In order to discover my #oneword for 2015, I first had to reflect upon last year. 2014 was a difficult year for me both personally and professionally. Since it was a less than stellar year, I thought, “What is it that I DO want?”
I know it sounds Cliché; Peace for the new year, but for me ‘Peace’ is not as simple as ‘getting along’.
I’m looking for:
cooperation
doing the right thing
being UNselfish
innovation
a sense of self
hope
solutions
communication
honesty
forgiveness
openness
inspiring
inspiration
change
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Peace – this is the word that I will try to live each and everyday. I will try to teach my students the joy, and complexity, of peace; and I am looking forward to a peaceful year (personally).
Recently an administrator complimented me on all the innovative ways I incorporate technology in my classroom. The administrator then asked how that will translate on this year’s (new) state standardized test. My answer, “I don’t care. I’m looking at the bigger picture,” was most likely not what said administrator was expecting or wanted to hear.
Our education system is out of focus. There will NEVER be successful educational reform in our country until we stop focusing on a test scores (every single year) and start leveling the playing field. Yes, poorer communities need more money because they need more resources. They face greater hurdles. Taking money away from poor communities because they perform worse on tests is like being surprised that you sprained your ankle in a field full of holes. Neither makes sense. Spend money to fix the field, no sprain. Spend money to help fill gaps in poor performing schools, closes educational gaps.
So back to the conversation I had with the administrator. I went on to further explain that what I am teaching the students goes beyond being successful on this year’s test. They are learning to THINK for themselves, ask QUESTIONS, work out problems with others (like the real world), be CREATIVE and seamlessly INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY, with purpose.
I challenge my students to learn more than what’s in a text book. They are expected to give presentations (large, small, and everything in between), explore new tools (low tech and high tech), talk, take ownership over their learning, and so much more. Many of those expectations can’t be measured on a standardized test.
So how does all that translate to a standardized test? Yup, still don’t care. How does that translate to their success in life; that, I have high expectations for. And from what I’m hearing from the middle school teachers, they are succeeding.
Recently my dad called, what he calls Google, (that would be me, the one with a computer) to do some research on a procedure for him. I started by doing my regular search on Google ‘Web’ when I quickly decided that I wanted something a little more scientific. This is when I switched over to Google Scholar.
What is Google Scholar? Well, it’s ‘scholarly literature’. It takes out all the blogs, ads, and propaganda and only shows ‘scholarly research’. Since my dad was interested in a medical procedure, I figured looking at the raw data and statistics was better than looking at what the medical companies had to say.
Why talk about Google Scholar? I figure it’s one of those lesser known Google tools. It’s great for high school students and beyond. Since you can use various filters, it won’t be hard to find the information you are searching for. I’m sure when I begin my next Master’s program, this will become one of my best friends!
A part of being a responsible digital citizen isn’t just about being safe on the web, but also responsibly attributing work, like images. When my students are searching for an image to use to enhance their work, they are required to use ‘Free to use’ images. Those are images that have no copyright or restriction. Many of these images can be found on compfight, flickr, wikicommons, and a host of other sites. However, like many of us, my students do a Google Image search to find what they are looking for.
When you first open Google, simply type the keywords for an image. In this case, I’ll use the example ‘puppies’. Then choose ‘Images’.
Choosing ‘Images’ gives us nothing but rows of cute puppies. But, not all those images are free. Just like we can’t plagiarize words, we can’t use another person’s images – unless we have permission AND properly attribute the image. To find images that we can use, choose ‘Search tools’ along the top bar. This brings down a second bar where we choose ‘Usage rights’. Choosing this will bring down a list of choices. By default, I have my students choose ‘Labeled for reuse’.
Doing this will show you only those images that are available to use. Remember to attribute the picture. Most websites will have this for you to copy and paste. When you find an image you want to use, click on the image, then choose ‘Visit page’.
For Wikicommons images:
You are given choices on where it will be used. Each choice is accompanied by ‘Attribution’ for you to copy and paste. If you are using the image on a blog, you will choose the ‘Use this file on the web’ option. Then copy and paste the image and attribution.
For Compfight:
Type the keywords for your image. You MUST change the search to ‘Creative Commons’ in order to find free images. Choose the desired image. A pop-out window appears. You will need to copy and paste the image, then copy and paste the html code (for use on the web) in order to attribute the image.
For Flickr:
Type the keyword and press ‘Enter’. Under ‘License’ choose ‘Creative Commons’. Once you find the image you like, choose it. In the bottom right corner, there are a few choices. The middle arrow will give you the option of an embed code or html (for web use). However, if you use Google Chrome I recommend Flickr cc attribution helper for easy attribution.
And as models to our students (or staff) we also need to be responsible digital citizens. Happy attribution everyone!
So it’s 2015, Happy New Year, and everyone is making resolutions. I, for one, do not make any resolutions. It’s not that I’m perfect, rather I’m not a fan of setting myself up for failure. Most people treat the resolutions like a sprint – start strong and end quickly. I view changes more like a marathon – slow and steady – for better results.
All the talk about resolutions got me thinking about changes we, as educators, make. We change our approaches year after year; we change lessons (even if we’ve been teaching the same grade for 10+ years); we change our outlooks; we are constantly changing. That’s what keeps us fresh, invigorated, and excited.
And how do these changes occur? Well, some are organic – as times change, so does our approach. Some, more often than not, come through challenges. Those challenges can come from a failed lesson, a problem student, varied ideas from colleagues and administrators. My most significant challenges have led to my most significant changes.
Look, I’m like any other teacher. I would love to have a class full of students that did what I asked the first time around, hung on my every word, and told me that everything I said was great. Fact of the matter is, that kind of class would probably scare me, then I’d get soft – as a teacher.
I’ve learned to be humble and listen to students’ ideas. It’s those students who say, “Can we … instead?” who inspire me and make a lesson better! Recently, I wrote about a student who made my life easier. Frankie suggested a better way for groups to individually turn in assignments on Google Classroom (post). If I did have that class that never questioned me, it would have taken me a lot longer to realize there was an easier way.
Which Led To This Thought…
Does everyone prefer a challenge (not the ones that make you go home and cry)? Or are there those that would rather be surrounded by the ‘yes class’? Upon reflection, I sadly came to the conclusion that there are those who would rather be surrounded by the ‘yes class’ (aka yes people) than face challenges. I have been in one organization or another since childhood. I have been a part of the ‘yes class’ – mainly out of fear of retribution – and I have also been a part of the ‘can we…instead?’ class. Without a doubt, I can say the ‘can we…instead?’ class is not only more enjoyable, but it’s also a more safe and productive environment.
My Point To All This?
Ditch the New Year’s Resolution and challenge yourself. Surround yourself around those that will make you a better person and/or teacher. Seek out others with opposing viewpoints, you can learn a thing or two from them. Even if it’s as simple as ‘that’s NOT what/how I want to be, do, or teach’. Have conversations and accept other’s ideas. Challenges can be good; it’s where we learn and grow.
And have a GREAT 2015 – even if we don’t have those hoverboards just yet.
Recently, my students learned about Jamestown and Pocahontas. The adopted textbook told the story through the eyes of the United States. This was interesting, but I wondered how England viewed those events. As a result, we researched what the UK had to say about those subjects.
How’d We Do That?
We refined our search to find only items that were from the UK. We started with our basic search, ‘Pocahontas’. Then went to the ‘Gear’ for an Advanced Search.
This takes us to a new page filled with search options. For this post, we will focus on searching by Region. Finding the ‘Region’ choice, select the down arrow located on the right side of the gray bar that reads ‘any region’. This then allows the drop down menu to appear. Then select the desired region. We chose ‘United Kingdom’. Finally, select the blue ‘Advanced Search’ button located on the lower right side of the screen.
Notice the Web Addresses of the refined search. They all are from the United Kingdom. Incidentally, we found a game on the BBC website that had some interesting facts.
As of recent, this feature is no longer available.
Too Much Information
There IS such a thing as ‘Too Much Information’! When students begin ‘researching’ on a particular topic, they all too often type in the topic and choose the first link in the list. We need to help guide these students to better resources that they are able to access. One quick way is to teach students how to search by reading level on Google.
Conduct a Search By Reading Level
My students will soon begin learning about the Revolutionary War. When I ‘Googled it’ I was given a long list of websites and images. This is NOT what I want my students doing. They will inevitably go to wikipedia, ‘read’ information, become overwhelmed, and ultimately copy sentences. Thus driving me nuts. As I would like to avoid the whole frustrating process – for both our sakes – I am teaching them some basic search skills.
So here’s what I got when I typed ‘Revolutionary War’. Notice that along with images and videos along the top bar (below the search box) there are ‘Search Tools’. This is what I want!
When I choose ‘Search Tools’ a secondary ‘bar’ appears on the next line. Choose ‘Reading Level’.
Doing this will result in the ability to choose ‘Basic’, ‘Intermediate’, or ‘Advanced’. For my 5th graders, I encourage them to choose ‘Basic’. Explaining that the items that will be displayed will be closer to their reading level.
It’s as easy as that to find information my students can access on the Internet. There is a lot of information out there, we need to arm ourselves and our students with the necessary tools to wade through it.
Google Classroom has made my workflow seamless. Recently I had a teacher ask how to have students, who are not document (or slides) owners, ‘submit’ work. I’ll admit, my workflow made my life a little harder. Then, one of my students – Frankie (I told him that he would get a shout out) – simply suggested having the non-owners submit the link for the assignments. So being the collaborative classroom, we gave Frankie a Class Dojo point for helpfulness, and celebrated his brilliance.
How Do Students Submit a Link?
While the students are in their Assignment, they have the option to ‘Add’, ‘Create’, or ‘Mark as Done’.
If your students have been working collaboratively on a project, they most likely have created it within their Drive and shared with others. Now, the owner is the only person who has rights to submit the document. They will do this by choosing ‘ADD’ then ‘Google Drive’ and proceed to find the project.
The non-owners, will need to locate the documents link, and be sure that ‘anyone with the link can view’.
They will then Copy this link in the assignment. However, they will choose ‘Link’ and paste the code there.
Okay, well I haven’t gamified ALL my homework, really just the Math.
I’m not a fan of homework to begin with. Study after study has shown that it does no good. Those who can do it, don’t need the extra work while those who can’t, rarely have someone to help them. So what’s the point? I speculate that it comes down to the fact that, ‘it’s the way we’ve always done things’. But I’m not here to talk about the Pros and Cons of homework, I’m here to talk about a small success I’ve had with it this year.
As my district has a homework policy – I have to give it – I have strived to make it meaningful. Years ago, I assigned 20-30 math problems nightly. I know, what was I thinking? Then I scaled it back to around 8 problems and until recently it was closer to 3 or 4 per night. I tried making those problems easy enough to complete at home, yet incorporate some higher order thinking skills.
The problem? The students rushed; it was all meaningless for them. And I was frustrated with some of the half-hearted answers I was getting.
The solution? Gamify! Oxford Dictionaries defines Gamification as, “The application of typical elements of game playing (e.g., point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity”. In other words, making it a game. There are several application that can do this. I could have chosen to do it on my own, or use one of the programs available. I chose the latter. Since my homework is done online, it was only natural to find a program that worked for me. I chose Mangahigh. While there is a paid version that allows me to track the students’ progress in great depth, I opted for the free version.
I have talked with parents and students about this shift. Everyone is in agreement that it is better than the problems. Parents have commented that their child begs, “One more game Mommy, I’m trying to beat ____.” Students are working towards goals. In this particular program, they earn bronze, silver, or gold badges. While the students are striving to obtain the badges, what’s really driving them is their competitive nature. They are trying to beat their friends, and me. I also signed up as a student and take all the challenges. The students LOVE coming to me and bragging how they’ve beaten me. Several have commented, “It’s way more fun [than the problems]!”
What I’ve noticed is that students are spending more time on math. I no longer get emails from students complaining that they don’t understand. I now receive emails telling me how many challenges they have passed and how many badges they have earned. I received an email from a student this evening. She was proud of herself for passing a challenge, beating me, and earning more badges. I told her how proud I was of her, and she responded:
“Thank you, I love Manghigh. It is super cool!”
In short, we are all happier. I am no longer frustrated that students aren’t taking their homework seriously. I am happy that they are spending time ‘playing’. They are happier, as are the parents. There are no more tears from students complaining that they don’t understand what to do (let’s face it, we’ve all been there. We can do it in class then when we get home, we forget how to do the problems), and no more frustrated parents.
Today I assigned an article for my 5th graders to read from Newsela. They were to read and annotate the text,using the comment feature, in Google Docs (the original assignment was given in Google Classroom). I allowed them to work in groups in order to discuss and collaborate – we’ll talk about that in a minute.
In the middle of the assignment, I hear an electronic voice say ‘Ecuador’ in the back of the classroom. I asked my students who was doing that, and what were they doing. A group of three girls raise their hands. They explained that they didn’t know how to say a word so they wanted to hear it. Upon further questioning, they explained they went into Google Translate, typed the word, and pressed the speaker button. They simply ‘translated’ it into English. Yup, English to English! Brilliant!
Collaboration
As these three girls continued working together, I listened in on their discussion. After reading the article, they had a few questions to answer. One of the girls tried to assign each one a question to answer – with the intent of copying the answers from each other. Now, they know this is NOT collaboration. As I continued to listen, one of the girls pointed out that that wasn’t right, and they all needed to do the questions together. And that’s exactly what they did, answered the questions together! Smart kiddos!
Nowa Techie 