Philosophical Chairs- Let's Debate! Part 2...

Philosophical Chairs is similar to a debate. Students are given a central topic or question that they must choose to agree, disagree or be neutral regarding the answer. A great Philosophical Chairs discussion starts with a great topic or question, and is centered around text(s).

See my original blog post about Philosophical chairs to gain and understanding of the structure:  Philosophical Chairs

I really do think that implementing this structure into your classroom is VERY powerful for student learning.  It really does force them to think critically and at a higher level.  Also, the kids REALLY LOVE the debates!  It's engaging, fun, and develops higher level thinking skills! What reason is there to not try it out??

Here are my students doing Philosophical Chairs on the topic of Social Media.  The focus question was, "Are social media networks more harmful or helpful to our society?"

The Essential Question in our ELA Wonders curriculum for this week was "How do technology and inventions affect your life?" (4th grade, Unit 4 Week 3).  I found the connecting articles they're using for the debate on Newsela, and printed them at different Lexile levels to meet the  differing needs of my students.

To briefly summarize the process from my previous post:

I use Newsela.com as  GREAT resource to find news articles written for kids on topics that will interest them.  You can also print them at about 4 - 5 different Lexile levels to differentiate and meet the needs of your students.  Generally I try to find a topic that ties into either the Essential Question in Wonders, or topics we're studying in science or Social studies.  Also, the texts or articles chosen must insight a debate! The more the kids are interested the better and more exciting the Philosophical Chairs will be.

When I first introduce the topic of a "debate," or Philosophical Chairs, my kids will initially do this within their table groups (groups of 6).  This is to teach them the structure of the debate and to allow them to practice in this small group setting where they are more comfortable and likely to speak up.  Once we've done this a few times, I then have the kids move into the actual whole group Philosophical Chairs lesson.

As I've explained in the previous blog(see link above), the students take notes on each article/text and then develop higher level questions.  They bring their notes/questions with them to the debate and choose their side/stance for the debate.  Any students who are unsure or haven't chosen a side will hang out in the middle, and as they listen to the debate they will move to a side when they agree.  Likewise, students may switch sides during the debate at any time.  

Once the debate is finished, students then respond to the prompt, or debate question, as a written constructed response, using the RACES process (see my previous blogs for more info on RACES).

Here's another video of my kids debating an article related to technology discussing whether or not cars should be replaced with ONLY public transportation in large city centers.

For additional information, videos, and resources the Learnzillion website is a GREAT resource that will help you understand how to implement Philosophical Chairs: 
 LearnZillion- Philosophical Chairs

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

Yes! by Randi

Yes

I am always searching for ways to improve my classroom community, classroom management, teaching strategies, and relationships with kids. These are the invaluable skills we teachers must have, the glue that holds it all together.  A tool I have found to be influential is the use of the word "yes" in my class.  I realize some of you might be saying "She's crazy!" but the reality is, you can say "yes" to most things and still get the outcome you are seeking.

  Have you ever thought about the negative energy that goes into the word "no"? 

Some kids might hear "no" all too often.  To some kids the word "no" can trigger a fight or flight response.  Getting kids to do what you need rarely requires a "no." Think of the positive energy that could be happening when you use the word "yes."  Words can be powerful stuff.  Since starting to use "yes" as often as I can, I have seen the culture of my classroom become even more positive than it already was.  Children, in general, are excited to ask their teacher questions.  They should be able to approach their teacher without any feeling of fear.  Of course, kids need to be taught appropriate times to ask specific questions and to be respectful and raise their hands during a lesson, but I never want to discourage their inquiries.  When questions are academic-related, I require that they ask their partner before me, but I understand why they are seeking answers from me-I'm their teacher. I let them know I am here for them and asking me questions is okay. As long they are using their strategies, and respectfully approaching me, I will always allow it in my classroom.  But this is my choice and style.  In my class, it works.  We have a relaxed, but structured atmosphere. 

"Say Yes and you'll figure it out afterward." 

-Tina Fey

How can I successfully use "yes" in my classroom?  I have included some ideas below. Give these strategies a try!

• May I use the restroom? Yes. In 5/10/15 minutes.

• Will you help me with this activity? Yes. After you read the directions and ask your partner for help. (I rarely get asked again.)

• Will you help me solve this problem? Yes. Read me the question. Usually, the student says OHHHH! and now they understand.  

• Will you help me read this word? Yes. After you sound it out and then ask your partner.

• May I have a band-aid? Yes. You know where they are. Quickly help yourself to one.

• I am sick. May I go to the nurse? Yes. But first, go to the restroom and get a drink of water and let me know if you need to still go after that.

• May I talk to ______about_______? Yes. As soon we are finished with_______, you may.

• May I help you with___________? Yes. (Why not? I take the help if it's an appropriate time.)

• Can you help me with ____________? Yes. (If a student has a conflict in the class or in general, and they ask me to help them, I will 100% make it a priority to help them work out a conflict.)

These are examples of common questions in my classroom.  Some of my students need to hear "yes" once in a while.  I could say "no," or I could say "What are you going to do to solve this problem?"  But instead, I say "yes" and then follow it up with a statement that allows me to have control of the situation.  I let them know that I am always available to help while allowing them time to solve problems on their own.  I have found that this strategy has increased the level of respect amongst all in the room.  

  

      Positively Teaching,   
Randi Muehlen
                           

ONE PAGER AND FLIPGRID IN A MATH CLASSROOM

Have you gone to a training and had a takeaway that makes you excited?

This past week in our site's PD there was an AVID presentation by our AVID site team.  One aspect of it was a round table learning about ONE PAGERS.  I got excited about the prospects of this student generated activity.  Students take a topic and create their own final product about their learning.  The activity allows students to respond with their own imagination while consolidating their learning into a brief one page product - that makes connections between words and pictures.  What a great way to end a unit of study in math - students create their own One-Pager that captures their essential learnings for the unit of study.  I went home and googled one pager examples and came up with the above image.  I am just finishing up a unit on system of equations with my 8th graders - and what a great way for them to capture what they learned during our study.  I believe in rubrics so I also researched rubrics for One-Pagers and found several that I could modify for my class.  I will share examples of next month of my students' work.  But I wanted to share something that was exciting for me this past week and let you know where it ends up.


In addition to this new idea, I also took a tentative step into the world of Flipgrid.  This resource

allows students to verbalize their learning.  I learned about it from my grade level science teacher that I partner up with to do our cross-curricular projects with.  We decided that our current Crayon Project would be a good place to see how this works with our students.  I did my first Flipgrid video with the students last week - where they had to verbalize their rationale for choosing the number of crayon boxes that OMSD needs in order to replace all the boxes in the District.  Students were hesitant at first to have themselves videotaped but after getting them to really focus on their writing it was much easier for them.  One of the mathematical practices is Communicating Reasoning so this resource offers a different way to capture this practice.  I also feel that this is a good 21st Century Skill to develop in that students need to communicate clearly and effectively their reasoning so that others can understand.  For those of you who missed it, Jennifer Merry on January 17 posted a well written description of useful tips for using Flipgrid in your classroom - she has done a great job of giving a sequence of tips to make it easier for you.


This month was sharing two ideas that I have not completed in my classroom but have come across in the past month as something that I am willing to try and see where it goes.  For me, this is one aspect of teaching that I really enjoy - trying something new.  If the end result is something better for my students then it is well worth the time and energy.  If it fails, then I pick myself up and see what else I can learn to make a positive impact with my students that is meaningful and relevant.


Will return next month with an update of both of these new ideas that I am trying.

Teaching and still loving it,

Kevin Stott

De Anza Middle School

Knock Knock!

When I was a little girl, I remember a trick my mom use to play on us kids. Yeah. She was a sly one all right. She would tell us that (insert person here) was coming over and that we needed to clean up the house stat. "Hurry!" she'd spur us on. We'd vacuum, dust, sweep, wipe tables and do whatever else we needed to do in order to prepare for our supposed guest of honor. We, of course, wanted them to know that we "took pride in our home," humble as it was. When the cleaning was complete, we'd bask in the glory of having made our mom proud. Then we'd wait. And wait... and wait. "Huh?" we'd naively wonder as minutes turned into hours. Come nightfall, we'd realize that she'd done it again! Once again we had fallen prey to her nefarious plans. In the end, she accomplished what she set out to do--hoodwink a bunch of kids into spending a Saturday morning cleaning the house. Yeah. She was good. Real good.

Her ways may have been questionable, but she did instill in us a great sense of pride--at least until we'd mess up the house again. Well, today I'm the adult motivating my students to take pride in our classroom. Undoubtedly, for many of our children, our classrooms are a home away from home. We can't control our students' home environment, but we can ensure that when they walk into our classrooms, they are met with an inviting, organized, and tidy space in which to learn and grow.

On Friday, I did what I refer to as a backpack, desk, and binder check. As students are working independently on the computer, I call them up one at a time. With their permission, I check their backpacks to see what they've accumulated. You would be surprised at what I find, but that's a conversation for a different day. I also check their binders and desks to see if they are keeping their items organized. I commend those who've successfully kept a tidy backpack, an organized binder, and a neat desk and I would gently and discreetly encourage those who have not to do better.

Like a home blessed with active children, our classrooms are never going to be perfect. We are in the business of educating young minds and, truthfully, that can be messy--both literally and figuratively. That being said, we should get our students in the habit of keeping an uncluttered work environment. Knowing how to maintain an orderly work space will do our students well in whatever profession they choose.

Still Living the Dream (albeit with a little less mess!),

Lola Jollie

Got S - t - r - e - t - c - h Text? (PART 2)

Thank you for returning to my 3-part blog regarding stretch text.  Last month, I introduced this idea of what stretch text means in the classroom.  I highlighted some frequently asked questions and this month I want to continue sharing some of these insights and questions with you!

FAQ's:

Why stretch text?  http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf  Read pages 1 - 11

What essential questions can I use during stretch text lessons?  The one essential question that I use during ALL stretch text lessons: “What makes this text difficult?”  This simple yet powerful essential question is what I want my students to think about throughout the lesson.  By “deconstructing” the text, my students can dissect, explore, investigate, and “reassemble” the text like a puzzle.  If they can succeed with stretch text, they will certainly succeed with grade level text. Ultimately, I want my students to think about their thinking.

Where do I find stretch text?  NOT on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Instead, I have found that famous speeches or Ted Talks are ideal to use as stretch text (they are also free).  Try to select speeches that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful or that tie into Wonders anthologies in some manner.  For example, in fourth grade Wonders unit 4, week 3 includes the anthology selection The Moon Over Star.  This historic fiction selection focuses on the night of the moon landing.  You could tie the famous Moon Speech by JFK to this particular selection (which I actually have done).  Another example in fourth grade Wonders is unit 4, week 1 leveled reader “A Day in the Senate.” Last year, we deconstructed part of the Constitution using it as a stretch text in order to extend the understanding of the leveled reader.  The possibilities are endless. I try to make sure that my students understand that my selected stretch text is either part of an article, document or a transcript of a speech. This is why I try to avoid TPT worksheets or TPT articles. It is no secret that Common Core has made the understanding of technical texts a cornerstone of these new standards.  Stretch text lessons allow the teacher to at least begin to encourage and build self-efficacy within students in order to challenge them to continue “reaching and stretching” their reading abilities. My "look for" when I am searching text is mainly vocabulary. Does the text include a fair amount of academic vocabulary for students to grapple with? Be careful though! Too much may become too frustrating.

Note:  If you find a video on youtube, it usually offers the option to view the transcript.  Copy and paste the transcript onto your desktop in order to print the text for students.

How long do stretch text lessons take?  If you decide to do stretch text lessons during a 30-minute time block of UA, you can expect to take approximately three to five days to grapple with the passage.  It really depends on how deep you want students to go into the text. It is up to you and your learning outcomes.

Are there any resources that I can use?  Yes, I have included below some links that you can view at your leisure to see some examples of stretch text lessons.  Be warned, you will not find much resources by googling “stretch text.” You will usually find resources about accessing complex text (which may in itself be helpful as well):

1.  READ pages 1 - 11 in Appendix A of the common core initiative document (yes, I know it may be a struggle but, hey, if you want your students to do this, then we need to do this as well):

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

2.  Teaching Channel videos:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/teaching-declaration-of-independence

Happy Writing!
             Gustavo Macuil

STEM/Science in Kindergarten?

My daily schedule is one the most asked questions I get from my fellow kindergarten teachers.  Many wonder how I how I get it all in. The short answer is: I don't usually.  Time with my students is not the issue (5-year-olds in a classroom for 5 hours daily is PLENTY for them, however, if they could manage successfully without the big behavior issues we are more commonly facing each year, extended time COULD be a positive thing... but that's a whole other blog post!). More flexibility with our time is key.

As teachers, we are faced with mandatory minutes per subject per day and/or week in all subjects. This is where we have to get creative by using cross-curricular concepts (the CCC's) to try to even attempt to meet the demands that are placed on us for the classroom time we do spend with our students.  Unfortunately, one of the subjects that gets pushed to the side in elementary school is science.

Back in my early days, we had a 20:1 ratio in kindergarten. We also shared a classroom with another teacher, with some overlap time.  And on early-release Tuesdays, both AM and PM classes would attend at the same time (40 kids/2 teachers in one room for 4 hours...ack!). This was when my kindergarten team had to get creative to manage all of those kids AND get to those subjects that we found difficult to cover (2 birds/1 stone).  We decided to do rotations: science, P.E., art, and social studies (currently morphed into social skills...also another blog post!).  Four teachers, four subjects. P.E. would be outside and art would be in a shared pod.

Each year, our rotation schedule changes according to number of teachers or other factors, but four is ideal for us.  We have also done many configurations of groups over the years.  Since we all teach in our own classrooms, extra space is not necessary any more.  I have been in charge of science instruction for our kindergarten classes for most of the years we have implemented rotations.






This is our current rotation schedule, now on Thursdays:

7:30 - School Begins
8:15-9:00 - Rotation #1
9:45-10:30 - Rotation #2
11:30-12:15 - Rotation #3
12:15-1:00 - Rotation #4
1:10 - Dismissal

If you would like to learn more about how you can manage this type of program, please reach out!

Happy and Positive SCIENCE Teaching!

Erin Grebel

erin.grebel@omsd.net

Photo Captions: Building a bridge for the Gingerbread Man (top right); Building hideouts for the Gingerbread Man (1st left, 2nd right); Making an object change direction without touching it (bottom left); Exploring strong and weak pushes (bottom right); Exploring motion with starting and stopping an object in motion (video).

Fitting It All In

Fitting It All In

And just like that, we enter January... where HAS the time gone? I truly cannot believe we have officially completed the first half of the school year with our students and I still have so much that I want to accomplish with them. If I drafted a TO-DO list for the remainder of the year, at the tippy-top, you would find two words, FORMAL WRITING.

As you may already know, each of our WONDERS Units outlines a writing genre that we should tackle for the duration of those six weeks. In a perfect world, our days would run smoothly and effortlessly, and we would complete every-single-thing on that suggested WONDERS pacing guide. But truth be told, that rarely happens. And unfortunately, the formal writing pieces that we so very much love (not kidding, I love writing with my kids) gets pushed aside in hopes that we will get to it... soon?

So How Does One Fit It All In?

I recently attended a professional development opportunity provided by OMSD, Providing A Balanced Literacy Diet, and I learned something which was so valuable that I had to share. In short, "It's all about the task." This phrase forced me to look at what I was accomplishing every day with my students and decide if the task was meaningful and if my students were engaged enough that they would master the standards through this task. 

Like most educators, I find writing to be one of the most powerful tools you can use as a life-long scholar, and I want to make sure my students master all of the writing genres before they leave me at the end of the year. So how did I tie together my love for writing, my new found knowledge of meaningful tasks, and fitting it all in? Here's how!

"YOU WILL NEVER 'FIND' TIME FOR ANYTHING. IF YOU WANT TIME, YOU MUST MAKE IT." -CHARLES BUXTON

My How-To Fit It All In

1. Decide if the task is important enough to master. I realized that I was trying to fit all of the WONDERS pieces into my day, that I was leaving behind something I loved and was truly important to me- WRITING. Like I mentioned before, writing is important, it is all around us, and mastering the art of writing is high on my priority list as a teacher. 

2. Make time for it. We know we cannot fit everything in, so I now take a closer look at the standards and decide which ones they NEED to master, versus which standards will spiral through down the line that I will get a second, or even third, chance to tackle. Really, if you are going to add something to our day, learn to take something else that perhaps was not giving you the results or engagement you were looking for.

3. Make the task meaningful. Find high-interest text/topics that your student population will connect with. You will find that by capturing their attention through high-interest text, the student engagement will naturally follow. 

4. Enjoy the process. Our students pick up on our attitudes towards these tasks. If they see that you are enjoying the process, the how-to, they will also adopt a positive mindset and produce work which demonstrates their passion for it as well.  

What now? I leave you with the promise of an update (soon) of how this worked for my students and me. To be continued....

-Yvonne Milian

Always Question, Always Wonder

Always Question, Always Wonder

Wow!  It’s hard to believe that we have already been back in our classrooms for almost three weeks now.  I hope that you found time to rest on your Winter

Break. A lot has been happening in my classroom since we started back a few weeks ago.  I am excited to share that my students and I are jumping into piloting a new science program. This is a process that is completely new to me and I wanted my students to feel like they are just as involved in the reviewing process as I am.  Before we started, I had a conversation with my class about what we would be working on for the next few weeks. While most of the students were excited to try something new, I think the real excitement came the day the supplies were delivered and they learned that we would be using Hot Wheels in some of our inquiry lessons.  There were many shouts of joy heard around the room that day.

“The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.” ― Sir William Lawrence Bragg

Four days a week, we spend about forty-five minutes to one hour working on lessons from the program we are piloting.  Here is a list of some of the positive things I have noticed in my classroom so far:

1. Engagement - As I mentioned already, my students are really excited when it’s time for science.  Science is all around us, so it makes my heart sing when I hear how happy they are.

2. Learning through Inquiry-  Students encounter the phenomenon at the beginning of each model and are given an introduction to the culminating STEM project.  Each lesson within the module follows the 5 E model- Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This gives students plenty of opportunities for hands-on inquiries.  By far, this is the most exciting days for students. Not every day has an inquiry lesson but we often refer back to what we learned on those days and apply it to the rest of the lessons. After each lesson, we reflect on what we learned and how to apply that knowledge to the culminating STEM project.  

3. Stem Career Connections- There is a section of the lesson that is connected to different careers in science and engineering.  We have been able to highlight different career paths within the realm of science. I love that students are able to see different types of scientist and think about what type of career in science might interest them.  

4. Questioning- This is the biggest take away I have had so far.  All of this inquiry learning has to lead itself to more and more questions.  Sometimes more questions about the phenomenon then we have time to figure out answers to.  I think that’s the best part! Students are now thinking about the world around them in a new way.  They are asking questions and trying to make sense of it all. They are driving their own learning!

“Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It's posing questions and coming up with a method. It's delving in.” -Sally Ride

As we continue on this pilot journey, I hope to continue to foster a sense of wonder in all my students.  I am blown away by what they bring to the table each day and I can’t wait to hear what questions they have about the world around them in the future.  

Learning and teaching with grace,

Alina

New Year, Fresh Start

New Year, Fresh Start     

Happy New Year Everyone! It feels like it has been a while since I last wrote. Coming back from break can make it difficult to get back into the swing of things. We have been on break enjoying our time with family, friends, fabulous food, which bring in all the FUN. Those moments make our heart warm and happy, as we make new memories in our so-called “Life”. Well in the midst of it, all we put our job to the side, losing the motivation that we need to get our TEACH ON! J

You may ask, “How do you regain focus on your purpose as you are still focused on winter break?”    

Whenever we lose our driving force in our daily job, remember to go back to your “Why?” Go back and think of why you became a teacher to find your purpose. What are you trying to accomplish as a teacher? What are you trying to accomplish this school year? These questions will bring back the spark, ignite your fire for education, and get you going back to when you first began this job.

As you think of this, take a moment to realize that many of our students may be feeling the same way. Some students are driven to move on to bring on the second half of the school year, while other students do not want to return to school at all. This is your opportunity to bring the fun back to the learning, leaving you both a strong desire to return taking on the next challenge.

“A good teacher is like a candle-it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~unknown

January is a month when we look at our own lives to reflect, keeping the good and getting rid of the bad. You can definitely do this with your occupation! The more we reflect upon our practice, the better it gets! Now imagine if you have children reflect on their learning on a daily basis, but with a stronger emphasis, returning from Winter Break…the impact can be great! Here a few suggestions that may assist in getting a new calendar year started/half of the year kick started:

1.     Journal Writing- Begin with asking students to answer the questions, “What have you liked best about my teaching this school year? What can I do different the second half of the year to help you succeed?

2.     Goal Setting- Have your students set a goal for Language Arts and Math. Ask them to think of something specifically of a concept they want to achieve before the school year is over (for example achieving more Reading Counts points, higher RI Level, writing a well-written paragraph (using text evidence), mastering multiplication fluency (up to the 12s), learning why and how to divide numerical operations, etc.). When students have set their goal, have them write the steps he/she will take in order to achieve their goal.

3.     What’s Your Word? - I loved this idea from Instagram Teachers because students choose a word that will define the rest of the school year for them (for example Believe, Hope, Advance, Try, Brave, Organization, etc.). It’s not another step they have to stick to, more importantly it is a motivational word that will be on their mind every time they take a step to achieve the goal.

4.     Provide a weekly quote to give your students “Food for Thought”. Feed their soul with encouragement, as the learning gets tough. You want your students to realize that everyone goes through hardships when trying to reach a goal.

Find what brings the joy into your classroom, go with it and remember to have fun throughout the educational journey. As state testing approaches, it will also serve as a good reminder that the learning process is a lot more important than a test score. Although, they will soon realize that once a goal is attained, growth will happen! You get your students to BELIEVE and they will ACHIEVE! 

Live, Love, TEACH! 

The Outsiders by S.E Hinton

               The Outsiders is a story of a group of boys from the wrong side of tracks and their personal and social struggles in the 1950s Tulsa, Oklahoma.  This is one of my favorite books to read with 6^th grade.  It is a story that is so relatable to kids at this age and older.  Ponyboy, the main character, and his friends become my students’ friends; that connection to the characters is what makes this story so successful with students.  The novel creates genuine excitement to read across all levels: low readers; high readers, GATE; non-GATE, and unmotivated; motivated.  This book will make a great addition to your class library.

            The kids bond with all the characters socially and emotionally because our students are experiencing both social and familial relationships in all its glory as well as all of its ugliness.  For example, Ponyboy and his brothers, who have been recently orphaned, treat their friends like family. This idea of loving people who you are not related to, and the concept of doing anything for them is so relevant not only to them at school, but they see it in their own homes.  I always use this example in class, “How many of you have an aunt of cousin that you are not blood related to, but they are considered family?”  A majority of their hands go up.  From the very beginning of the story, students relate to how the characters interact with important people in their lives. Furthermore, Ponyboy struggles with his own relationship with his older brother Darry, who has high expectations and a strong desire for Pony to be successful, but the lack of beginning able to talk about their feeling pushes them apart.  Again, students relate to this turmoil because they are going through it with their own families.  The relatability to the characters’ lives helps to build the love for this book.

A student's book report

            Social and emotional topics are very much a part of the plot of The Outsiders.  As teachers, we want to protect and shelter our students from the ugliness of this world, but sometimes it is necessary for them to face it.  The Outsiders is a great way to make real-life connections to social problems but in a safe way.  To clarify it is easier to talk about bullying or class discrimination when expressing it through characters in a book.  There is more honesty to discuss positive and negative behaviors when you are not talking about real people.  When I have discussions, with my students about these topics, we have meaningful and authentic conversations, maybe the impact is only in the moment, but I hope they can start to see actions can have serious effects.  The characters all experience loss in major ways, and it allows them to see what are healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with loss and grief.  Our students look to us as trusted adults they can talk to about these types of topics. If they have one more responsible adult helping them navigate through growing up then it puts them in a better position.

Character Analysis Book Report

          Lastly, and only looking at the novel as a standards based teaching experience, Ponyboy’s narration of the story is filled with figurative language.  Figurative language at the sixth-grade level, we are looking at how it impacts a story’s plot and tone.  This allows me to expose them to allusion, so I get to share with them when an author references another piece of literature; there is a purpose, which often times leads to foreshadowing.  Another standard that is covered is comparing literature in different forms.  After reading the book, we watch the movie, and the students just love this.  I am always so pleased to hear them say, “The book was way better!” Music to the English teacher’s ears.  Once, I had a student notice the dialogue from movie was word for word from the book.  She had been watching the movie and referencing the book the entire time. As of last year, I started using TWITTER to communicate with authors.  I reached out to S.E Hinton, and she answered me!  She is allowing my students to ask 3 questions, and she will answer via her website.  Once more another awesome and memorable learning experience for my students to make a personal connection to the book.

          The Outsiders is such an amazing book!  Just because most students read it in 8^th grade or higher does not mean your sixth graders can’t; I find that they love it so much they don’t mind reading it a second or third time.  There are so many ways to differentiation this novel to fit the needs of your students.  Give it a try, and I promise your students will love it.            

    "Things were rough all over, but it was better that way.  That way you could tell the other guy was human too."  ` Ponyboy Curtis  

Flipgrid! Where social learning happens.

 

A while ago I read an educational research article which discussed how to get students to care more about their writing. The authors concluded that the magic answer was giving your students an authentic audience. In other words, students need someone other than just their teacher to read their writing. This made sense to me because I recognized that I care more about my writing depending on who my audience is, and I increase my effort when I know the stakes are higher, as do some of my 6th graders. 

"When we establish authentic audiences for students, they can see the purpose for their work." - Edutopia 

Over the years, I have tried different things to create an authentic audience for my students. Google Docs helps with this task because they can easily share their writing with their classmates to receive feedback on how to edit and revise their work. However, I didn't notice the impact I was hoping for. 

Enter Stacey Van Heerden, a TOA from L&T. We met one day after school to discuss a different project, and she mentioned Flipgrid to me and how easy and powerful it was to use. Flipgrip is a social learning site where students record themselves sharing information from a prompt the teacher creates. I looked over the site and was instantly hooked. 

For my students to record a successful Flipgrid, they need to go through each ELA claim: research and read in order to answer the prompt in writing, then revise and edit, and finally rehearse their "script" multiple times and then speaking while recording their grid. Finally, students listen to their peers' Flipgrids and have the option of recording a video response. 

This video is of my students viewing their classmates' flipgrids while using a rubric to rate their peers. 

"As the educator, you are the Topic designer with specialized resources and attachments. Back-to-school intros, booktalks, reflections, expert Q&As, showcase STEAM ideas...the possibilities are endless for students to verbalize their learning!"- Flipgrid

Helpful tips for using Flipgrid:

1) Record one yourself before introducing the site to your class. The site is pretty user-friendly but, as with everything dealing with technology, it's a good idea to get a feel for it before you have your students dive into something new. 

2) Plan on the first one being something very low-stakes. For example, I had my students introduce themselves and share where they'd like to travel one day. This was just for them to get a feel for how to operate the site. 

3) Set up clear rules and expectations as you walk them through the site. Something that worked for my students was telling them to recite their writing aloud, at home, five to ten times, so they knew most of it by memory. Stacey (L&T TOA) suggested telling students they have a limit when recording. I decided to tell my students they had 7 minutes and/or 3 recordings max. This helped to move things along because some of the students were very self-conscience and would have re-recorded over and over if I didn't give them a time limit. 

4) Look over the teacher controls before you assign a new topic. There are some topics that I do not allow students to reply or react to each other's videos because the assignment doesn't call for those features. Also, you can moderate the video before they post to the grid. I like to do this to ensure students have completed the assignment according to the rubric specifications before students can view their classmates' videos. 

5) Allow students to record at home, if it's possible for them to, after the first one. This HELPS move the assignment along so much faster! Plus, they can record as many times as they want at home. 

Reach out to Stacey Van Heerden (L&T) if you need help setting it up in your class or set up a spotlight visit with me to see it in action! My students would LOVE to do this every day if I allowed them. 

Learning with you, 

Jenni Merry