I think I’m in LOVE! Yes, I love the EasyBib Bibliography Creator in Google Docs (via Add-Ons). Back in the day when I went to school and wrote reports – only a few short years ago – I had to look up how to cite my sources in a book. Today, all you have to do is type a few bits of information, and the citation is created for you! See, you’re falling in love too, aren’t you?
My 5th graders have no idea how easy they have it. Here’s how it works:
And in case you were wondering, it does save as you work. My 5th graders have been working on their State Reports for a few weeks. As they find resources, they add it to the EasyBib. When they are ready to add it to their Doc, it’s all there for them ready to insert. Pretty cool, huh?
You can either make the calendar public, share with everyone in your GAfE domain, or with specific people. Sharing with the public or in your GAfE domain allows you to set event details: ‘See all event details’ or ‘See only free/busy (hide details).
Sharing with specific people will allow you to give different permissions: ‘Make changes AND manage sharing’, ‘Make changes to events’, ‘See all event details’, and ‘See only free/busy (hide details).
The other day I had an awesome lesson planned teaching coordinates. I was going to use geoboards (NOTE: I found the plan at Howard County Public Schools Wiki). While I was teaching the lesson, one of my more creative thinkers modified it and made it into a game. Yesterday, the student tried to explain the game to me. I’ll admit, I didn’t get it. After completing an assigned task on coordinates, he drug out two geoboards and showed another student how to play. Okay, they’re learning and focusing on the standard. Today, the same students begs me to show the class his game. I, of course, agree.
I’ll admit, I still don’t totally understand it, but I let him explain it to the rest of the class. Apparently, it’s just me. Everyone else seemed to understand what to do. So here’s how it goes…
Both players have geoboards and create a shape on their boards. Then each player tries to guess the coordinates of the shape – Battleship style. Now this is where I get confused. The player is to remember where they had a ‘hit’. If the player gets a ‘hit’ they get another turn. When a player has found all points, the rubber band is lost to the opposing player.
I got lost at ‘you just remember where you had a ‘hit”. Well, the students seemed to be up for it. As they played, they each modified it to fit their own needs. I, for one, used cubes to mark my ‘hits’. while others plotted them out on graph paper. And don’t even get me started on the intricate designs some of them came up with! All in all, a good time was had by all, and my creative student felt like a ROCKSTAR!
Accelerated Reader (AR) seems to be all the rage in my district. All the elementary schools use it, and have for quite some time. Many teachers seem to be huge supporters of it, too. I however, have never been a big fan of AR. I will admit that my bias comes from personal experience rather than that of a pedagogical reason. I have never banned my students from using it, but never really pushed it either.
Their website states: “At its heart, AR is simple. Students read a book, take an AR Quiz, and get immediate feedback. Kids get excited and motivated when they see their progress.”
This lead me to wonder why my students aren’t taking AR tests. They read 30 min each day – a book of their choice. They read an additional 20 pages each night – a book of their choice. They are reading, and talking about what they are reading! So why aren’t they taking the tests at the end? They can earn prizes once they reach certain percent of their overall goal. What was the problem?
The Discussion
I truly did want to find out why the students weren’t taking the tests. So I sat down with them and had an open discussion with them. At first they were reluctant to answer, but once they got started, their answers blew me away! 10 year olds are way smarter than we give them credit for. They were so mature about the subject, I recorded their answers. Here’s a small sampling:
“I don’t think there’s any purpose in taking an AR tests because I read books to enjoy them, not take tests on them.”
“When I finish reading a book, I just don’t do the AR quizzes because I want to get to the next one [book] really fast so I can continue reading.”
“There’s no purpose for me, because I want to get to the next book fast. And anyway, what’s the point of getting a prize? … We don’t really need a prize.”
“…They’re giving you prizes just to make you read…”
“Instead of making us read, we should read because we want to.”
“We should be reading for the joy of books, not for prizes.”
“They need a wider variety of different genres of books.”
“The books I do have, are not AR books.”
“I just like to enjoy a book.”
What Have I Learned?
1 -My students are way smarter than I ever gave them credit for.
2 -By the age of 10, kids have figured out that AR is a scam.
3 -AR has NOT instilled a love of reading.
4 -Students gained a love of reading on their own, sans prizes!
5 -AR books and genres can be too limiting for some students.
6 -My students do not see eye to eye with the AR website. Clearly they are neither motivated nor excited by the AR quizzes.
Other Thoughts
Some students live for competition. Some students love the bragging rights they get when they have read the most (percentage) in the school. Some students enjoy receiving the prizes, although I would venture to say this is a greater motivator in the younger grades than upper. The idea that we are monitoring student comprehension is a good one, I’m not sure AR is the answer.
At the beginning of the year, I was having students create ‘Book Projects‘ when they finished reading a book. I soon became overwhelmed. I’m thinking I need to revisit this idea and rework it so that it works for me too. I had some great work produced by the students. It was more meaningful, and the students really got into it.
Before I delve right into the reasons why I have mad love for my PLN, let me explain who exactly is in my PLN. When I first started teaching in the mid 90’s (that was just a few years ago, right?), my PLN was limited to those whom I directly worked with; those teachers in my building. Now my PLN stretches across the nation and across boarders. While I still enjoy, and learn much from, collaborating with those at my site/district, I often turn to Twitter for help, collaboration, and/or ideas. I also belong to several communities on Google+, thus widening my network. So when I say that I have ‘Mad Love For My PLN’, I’m talking about hundreds of people.
Now getting back to my story. Recently I have started video taping the school announcements. I have 5th graders read, record, and upload the ‘Morning News’. This was the brainchild of a Kinder teacher, Ellen Lynch. One of the biggest issues I was having were the actual announcements. The old way of doing things required teachers, and students in some cases, filling out a form in the office. I wanted to make it more streamlined and efficient. So what did I do? Well, I turned to a small portion on my PLN – Manhattan Beach CUERockStar Teachers. Yeah, mad love for these folks.
Mad Love for these folks
I reached out to this amazing group of educators. I explained the problem and was given a few great solutions. In the end, I chose to use a Google Spreadsheet Add-On, AutoCrat. I know what you’re thinking, “That’s great, but really, did you need to blog about that?” Yes, yes I did. I needed to blog about this for a few reasons A) My issue was solved within 24 hours. Not only did they provide their thoughts, but Reuben Hoffman also provided me with resources. B) I had a Google Hangout (GHO) with Alice Chen, Karl Lindgren-Streicher, and John Miller. What started out as just sharing thoughts and ideas, and me realizing I solved the problem already, quickly turned into a 45 minute talk about Minecraft. When you have a Minecraft Guru/Master/Ninja/all around awesome guy like John in your midst, you take advantage of his wisdom. C) EVERYONE has access to this type of support. D) It’s this support and collaboration that gets me excited, inspired, and and ready to try new things.
So yes, I did need to share my ‘Mad Love’ for these amazing people. I am blessed to have them in my PLN. And if you don’t already have these people in your PLN, you need to jump on Twitter and Google+ now and start learning from them now!
Before we get started, let’s go over some basic vocabulary. I do this only because as I have conversations with non-educators, there seems to be some confusion. This ‘Glossary’ is so that we are all on the same page as we have this conversation.
Assessments – The methods in which a teacher, school, district, state, and/or government measures learning.
Curriculum – How something will be taught. Most commonly associated with textbooks, programs, lessons, units, and the like.
Standards – Expectations or goals; the outcome.
Common Core
Now getting back to why Common Core Standards are ‘Bad’. I’ve come to the conclusion it’s because the ‘nay-sayers’ don’t understand the new methods, and quite honestly don’t have the deeper understanding that Common Core expects. I don’t say this to insult anyone, in fact, I’m in that group of folks that don’t fully understand everything, but I am learning. Before you start to disagree with me, think about it. Where is the controversy centered? Is it the ELA standards or Math standards? Yeah, it’s the Math standards. I haven’t heard anyone complain about how “stupid” the new ELA standards are, or how they are “making our kids dumb and confused”. And why is that? Well, no one can really argue with analyzing a text more closely. We all get it, we all want our children and students to be able to read a text and be able to intelligently speak on it. So what’s different about the new Math standards? They require students to have a firm grasp on math concepts. I have heard the argument, “What’s wrong with how I did math, I understood it?” and “Why should my child have to learn several different ways to solve a problem?” Let’s look at the first question: What’s wrong with how I did math? Nothing if you are good with a basic understanding. As Andy Losik pointed out, “The good old days of Math only taught us Magic Tricks to do problems.” How right he is. Think about it, this is like saying, “I read the book, but can’t really tell you what it was about, but hey at least I read it.” Yes, you can perform the basic operation, but you don’t really understand the how and why behind it.
Before you starting getting all up in arms about this, I was the same way when I first started teaching. Long ago I taught second grade. One of the biggest math concepts in second grade is learning to regroup – it was called borrowing back in my day. It wasn’t until I started teaching the concept that I truly understood why and how regrouping worked. I thought I knew, but I didn’t. As a child, I learned to cross out the number, make it one less and put a 1 in front of the number to the right. If you asked me to explain why and how it all works, I wouldn’t have been able to at the time. The second question asks: “Why should my child have to learn several different ways to solve a problem?” Well…As this is real life, there are several solutions to one problem – be it math, social, or everyday problems. I ask, “Why limit ourselves to one path, when so many are available?” For far too long, these ‘Magic Tricks’ have been very narrow in focus and catered to a select few students.
The Root of Why Common Core is ‘Bad’
We feel stupid. Yup, I said it, we feel stupid. I mean, as an adult, I should be able to do 4th grade math, but the new ways of learning and the deeper understanding sometimes leave me with the “What the heck are they talking about?” feeling. The complaints and descriptors are just knee jerk reactions because we feel stupid. If we take a moment to swallow our pride and just admit we don’t get it, I think we could learn a thing or two. I am learning all this too. And what I am finding out, is that while at first new methods may seem confusing, after practice they are actually easier than how I learned. Not only do the new ways give us a deeper understanding, it also allows more students to be successful in math.
I have heard (and engaged in conversations) where some have suggested that we keep teaching the way we have, and if need be pull those students who don’t understand it aside and teach them differently. I say that is short sighted, and bad teaching practice. Any quality teacher will show different methods and encourage students to focus on the few that they understand and make them successful. Any quality teacher, be it with Common Core or other standards, will differentiate his/her instruction.
Another argument I have heard is that it is nationalizing our education system and taking local control away. To this I say, “Yes, it is. Now get over it.” I know it’s harsh, but we live in a GLOBAL economy. This is the 21st Century, let’s teach like it is. Yes, I want to know that here in California I am teaching the same 5th grade standards as they are teaching in New York, Mississippi, Montana, or where ever in the US. If you don’t agree, why not? Do you want your standards to be lower than everyone else’s? Do you want them higher? With Common Core, states can add standards (15%). We’ve had State Standards for a while now, that takes away local control. No one balked at that.
I acknowledge that there is a political component to all of this. There are many out there, mainly from one political party, who are helping to spread misconceptions, hate, and backlash to the Common Core Standards. The reason why is another blog post all together. While I won’t go into the political aspect of Common Core, I didn’t want to omit this aspect.
What to do?
Well…Let go of our own insecurities. Allow your children to teach YOU how to do math. Be okay with saying, “I don’t understand”. Ask the teacher for directions. When a parent contacts me and asks for help, I gladly give it. I also understand that this is all new. I try to reassure my parents that yes, this can be confusing for me too. I have had students come into my classroom and teach me how to do math in a different way. Because of where I live, I often have students come to school to show me how their aunt/uncle/mom/dad learned to do a concept in Mexico. Often times the method is easier, and the result is the same.
Is Common Core Really Bad?
NO! Common Core is different, but NOT bad. In fact it is good. Again, I am only speaking about the Standards. The unrolling of Common Core in each district/state/nation is a whole different conversation. I am NOT talking about the assessments – PARCC or SBAC. The end goal of the standards are GOOD! I welcome them.
While this is geared towards the K-5 classroom, it is certainly applicable to all grade levels. Created for Annual CUE in Palm Springs, March 22, 2014:
Recently a friend and I were talking about some of our district meetings, some of which are the occasional ‘Tech’ meetings. We have tried the ‘Cafeteria’ style, where teachers choose from a list of presenters & presentations/workshops. It’s worked ‘okay’, but not great. And as my friend and I were talking, we got around to all the different things that my students do in class. She then suggested having students give some of the presentations/workshops!
I know, she’s brilliant! Now many would be skeptical of the idea of having 5th graders presenting to a group of adults. I will admit that, while I thought it was brilliant, I had my doubts that my students would be open to the idea. To my surprise, they were on-board. Many of them asked when the meeting is, and what they should present! Two girls want to show off their knowledge of ‘Animoto’, another boy wants to do a whole presentation on using iMovie from an iPhone (via Reflector – his idea), and a few others that want to present, just not sure on what. My students are FEARLESS and amazing!
After school I was talking to another teacher about the idea and my students’ responses. She also felt that it was an awesome idea. She pointed out that many teachers don’t think students can do what they have seen in the (past) presentations/workshops. She went on to state how powerful the experience could be for the students and the teachers. Teachers would not only see that students COULD do it, but have a deep understanding of the different tools or apps being used, and how these tools can be used to show their knowledge in different subjects. And the students would shine, gain confidence, and experience something so HUGE at such a young age.
I can’t wait to see how this ends, or should I say begins (let’s hope this is the beginning of something great)! I’m so excited. I will definitely be blogging about their success in about a month! Stay tuned.
If you have been to a Google Summit or other Googley type event, you have most likely witnessed a Demo Slam. For those of you who have not, a Demo Slam is where a presenter (anyone really) is given 3 minutes to show off their coolest, geekiest, most interesting tech ‘thing’. I have seen Demo Slams on tricks in YouTube, useful Chrome Extensions, tools in Google Docs, and Google Easter Eggs.
I began doing Demo Slams in my classroom. It began as a way to teach my students some simple tricks to help them in class. For example, I showed them ‘Build With Chrome‘, how to search images with reuse policies, and a few Chrome Extensions. It was a success from the beginning.
My story doesn’t end here. Not to be outdone, my students begged to begin doing them. You see, they like to ‘Out Geek’ me. They have each made it their mission to find a trick or two that I don’t know about. And yes, they have taught me so much! Of course I was thrilled that they wanted to do slams. So now I have a sign up sheet in my class. They can sign up for a slam anytime they want. I also have official time keepers. I just sit back watch, and learn new things from them.
One of the biggest successes came with ‘Build With Chrome‘. I briefly showed the tool, and as always encouraged them to explore it more on their own. I have a student who loves Minecraft, Legos, and creating, but is not big on getting up in front of the class and presenting. He took the idea and ran with it. He signed up for his own account, showed others what could be done with it, and ASKED if he could do a Demo Slam on it!
So pleased with their initiative, I have offered to share out the Demo Slams with other teachers. Recently, 2 girls went to a second grade classroom to show them a few keyboard shortcuts. I had 2 boys read about Anne Frank, and give a Demo Slam about what they read. Yeah, we decided Demo Slams don’t have to be tech related. It’s a HUGE success with my students. They are confident, learn from their mistakes, take chances, and freely share their knowledge. What more could a teacher ask for?
Let’s look at the first question: What’s wrong with how I did math? Nothing if you are good with a basic understanding. As 
Nowa Techie 