's plans. Unfortunately, when a tech-fail occurs, class time is wasted. (And I haven't found a workaround for that!) However, having a Plan B is necessary. In my classes, we always have a consumable vocabulary book or a new writing project or a book we can fall back on. That independent work gives me time to get online and search for a solution or call our Tech Director for advice. Sometimes the activity will need to be pushed forward a day (or even scrapped!).

Teachers must SHARE.
I've tried to tell you some cool things regarding Google Docs and Google Classroom, and I hope teachers at my school can see the value in those tools. Options for more tools should collaboratively be brought to future staff meetings or Tech Tuesdays to share. Padlet, Kahoot, Socrative, and Evernote are terrific tools that can be applied to multiple subjects, and there's so much more! As teachers share what they're researching and trying out in their own classes, discussion that transfers it to particular subject areas will hopefully follow. And listen to the students! I have noticed students walk in and share their joys from a previous class in which chrome books were used. I, too, have seen students frustrated. This is a great time to let the students discuss solutions with each other and then encourage their previous teacher to try again the next period or day.

I don't think implementing technology is a perfect science. There are too many what-ifs and school specific philosophies, but when the leadership involves itself and sets up a clear plan for their teachers, I believe that tech success is just around the corner.

A Parable to Start the Year

If any of you know the parable of the sower from Matthew 13 (verses 1-9 and 18-23), you know the focus is typically on the being the good soil so the seed will produce a harvest. Where's your heart? Is it receptive to the gospel presented to you? The sower flung the seed on the path, on rocky soil, in the thorns, but some fell on good soil. You've got to read the parable to understand it (go here for the story). I pray that my heart will be receptive when the gospel is presented to me.

Our pastor presented a different perspective to us this past Sunday. He started by telling us that the sower in the parable must not have been a very good farmer. The seed he sowed had only a 25% chance of making it. You can imagine the scene as the farmer just threw the seeds everywhere! In first century Palestine, this was a waste of valuable resources.

Instead of focusing in on our own hearts and how receptive we are to the gospel, our pastor challenged us to see it from the sower's perspective. And that's the point of the sermon when the teacher side of my brain tuned in. I started thinking not only of my heart, but I began to consider my students that will be walking into my classroom this fall. And I applied the sower's attitude with the seed to my attitude toward the boys and girls who will be walking through my door in 2 weeks.

You know, we are often careful to share our lives with only those people who we're sure will receive us and what we stand for. As teachers, there are often those students who are involved in class, who seem to have a deep desire to learn what we are offering, who stay on top of their homework, and who genuinely listen. It's easy to teach those kids, isn't it? These are the ones who bring you something for Christmas, who write you a thank you note "just because". Don't get me wrong, I have my own children do those things; I have nothing against those students. But do I really go into my school year expecting this from the students, that they are all a part of the "good soil" the parable discusses?

The reality is that we have students who carry a lot of baggage.

The seed along the path:
Some of our students have trouble understanding what we present or the activities that we've delicately prepared for them. Perhaps there's a learning disability or an attention disorder that gets in the way. Whatever it is, the learning is snatched away and seemingly gone forever.

The seed in the rocky soil:
There are students who aim to please and they try to do well. We may even have a wonderful lesson planned that unfolds something for them they've never understood before. They're engaged, but when it comes time for evaluation, we too clearly see that they haven't grasped the concept for the long term; the material was too difficult for them. What appeared to take root never did.

The seed among the thorns:
Still other students have the odds stacked against them. They're intelligent, and we know they have potential, but their home lives challenge them in ways we don't comprehend. These students may have concerns that choke their good intentions out of them. When they're at school, it's fine, but as soon as they leave, the worries return. Where will my next meal come from? When will my mom get home from work? Will my parents or my sister treat me well, or will they yell at me again? When will I find a true friend?

My question is, How can we become more like the sower? Instead of simply focusing on preparing our own hearts to receive, as a farmer would prepare the soil, let's take the attitude of the sower who would extend grace to each and every type of student, even the ones we're unsure will learn a thing from us this year. You will have students who struggle to learn because of a disability. You will have students who struggle because the material is just too hard for them, no matter your methods. You will have students who struggle because of the worries they harbor, concerns you may never fully understand.

If we become like the sower in this parable, though, we will not hesitate to fling the seed in apparent reckless abandon. I say apparent here because others may not understand what we're doing. They may drag us down with excuses like, That kid can't be reached. As teachers, though, we have the highest calling. We must give every student (and I mean every student) our absolute best. I pray that I can do that this year. I pray that you can do that this year.

Perhaps the sower who appeared to know so little about farming knew more than what we give him credit for. What seemed to be reckless abandon on the sower's part in flinging the seeds every which way may have actually been intentional love for every person. No matter our students this year, our highest task is to love each one of them, according to their needs, attempting to reach them, never giving up on them no matter their circumstance.

10 Take-Aways from EdTechTeacher Chromebook Workshop

After using an iPad cart for 2 years and a chromebook cart for half a year, our middle school is heading 1:1 with chromebooks. I jumped on the opportunity to head to the San Francisco Bay Area in June with our tech guy to learn more about chromebook implementation. We were blessed with 2 wonderful presenters from EdTechTeacher, Avra Robinson @avrarachel and Brenda Doucette @doucetteb.

I, of course, wanted to learn how I would be using the chromebooks in my own English and Bible classes (not to mention my computer classes), but I also entered with the perspective to watch out for other subject area ideas that I could bring back to my colleagues for use once school starts in the fall. Suffice it to say, I came back with chromebook overload, but I'm going to attempt to unpack it for others' benefit. Grab it if you want.

C-R-C-D Framework (collect-relate-create-donate)

We didn't dive into philosophy much, but this was a helpful framework to organzie my thoughts into what I want my students to accomplish with their devices. From Professor Ben Shneiderman - Leonardo's Laptop, it focuses in on what we want students to DO. That's one thing I always try to push in my classes - get the students to create something and then share it out.

Evernote

I've used this before to archive information, especially from workshops or other meetings. I think the best description for Evernote would be a digital form of traditional spiral notebooks, except that you can save websites, photos, and even video along with your notes. It's powerful, and I can see students using Evernote to organize their school lives. It can be used across all devices, too. The free basic service works well (unless you want to keep multiple videos which need more storage than the free service provides). Other archiving options given at the ETT workshop were Google Docs and Google Keep.

Google Docs

We spent a significant amount of time, especially on day 1 of the workshop, exploring Google Docs. Not only can students type their "papers" in Google Docs, but they can research while in the document, cite information in different formats, and even edit PDFs. Of course, the collaboration aspect of Google Docs is, in my opinion, the coolest. Being in the same document as somebody else has many advantages, and commenting back and forth is so valuable when it comes to peer (or teacher) editing.

Vocaroo

This is a registration-free space for you to record your voice. Have students record for each other and share the link. It is saved as a link and can get pasted or embedded anywhere. Teachers can share feedback right on a student's Google Doc. I'm definitely using Vocaroo for end of paper summation comments this year.

Thinglink

This one has so many options. Use a photo and tag it with links to other locations. Lisa Johnson @techchef4u is a whiz with Thinglink. Spend some time reading her stuff and be inspired. Get some ideas on how to get started with Thinglink here - make sure to scroll down and see the teacher who used a class picture to create ePortfolios for her students. I've got to study more of her stuff.

Padlet

You can use Padlet in your classroom when you want to gather student input. Imagine having students place thoughts or answers on your whiteboard in front of the classroom, but that whiteboard is on their own chromebook screen and it holds every student's contribution on a collaborative "wall". What could you use this for?

Tackk

Tackk.com is an online space that I would consider a mini-website. Students can use this as an online flyer to share information about a book they've read as a kind of book report. They can link other web pages or videos to it. It scrolls like a web page and can include multiple headings. They can easily change the theme, colors, and fonts. I use something similar as an online home for my soccer team. It's called smore.com and varies just slightly from tackk.com.

Google Classroom

If your school has Google Apps For Education (GAFE), then I would highly advise setting up Google Classroom for your self-contained classroom or for each of the classes you teach. Students can sign up using your class code. You post assignments and resources here, and then students use Google Apps to complete the assigned work. They create and turn in their documents (or forms or drawings, etc.) within your Google Classroom, which transfers ownership to you, then you can give feedback and return their work, which transfers ownership back to them. If you've thought of going "paperless" at your site, then this is the place for you.

PrintFriendly

Sometimes teachers may want to assign an online article or other Internet reading to their students, but they want to adjust it slightly or simply keep it in a more secure location like your own Google Drive. A handy way to do this is to use PrintFriendly to turn the web page into a pdf and then edit some of it down. Using DocHub in conjunction with PrintFriendly allows further editing and even export into Google Drive. Once it's in your Google Drive, you can place it almost anywhere online, but I would suggest putting it in your Google Classroom as an assigned reading.

Google Forms

Google Forms are a super cool way to poll students. If you do it right, students could even poll each other. Creating a form and sending it also creates a spreadsheet with responses, which then allows you to evaluate the responses given. Another way you can use a form is to simply collect links from students. If they have edited their website and you'd like to see it (or grade it), then you could create a quick form for students to post their website page link. Any online work the student completes can be turned into a link that can then be handed in using a quick form you create.

And there you have it, my 10 takeaways from the EdTechTeacher chromebook workshop I attended in Menlo Park in June. Special thanks to Avra Robinson and Brenda Doucette who led a very engaging 3 days!

Is Knowledge Really Power?

I remember watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid and seeing Schoolhouse Rock in-between shows. Shucks, I still use one of the songs when talking about conjunctions in class. One thing that was often said on Schoolhouse Rock was the statement: Knowledge is Power.

And I ponder if that's really true. Education has changed since those days, and my job as a teacher is not to simply inform students about material that I know and they need to learn. I should have a strong grasp of my field, but I don't have all the answers; in fact, I have way more questions than answers.

So are we here to impart knowledge to the students? And therefore, give them power?

My wife and I took a class at church during the winter, and these questions arose. Questions about knowledge and wisdom. Questions about how our brains function. How we learn, how students are tested. Questions about community. Though standing in front of the class and following the set curriculum is a routine and "easy" teaching method for me, it's important to let the students get their hands dirty and explore new options, to choose their own routes, to expose them to innovative technique, to problem solve at a deeper level.

To share their ideas.

I have often used the line (and I'm sure I'm in good company) "two heads are better than one." When you work with another person or group, it's easier to dive deeper into the topic. Different ideas are shared, new perspectives are explored, alternate problem-solving techniques are employed. That concept was key to our discussion at church--Knowledge is more powerful when it's shared.

I don't fault Schoolhouse Rock's educational catchphrase Knowledge is Power. It's a good motivator for students. We all want to gain knowledge. If there's something I want to know, I will try to figure it out, but the important part is finding a person you can trust who can share some of their answers with you. We can learn from each other.

In many ways our society is driven by individual success. I might think it's important to have a skill set that nobody else does so that I become valuable in my work, powerful, maybe irreplaceable. But that's a dangerous perspective, I think. When we keep the knowledge to ourselves, we may be tempted to lord it over somebody else. And really, that amount of knowledge can only take us so far.

I don't lose anything by sharing my knowledge with somebody else--that knowledge doesn't become less. In fact, it can deepen in a way that it couldn't before the sharing. It can be taken to new levels.

In the classroom, it takes a willingness to trust each other. That trust must develop before true sharing of knowledge can occur. Trust takes time, though, and it must be something in which we invest intentionally.

In our church discussion, we whittled it down to relationships. In order to have the right attitude in sharing and receiving knowledge, we have got to develop strong relationships with each other that allow for mutual trust, a trust between students as well as between the teacher and the student(s).

A teacher must:
-value each student and their situation
-connect meaningfully with students as often as possible
-manage behavior thoughtfully
-make material important to each student
-smile a lot
-share expectations clearly
-forgive often
-ask for forgiveness freely
-model respect and responsibility
-empathize regularly

A student must:
-help others become successful
-listen carefully
-speak strategically
-lead when necessary
-follow appropriately
-forgive and try to forget
-ask for forgiveness
-humble themselves
-respect themselves
-enjoy their classmates (and teacher)
-try hard
-empathize regularly

Working toward a classroom atmosphere of mutual trust, such as the one in which teachers and students have the above defined roles, will allow for a true sharing of knowledge. When we work together and respect each other, then our shared knowledge can be taken to new levels and truer wisdom can be attained.

Use Remind from Science Camp!

I have always thought more communication is better in many areas of life. School is one area in which I think clear communication is key to mutual respect and understanding.

Yet there must be a balance between a teacher and a parent or student. I don't think everything that happens at school needs to be communicated directly to parents, but when parents send their sixth graders away for 5 days/4 nights to Science Camp with the teachers, some well-chosen communications from teacher to parent come in handy.

Campfire Night!

No, not the phone call about a major behavior issue or a homesick kid. Just some snapshots of how camp life is going--the positives! This is where the Remind app came in handy for me this year while I was at Science Camp with the students.

Team Building!

I had begun using the Remind app with my soccer team a few seasons back to communicate with them, and this year I encouraged the parents of my sixth graders to sign up for the messaging system. The draw for me with Remind is that phone numbers are not shared. I don't necessarily have a problem if parents know my phone number, but I do appreciate the anonymity of Remind, the respect for privacy it provides.

Kissing a Banana Slug!

Science Camp was a good way to get the parents on board. I thought they would appreciate some information throughout the week since our Science Camp is set up so students do not have contact with their parents the entire time. And Remind now has photo capabilities, so parents could see their kids in action, succeeding through camp activities.

I sat with a different group each meal!

To be honest, parents often stress more than the students do about this big week in their lives. Remind provided a way for them to participate in camp. What parent doesn't want to take part in such a cool experience as Science Camp?! However, in my opinion, it is HUGE to have students conquer a week up at camp without their parents around. With that said, my own oldest child attended camp this year (with me there as his teacher), and I considered for the first time what a parent (my wife) would love to see while she was, well, NOT at camp. I considered for the first time parents feeling left out of their kids' lives.

Single file was standard around the poison oak!

So I brought my iPhone and started snapping pictures of some cool moments, some normal moments. I could remind parents to pray for us as we began our night hike, which includes a solo walk (something which causes anxiety for many kids). I used it to remind parents that their children were well taken care of.

A midday rope swing during Adventure Day!

So I'd like to just thank the folks at @RemindHQ for helping to put many parents at ease throughout our week and for allowing those parents to be involved in Science Camp when they couldn't be there themselves. Thank you!

Thanks Mount Hermon Outdoor Science School!

Discipleship and 6th Grade Science Camp

Our 6th grade is going to Science Camp this week, myself included. I counted, and I’ve been there 12 times, 2 when I taught 5th grade and 10 teaching 6th grade, so this is Lucky #13. Needless to say, it gets kind of old after a while.

But at the same time, it’s new every year.

Parents sending their oldest child away for the week.

The stray sleeping bag flying away on the freeway.

The cafeteria’s cold-turkey-surprise-switch from beef to turkey.

The random knock on the door in the middle of the night with some “emergency”.

The newness I appreciate the most is the perspective of each new student who experiences Science Camp for the first time.

The rock stars at camp are the Naturalists. They are in charge of teaching classes to a couple cabins of kids, typically a boy cabin and a girl cabin together. They lead the kids in their trail groups and teach about the ecosystems up at Mount Hermon in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains of California, about plants and animals, about stewardship in all areas of life, even in how much food we try NOT to waste at meals.

During one of the first classes, poison oak is discussed. When I tag along, I typically pull up the rear of the trail group. And it’s interesting to see which students pay attention to poison oak and which ones don’t. The visual from the back of the line is the single file in front of me, and no matter how many times I see it, I can’t help but think: these kids have no clue where they’re going, and they’re putting their faith in their Naturalist, who’s at the front of the line leading them forward at a good pace, stopping to point out plants or animals, consumers, producers, and decomposers like the infamous banana slug, helping the students see God’s inspiring creation and our role in it. It’s a bit like how Jesus taught his disciples while on the road. The students are the Naturalists’ little disciples.

This is a perspective I forget when I carefully tend to my classroom routine. We are discipling our students.

We do make mistakes… Last year a Naturalist got lost on the all day hike, and a few of our students took a tumble down a steep hill. (We teachers told them they’d laugh about it later...and they now do...some laughed about it then.)

We ourselves are disciples of Christ. But we’re also in charge of our group of students that come to our classrooms every day, ready -or not- to be discipled. As teachers, we better have it together so that we can disciple these kids. I don’t know about you, but I often feel like I don’t have it together, maybe like that Naturalist who lost her way. And the best way to prepare yourself for your students is to dig into God’s Word.

I found a bunch of verses around the discipleship theme. I think these remind us of what’s so important about teaching (discipling). We must have our ducks in a row before we approach the students each day. Meditate on these verses...slowly. Intentionally. With purpose. Listen to what God is saying to you so that you can be an example to your students.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Ephesians 4:11-17

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:1-17

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:16-22

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:8

For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. John 13:15

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:1-26

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:9-13

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” John 21:21-22

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6

And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4

Coincidence? Or Grand Design?

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?

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 week, I continued to ask about the projects. A few people would come up each time and color in their cards on the cross. Meanwhile, students asked for the due date, but I still didn't have an answer for them.

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!