Teaching Wonders Virtually

 Many of us who teach the McGraw Hill Wonders curriculum have probably all been in the same boat throughout this online learning journey.  How do I keep the students accountable for their own learning? How do I know they are actually thinking about the questions I ask? How do I get them to disuss and share with a partner?  These are all the things we do in the classroom to keep the kids engaged and accountable for their learning.  The struggle became very difficult when we went to online learning.  When you pose a question and ask the kids to type their answer into the chat, it often becomes the same 10 kids right? Even if you're using equity sticks or a random selector tool for names, it's difficult when they have not been able to discuss the ideas with their peers first.  Putting kids on the spot like that isn't the best teaching method, but at the same time we want to make sure we are reaching all kids. So what is the solution?

There are just a few things I have done with Wonders to try to bring back in that collaboration piece and student accountability.  It's nothing magical that I do, but it has helped to get the kids talking and working more efficiently.  They know I am going to call on them randomly after I have given them time to discuss in beakout rooms with peers, so most of them are engaged and working as they know my expectations.

Wonders Platform

The Your Turn Book pages, CRC pages, and digital stories are all available on the Wonders digital
platform.  You can assign the YourTurn Book Page digitally.  Then what I do, is I will share my screen and show them how to type on them and save/submit.  For instance, on Day 1 of Wonders instruction for the week, after I teach the vocab lesson, I will assign the vocab practice page.  I will then put the kids in breakout rooms with a partner to work together in creating their vocab sentences, while I'm popping in and out to assist and prod them along.  When we come back whole group then I use the Kagan random selector tool to have the kids share out what they wrote for each vocab sentence.  This is a much better way to go becaause I'm supporting my lower kiddos, EL kiddos, sped kids etc as they have now had the time to work together and talk together, with a partner to create their sentences.

Another option is to retype, or cut and paste, the Your Turn Book questions into a google doc and then assign it on google classroom.  I do this often with the reading comprehensions passage questions.  This way you can keep track of the assignment in google classroom.  In the video here, you can see the kids working to discuss and answer the comp passage questions in the Your Turn Book.  Here I assigned the page digitally.

Its also nice to assign the story you're reading so that struggling readers can play the story when they need to reread it to answer questions.

Anthology Discussion questions

Throughout the Teacher's Manual where you have the discussion questions throughout the story, this is where it becomes a struggle.  In the classroom, you'd stop, pose the question, have students discuss in table groups then randomly call on students to anwer (also incorporating various kagan strategies for discussion during this time).  So in the virtual setting, I type the question into the chat and read it aloud several times.  I tell them they all must respond their thoughts into the chat-they can send to everyone or to me privately.  This way they're not put on the spot answering outloud without having time to talk to a partner, but it also keeps them accountable for participating.  Once we are finished reading the story.  I then type up those questions from the TM into a google doc and put the students in breakout rooms with a partner to again discuss and answer the questions. Then once back together whole group I would use the random selector to have them share out, because they've now had the opportunity to think and discuss and type with a partner. Then they can turn in the assignment for credit.  Doing this really helps me see which students are with me and paying attention.  

Nearpod

I also use the collaborate board in Nearpod to facilitate discussion of the "Making Connections" questions that you see generally at the mid and end of the stories in Wonders.  The Making Connections questions at the end of the paired text ties in all 3 stories from the week and brings focus to the essential question.  Doing this one on Nearpod can help prepare them for doing a RACES writing on the essential question.  It can serve as a prewrite/brainstorm type of discussion.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of how you can incorporate the Wonders workbooks and discussion questions into your virtual lessons, while ensuring that all students are participating and accountable.

Virtually Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

It's All Fun and Games…

Photo by John Benitez on Unsplash

… but nobody has to get hurt! We are well into this year of remote teaching/ distance learning. I'm sure most of us have reflected endlessly on what we could do to engage our students more. Asking questions like: how can I make learning more enjoyable? Will today be the day that I spark some joy into my students' (as well as our own) lives? Most days, I turn off my computer, feeling like a failure. 

Over winter break, I allowed myself to not think about teaching in January, and I enjoyed my time with my family. We read books, I wrote, we baked -an insane amount of- cookies, we watched movies and shows, and we played a lot of games. My daughter is 3, so she's pretty easy to entertain with a simple game of Memory, but my son is 17 and not as easy to entertain. However, he even found our game time fun. We played dominos, cards, and board games almost daily. And even though I told myself not to think about teaching. I, of course, did. I wondered how I could foster this joy of playing games with my students in a virtual environment. 

At first, I thought about holding a Game Night with my students (which I still might do!). Then I thought this might be a way to fix a frustrating problem I have right now with my students: getting them to come and return to "class" on time. So that is what I have started, and so far, it seems to be working. I am using the first 5 minutes of each class's start (the start and after breaks) to play games with my students. We start playing right at the start time, and as kids join a bit late, they can choose if they want to participate in the game. The beauty is if they are a couple minutes late, they aren't missing anything academic. The great thing is I have more students logging on to our meetings on time, both at the beginning of class and after breaks. Not only is this working to my advantage, but I see some smiles here and there, which is 6th grade speak for "I'm having fun." 

*I found most of these resources on Teacher Pay Teacher already created by Golden State Classroom, which was nice and cut down on my prep load. 

Here is what I’m doing: 

Mondays: Word search/ collaborative puzzles: 

I love puzzles! On Mondays, I create and project a word search for students to work on. I've created word searching with vocabulary words, themes, book titles, and students' names. They use the chat on zoom to share the answers with the words they found. We only do this in 5-minute sittings. Therefore, they usually do not complete the puzzle even as a class, but I share the link with them to complete it if they want to. 

The collaborative puzzle is a site I just found, and I'm obsessed. To create and share a puzzle, you go on to the site, find puzzles, search for a piece of art that you are interested in, and select multiplayer. Finally, you share the link with your class. If students are interested in solving the puzzles, they click on the link and start moving the pieces around. So easy and so fun!

Tuesdays: Name the Gibberish 

This game is FUN! My 6th graders are so much better at it than I am. I found this resource of Teachers Pay Teachers (Golden State Teacher). You share the slide in presentation mode, and students raise their hands to guess the saying. We do about 3-4 right after the break, so I use the same slide deck a couple weeks. The example pictured on the right says, "Dog sledding." My students guessed that right away while I was still trying to figure the answer out. They love that they are better than their ELA teacher at this game. 

Wednesdays: Sixty Second drawings

Sixty second drawings (also from Golden State Teacher) is precisely that. You give your students sixty seconds to draw an object. Sounds easy, right? Well, after you get your students started with the easy level, you can move them up a level where they draw the object with their eyes closed. And when that level gets a too bit easy for your students, try the EXTREME level where students draw the item with the paper on top of their heads. If nothing else, this game is the most entertaining game to watch. 

Thursdays: Scattergories

Most of us have played some version of Scattergories before. To play this over zoom, you will want to create at least 20 lists (I use two a week depending on our schedule.).  Before I share the list, I ask a student to give me a letter. Then, I show the list of items and give the class two minutes to create their list with the given letter. After the time is up, students share out their answers. If someone has the same answer, they cross off their answer and they don’t get the point. When we have shared answers, they share their total points in the chat. I like this game because it helps students with word choice and being creative. 

Fridays (office day): 

Fridays are our office days, so we don’t have time for games. However, I do make sure to share some of the games that we played in Google Classroom. I do this so that students can continue playing on their own or with their families. 

I hope you can find some time in your schedule to play a couple of games with your students. I think it’s a nice way to remind my students that I care about their happiness and well-being.

Have a FUN week!

Jenni Merry   

Virtual Sprint Routine with Eureka Math

 If you're familiar with the Sprint Routine in the Eureka Math curriculum, then you know how valuable it is in supporting students' fact fluency.  Not to mention, that it's such an upbeat fun activity the kids truly love them.  Unfortunately, as with many other things in online learning, it's difficult to do with the same effect and energy.  

I work as a seasonal associate for Great Minds (parent company of Eureka Math) over the summers, and had the privilege of learnng how to deliver a sprint routine virtually.  I have since adapted and taught it to my kids this year and I truly think its alllllmost as fun as it is in the classroom! So if this is a key piece you've been missing from your Eureka Math lessons, I hope this helps!

The routine as follows:

1.  Have the students open their Sprint book to the desired lesson, Sprint A. You will explain to them that they must work down the columns and not skip around.  They are only to do the very best they can  in the 60 seconds and they are NOT intended to finish the sprint. Make sure they understand the directions for that particular sprint. (I usually display mine either under the doc cam or digitally by sharing my screen to ensure they are all on the right page)

2.  Ensure all their cameras are turned on and they are ready.  Ask them to hold their pencils in the air until you see everyone has done so.  Set the timer for 60 seconds and say "ready, set, go!"

3.  When the timer goes off I say "drop your pencil and put your hands in the air!" I'll quickly scan and call out the names of kiddos who hands aren't in the air.

4.  Then I'll ask them the draw a line under the last problem they completed and get ready to check their answers. When I go over the directions for how we will check them I say, "If you answered the problem and got it correct, chant 'YES!' and put a check mark next to that problem.  If you answered it but got it wrong, then silently circle it.  Here's the important part: As I'm calling out the answers, once you get to the one you LAST completed, turn your camera off."  Then you want to quickly and engergetically read off the answers.  I stop about every 10 or so remind them to turn their camera off once they get past the last problem they've completed.  Once all cameras are off, you can stop reading the answers.

5. Next I have them count their total # correct (subtracting any they got wrong ) and send it to me privately in the chat (they can send it private or public whatever they're comfortable with).  I watch their responses and then call out the student who answered the most correct and we then decide on a cheer to give that student. (e.g. cheese grater cheer, chili pepper cheer, truck driver cheer, etc.)

6.  I toggle back to the view of the sprint and facilitate a discussion analyzing the sprint.  I will point out a few patterns and then ask the kids to type into the chat "what patterns do you see?" "What parts were hard or easy?" "Which parts slowed you down?" etc.  Then after the dicussion (just a couple of minutes), I give them about 30 seconds more to continue practicing where they left off on the sprint.

7.  After that we take a quick movement break.  We will to 2 movement skip counting exercises, the first one fast-paced, the second one slow.  For instance, the first one you can have the kids skip count by 2's up to 20 and back down while moving their arms quickly like windshield wipers.  For the second exercise, skip counting by 3s up to 30 to the movement of slow shoulder rolls (see my video below).  The purpose of this is get them moving and also get their brains warmed up with the skip counting.

8. Now the kiddos are ready to complete part B of the sprint.  You will tell them that their ONLY goal is to simply get just ONE more correct than they did on side A.  Again the goal is not to complete the sprint. Have them turn to side B and again put their pencils in the air.  Once you see everyone ready, say "ready, set, go!" and start the timer for 60 seconds. When the timer goes off instuct them to put their pencils down and hands in the air.  Then repeat step #4 from above.

9. THIS TIME however, after they calculate their total # correct, they do not send it to you in the chat.  This time they will calculate their improvement score from side A to Side B.  Meaning how many more correct did they get on side B.  Then they send you that # via the chat (either public or private).  This time we celebrate the student who had the most improvement and we again choose a cheer for that student.  I will sometimes also celebrate if a student completed the sprint, or even sometimes I choose the students with the top 3 improvement scores.  The cheers are the best part- the kids love them! (see my previous blog post on cheers).

Below is a video of my students conducting this virtual sprint routine.  By NO MEANS is it perfect.. lol.. but hopefully it will give you a good idea of how you can also implement this into your virtual classroom!

CLICK HERE to see a virtual sprint routine lesson in my classroom!

Virtually Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net