Coordinate PracticeI am always looking for ways that students can create to demonstrate their understanding of a concept or skill. To level up the creation process, I also strive to empower students to collaborate with each other. What do I mean by this? I strongly believe students are born with a knack for creating, tinkering and hacking. Unfortunately, the traditional model of learning is driven by consumption and regurgitation of information. Why not have students create something that not only demonstrates their understanding, but also creates a challenge for their peers to solve? Students are exploring coordinates in math. In an effort to allow students an opportunity to showcase their understanding of coordinates, I thought of Alice Keeler's Pixel Art Google Sheet Template. Her template uses conditional formatting to change cell colors. This got me thinking about the idea of a hidden picture that would be revealed if coordinates were successfully marked. The picture below represents the hidden smiley face that I created. I numbered the cells in column A from 20 back to 0. The cells in row 21 are numbered from 0 up to 20. A key of coordinate pairs is provided for students to type an "x" which in turn changes the specified cell to the color black. If done correctly, the hidden picture will be revealed. Student as Creators and CollaboratorsWhile the hidden smiley face is a challenge for all my 5th graders, it also serves as an introduction to designing their very own. After they have explored the hidden smiley face, they will be using Google Sheets to create their very own hidden picture. They will use this paper template to plot their hidden picture. Once they have it plotted on paper, they will then move onto creating their Google Sheet version with conditional formatting. Check out the video below for a quick tutorial. Once students complete their Google Sheet version of their hidden picture, they are going to change the sharing permissions so that anyone with the link can view it. They will copy this link and share it to a Google Form. However, they will change the end of the URL to "copy" so that whoever clicks the link will be forced to make a copy of the Sheet. I will share the submissions to the Google Form with the students.This will allow students to try and solve the hidden picture challenges that their classmates created. Level UpStudents can get really creative with this challenge. You can set multiple conditional formatting rules. I wonder how many students might add multiple colors to their hidden pictures to add even more layers of detail. I could have changed the conditional formatting on my smiley face so that the cells representing the eyes would change to blue instead of black. The nose could have stay black, but the mouth could have been changed to red. I am excited to see what my students come up with. #coordinatechallengeIf you have students that create their own hidden picture challenges with conditional formatting in Google Sheets, have them share their URL on twitter with the hashtag: #coordinatechallenge
Make sure they change the end of the URL to copy so that it forces users to make a copy of the #coordinatechallenge Below is a sample. Change the red portion to the word copy. ...................0XLbCGTXWzEECT7nSOycbLzIGizdzxGt74/edit?usp=sharing ...................0XLbCGTXWzEECT7nSOycbLzIGizdzxGt74/copy
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I was listening to Dr. Brad Gustafson and Ben Gilpin's Unearthed Podcast featuring Rick Wormeli. The title of the Podcast was Proficiency Versus Growth: Why the Difference Really Matters. Rick's statement really got me thinking. "The question is how we use the data...diagnostically, supportively or punitively." NumbersI had the privilege of playing college football. Numbers were a big part of the game. This held just as true for my punting career. Our proficiency was 40 yards, with a hang time of 4.5 seconds and a snap-to-punt time of 2.2 seconds. To break that down more, that is 1.3 seconds from the time I touched the ball to the time the ball met my foot. Not to mention, you have to catch the ball (regardless of location it was snapped), get the laces facing the sky, take steps, drop the ball with a slight downward tilt and angled towards around 10 o'clock. This doesn't factor in gusting winds that can easily move an oblong ball weighing a little less than a pound, which instantly changes the angle your leg must track to ensure your foot compresses squarely on the sweet spot of the football. Lastly, field position dictates your strategy. If the snapper is inside the five yard line, the punter's heels are flirting with the end zone. One false step and a heel dusting the end zone line results in a safety. Or flip the script and put the punter well within the opponents territory and a 40 yard punt puts the ball into the end zone resulting in a touchback. Now the punt has to be throttled down to hopefully land within the 20 yard line or even better the 10 yard line. Proficiency versus GrowthLet's reflect a bit on the punting lesson. I mentioned what the proficiency was for me as a punter. This proficiency didn't care about any of the other variables such as wind, snap location or field position. Plain and simple, you better get the ball 40 yards down field with 4.5 seconds of hang time and leaving your foot within 2.2 seconds of it being snapped. So what in the world does this have to do with students?
It seems and feels like our current education reality is hyper focused on students as numbers. What number of kids are proficient? We break it apart by boys vs. girls, ethnicity, and whether they are designated as free and reduced for lunch. Once again we are magnifying numbers over students as human beings. Take for example the third grade retention law in Iowa. Kids must be proficient in reading by third grade or face potentially getting retained. We essentially dehumanize our students to the likeness of a number. Let's disregard all their unique characteristics, values, and ebbs/flows they have experienced. You didn't get breakfast this morning? Your parents got in a fight last night? Someone made fun of you at recess? You don't feel well today? You didn't get invited to eat with some friends at lunch? You have moved to three different schools this year? You are scared of what your peers will think of your new haircut? WHO CARES! You should still be proficient. This was the same M-O for my college football experience. We had defined proficiency for a punter. However, this "label" was not the driver nor limiter. We focused on growth. How could we get better each week? Each season? Growth was the driver. Proficiency was nice to have, but growth was the driver. It was understood that it might be messy and not a linear process. The conversations weren't about lack of proficiency. Instead, they focused on how much growth each player made, whether giant leaps or small steps. As Rick mentioned in the podcast, its about "how we use the data." I am not saying proficiency doesn't have a place. However, I wonder if it is the limiter and catalyst for mediocrity. If we define kids as being proficient or not, are we limiting their growth? If I reach proficiency and that is all that is valued, then what is going to drive me to grow? This seems to make proficiency punitive compared to diagnostic or supportive. I think it is time we stop labeling kids as numbers and start valuing them as human beings. Let their stories shine. There were so many variables that impacted my punting at a proficient level. The same is true for kids. We need to embrace their diverse journeys to and through education. Standardizing proficiency without any consideration to students as human beings is a disservice. It's time to empower kids through a growth mindset and strive to push growth over proficiency. They are more than just a number! Seesaw Recording
Seesaw is a great resource for amplifying student learning by making it collaborative and visible. Having students explain their thinking is a great way to solidify their understanding, and share with an authentic audience. However, one of a teacher's biggest challenges is preventing student recordings from being inundated by background noise from a classroom. In addition, contrary to popular belief, teachers are limited with financial resources. This can make it challenging to obtain items that will streamline the learning journey of students.
DIY and Pre-made Options
Search online and you will find many viable options for designing your own inexpensive vocal recording booth. Check out this blog post on The Adventure of 21st Century learning. This post provides step-by-step directions for creating an inexpensive vocal recording booth.
For those that prefer to purchase vocal recording booths, you can find options on Amazon. Here is one option for around $40. Here is another option for roughly the same price. Phone vs. Headphones
One of my favorite options is the Native Union Pop Phone. This is available on Amazon and ranges in price from $7.99-$14.99 depending on the color or pattern you select. This simply plugs into your tablet, phone, or computer and allows you to begin recording. Another cool feature is that you can listen to your recording on the telephone. Below are some examples of recording with and without the Native Union Pop Phone.
Recording: WITHOUT Pop Phone
Here is an example of recording without the Pop Phone. Don't mind the music. I needed some background noise to showcase how much of a difference the Pop Phone makes when recording.
Recording: WITH Pop Phone
This inexpensive phone makes a world of difference with drowning out background noise while amplifying the student's voice.
Another option you might already have access to is the earbuds that come with your Apple products. Ask parents for any extra ones they may have at home. No need to have students put the earbuds in their ears. Instead, have them talk into the white, rectangular piece on the cord that serves as a microphone when using the earbuds to complete hands-free calls on your phone. Below are some recordings with and without the earbuds being used.
Recording: WITHOUT EARBUDSRecording: WITH EARBUDSFinal Thoughts
What did you think? You can definitely tell a big difference in recording without the assistance of a microphone. The earbuds are a great option that you might be able to get completely free of charge from your students' parents. However, the Pop Phone, in my opinion, does a significant job of drowning out background noise. Why not give your students the joy of talking on a "corded phone"?
As students walk down the hall with their hands at their side, in a single file line, head behind the head in front of them, hands at their sides and a 0 voice, my mind begins to drift. How many adults walk this way? Are we dehumanizing these students by forcing them to comply? What kind of culture is this creating? My son will be starting kindergarten next year and while I understand it may be challenging to get 20 something kinders from point A to point B, should educators act like drill sergeants with students in the halls? What if my son is so excited about something he just learned and he is overjoyed to share with a friend as he walks down the hall only to be scolded, "Zero voices!" What message does that send? In my opinion, we are saying compliance is valued more than fostering the excitement for learning. Research already shows how student engagement drastically drops as students work their way through this game of school. I would argue that it is time for teachers, myself included, to rethink outdated traditions. Creating a culture of compliance, with the misconception that we are instilling responsibility, is part of the problem and not part of the solution. Where's the joy? Where's the curiosity? Oh, I forgot, in our rigid boundaries, that falls between "raise your hand to talk" and "only talk when I call on you." Why are we such control freaks? Learning is messy! Isn't it time we embrace a culture of curiosity, joy, and creativity over one of compliance? When thinking about the real world and something that many people can relate to as adults, I think of transportation. There are laws in place to keep us safe as adults. Speed limits, stop signs, no texting and driving and so forth. Do you drive the exact speed limit or under it when you drive? Do you make a complete stop at every stop sign? Or are you guilty of the rolling stop? How many times do you speed up to get through a yellow light? Have you ever glanced at your phone while driving? Was it to read a text, see who was calling or even identify the next turn on your GPS?
We have these rules, but my guess is we break some, if not all of them on a daily basis. Police are responsible for making sure we abide by these rules just like teachers are in charge of students following rules. There are consequences for infractions of these traffic rules just like there are consequences for breaking rules at school. Yet we, as adults, continue to break some of these rules on a daily basis. Why? If we are expecting kids to comply with our rigid structures in school then why don't we comply in the real world? Is it because we feel that we stay close enough to the posted speed limit that it isn't a big deal? Or that our car slowed to the point that we felt confident to accelerate again? So why is this okay for adults, but not kids? Maybe a kid feels they are staying close enough to a zero voice in that hall or classroom that they won't bother anyone. Or maybe that their bodies are in control enough for them to navigate the hall without being in a single file line. However, we are quick to remind them how to comply. How would you feel if a cop was after you every time you didn't comply? Again, isn't it time we rethink outdated traditions in schools? We need to bring joy back to learning and foster the curiosity that we unintentionally drive out of students by imposing such rigid limitations. I'm included in this mix of rethinking what's best for our kids. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. If you think I am way off, let me know. Until we address this uncomfortable elephant in the room, meaningful change can't happen. Rethinking Learning
As you can see from the images above, play is an opportunity for kids to imaginatively create, tinker and explore the endless thoughts running through their heads. So what happens to that innate passion of exploration? I was recently tagged by Zack Kruger on Twitter. The Tweet referenced the video below. I would encourage you to take a couple minutes and watch the video as it explains how play leads to creativity.
With the large amount of initiatives and mandates at the local, state and federal levels, it is easy to lose sight of the characteristics of meaningful learning. Memorize, regurgitate, repeat is unknowingly becoming engrained in the traditional classroom.
Who's to blame? It would be easy to point fingers at initiatives, class sizes, limited funding or any other fill in the blank _______ excuse. As coach Charlie Stumpff once told me, "You can be part of the problem or part of the solution." Will you be part of the problem (blame game) or part of the solution (do what you know is best for kids)?
Contrary to popular belief, teachers didn't get into teaching because of June, July and August. They got into teaching because they were passionate about being part of something bigger than any one person. We should create a "We before me mentality" in our schools.
When you put "me" before "we", you start to default to the blame game: I don't have time, I can't differentiate my lessons because I have to stay on the pacing guide, I have too many interventions, so worksheets will have to do for keeping the other kids busy, I score kids on being able to comply, not their ability to create, communicate, collaborate or even think critically.
However, when we shift our thinking to "we" instead of "me", then we start to see great things happen. Yes, it might take me more time to redesign this lesson to allow for more student choice, but one size doesn't fit all and I should embrace all my students' learning needs and styles because #kidsdeserveit. Yes, I will feel out of control at times by letting my students infuse their passions as they demonstrate their understanding of skills and concepts, but I know #kidsdeserveit. Yes, I will have lessons fail, but it will reinforce the culture that we are all learning together and learning can be messy. Play is a powerful vehicle for students to get their creative juices flowing. While it might be hard to venture off the path of initiatives, mandates and more, the mindset of "we" empowers us to think differently about our instruction and do what we know is best for our students because #kidsdeserveit. As George Couros said, "Change is an opportunity to do something amazing!" What mindset will you embrace? Me before We? or We before me?
I had the privilege of attending the annual TIES Conference in Minneapolis. This year's theme was Empowering Learners. The keynote speaker for the first day was Dean Shareski. He spoke about bringing joy back into the classroom. As you can see from the image above from Collective Evolution, we are dealing with a culture of compliance in our schools.
Dean shared that kids laugh 300 times per day while adults only laugh 20 times per day. While there is some mixed reviews online about these statistics being valid, I would have to agree that kids definitely laugh more than adults. With a five and three year old at home, laughter is a constant. So what happens to all the laughter when kids progress through our education system? Happiness in Achieving Success
As I recorded this video of my 5th graders successfully programming a Sphero to complete this course, I couldn't help but notice their emotions at the end. They were authentically excited and proud of what they had accomplished. How many times are students this excited about finishing a worksheet? What can we, myself included, do differently in our classrooms to bring that kind of enthusiasm about learning?
How do your students feel about learning in your classroom?
My goal is to create learning experiences that elicit the feelings of the baby on the left and not the baby on the right. What is your goal?
"Why?"I am sure you have been around young children that are always asking, "Why". It is their natural curiosity shining through? Where does that constant yearning of "why" go? They have a "need to know" attitude about the world they are part of. They possess an intrinsic motivation to understand the perplexing environment they tromp through on a daily basis. However, as they grow and mature their "need to know" attitude seems to disappear. "Why?" SquasherWhere do all the "whys" go? Do our classrooms and schools slowly squash that intrinsic "need to know" attitude? We tell kids where to sit, tell them they must ask to get a drink or use the restroom, to raise their hand to talk, and walk in a single file line without talking. Do they become a product of their environment? Do they become conditioned to a culture of compliance? How do we get the "whys" to reemerge? Culture of "Why?"If we truly want the "whys" to reemerge, we must find a way to shift from a culture of compliance to a culture of why. Not only do students need to be asking "why" more often, but teachers need to as well. Why does literacy have to be seen as reading words on a page? Is coding a form of literacy? What about navigating a webpage or synthesizing social media? Does watching a YouTube video count as literacy? Are these forms of literacy valued and learned in our classrooms? What about paper/pencil worksheets, quizzes or tests to demonstrate understanding? Why not allow video creation? What about creating screencasts or songs? Why not allow a student to code a program to demonstrate understanding? When will it become the norm for students to have the choice in how they demonstrate their understanding instead of being told they must show their understanding by coloring in some dots on a piece of paper? Put the "why" in the frontI am not trying to point fingers at anyone. I am part of the system that seems to be failing our students. With the amount of new initiatives each year it is hard to find time to reflect on all of our practices. However, it is time we put "why" back at the beginning of what we do. Why do my students sit in rows? Why do they have to keep their cell phones put away? Why is YouTube blocked? Why do kids have homework? Why do we put a grade on someone's work when, in our economy, employers don't give a grade on our work? Why is the end product valued more than the process? Isn't it time to transform a culture of compliance to a culture of "why"?
This school year I am trying out gamification. A friend that teaches at another school approached me about this idea. We both wanted to find a way to engage our kids through gamifying our classes.
Storyline We began this process by creating a storyline. The Slideshow below has a short video that explains our storyline. Badges This is the individual component of our gamified classroom. Students can earn badges in all subject areas. In addition, they have the ability to earn badges for completing "jobs" at home. As students accumulate badges, they are able to level up. Quests and Bonus Quests We wanted to have a team component to our game so we added quests. XP is awarded for weekly quests. In addition to our regular weekly quests, we added bonus quests. These are extra opportunities for teams to earn additional XP. Presentation Make sure to check out the presentation below. Allison and I shared this at ITEC 2016. I got this idea from Brad Lowell who is a 5th grade teacher in Indiana. He shared this idea on the Lightning Lab Sphero Site. If you haven't checked out the site, you definitely need to do so. It is free to register and gives you access to many great lessons and ideas for using the Sphero in your classroom. I have been using Sphero robots with my 5th grade students. I also have been using them in some STEM summer camps that I run. I am always looking for new and fun ways to use the Sphero robots. I decided to try my hand at crafting a baseball game board to use with the Spheros. How to Build Below is a video of how I went about building the baseball game board. I tried my best to explain the measurements I used to space out the bases and how to create the holes. How to PlayThere is not really a right or wrong way to play. I have had students divide into teams with anywhere from one to five kids on a team. The baseball game board lays flat on the ground. You can use the green ramps that come with the Sphero 2.0 or use the ramps that come with the terrain park kits. The ramps go in front of the game board. I leave about a two inch gap or so between the ramp and the game board. I then measure anywhere from five to eight feet away from the board and put a piece of tape to mark the starting line. Free Drive vs. Program You can choose to let your students free drive the robot onto the game board if you like. However, they can essentially spin the Sphero around on top of the game board until they get it into a hole. I would recommend using Macrolab, Tickle or SPRK to have students program the Sphero. This eliminates them being able to free drive around until they get the robot to drop in a hole. By having kids create the program to control the Sphero, once they hit play, it is up to their program to get Sphero into a hole. Runs, Outs, Innings, Hits You will use three outs just like a real game. The students will have a batting order just like in baseball. The first "batter" will place Sphero on the starting line, play their program and wait for the results. When the program is over and Sphero stops moving, students determine their outcome. Out: If the Sphero stops on top of the board, but fails to end up in a hole, they get an out. If Sphero fails to get on top of the board, or ends up rolling off of the board without going in a hole, they get an out. Once they get three outs, the other team is up to bat. Runs: Runs are scored just like the real game of baseball. Students will need to keep track of there their "baserunners" are at as they play. Hits: The holes on the game board represent a hit. If the ball lands in the first base hole, they receive a single. They will remove their Sphero and make not that they have a baserunner at first. The next batter will be up. If the Sphero stops in second, they have hit a double. If they Sphero stops in third, they hit a triple. If the ball stops in any of the three holes past the fence, it is a home run. Innings: You can play as many innings as you want. Each team gets three outs per half inning just like baseball. ExamplesThe video below represents an out. When the Sphero program ended, the Sphero did not manage to stop in any of the holes. It also fell off the game board. So an out is recorded. The video below represents a double. When the Sphero program ends, the Sphero successfully stopped in the hole which represents second base. By landing in second base, the batter hit a double. Small ramps are used in this example. The video below represents a homerun. When the program ended the Sphero stopped in a hole that is past the outfield fence. This results in a homerun. This example is also showing how the big ramps can be used for the game.
There are many great tools out there to assess your students. One that I have recently started using is called Formative. There are some really great features that make this tool simple yet very robust.
Set up
Creating an account is free for both students and teachers. You have the ability to create an account with your email address, Google or even with Clever.
Building Classes
Creating a class is done by clicking "+ Create New Class." You will notice after creating a class that you are given a class code for students to manually type into their accounts to join your class. You have five different options for enrolling students into your classes.
1) GAFE: If using Google Apps, display goformative.com/#signup for the students. Have them select to sign up with Google and then enter the class code to join. 2) Clever: You will need to ask your admin for the school portal link and access to Formative. Students will log in via Clever and enter the class code. 3) Use a supplied spreadsheet and email it to Formative along with the class code. Allow 24 hours for the import to take place. 4) Display your class code and have students navigate to goformative.com/#signup They can sign up and enter your class code. 5) Mass Enroll: To enroll multiple students into multiple teacher classes, you can email Formative or call a number provided. Building Assignments
One of the nice feature of Formative is the ability to create folders. When creating your assignments, you can choose which folder you wish to store your assignment. This is great when trying to organize all your assignments.
Add Questions When adding questions you have the option to add multiple choice, show your work, short answer and true/false.
One option that is really cool is the "show your work" option. By selecting this option, students will be given a blank canvas to draw their work. In addition, you can provide them with a background image to show your work over the top of with the "show your work" question.
Adding Content
When adding content, you can see you have four different options. You can add an image or YouTube video. If you choose to add a text block, you are given the option of create a simple sentence or a complex paragraph. The View-Only Canvas gives you the same ability as a student on the "show your work" question. You can have a blank canvas or add an image as the background. You can then draw on your canvas. In the end your final work is submitted for students to see, but not edit.
Upload and Transform
One really cool feature that I haven't found on other assessment tools is the ability to upload a file and transform it to add interactive elements. I have found PDFs to work the best. However, they do support .doc and .docx format. Once your file is uploaded and transformed, you can add questions on top of your uploaded file. Now your file can gather feedback from students with the interactive components.
Assigning
When you are ready to assign your assignment, you can quickly turn on the assignment for your chosen classes. Toggling on the assignment will change the red dot to a green dot. In addition, once the assignment is turned on for your selected classes, you can use a quick code for students, get a link to email to them, automatically assign in Google Classroom or get some embed code for your website/blog.
You even have the option to enable the assignment for everyone. This does allow others to access this assignment without having to login. However, they are still prompted to enter their first and last name.
Live Results
One of my favorite parts of this tool is the ability to gather live results. While students work through the assignment, I am able to see their progress in real time. In addition, I can provide immediate feedback to their answers.
Exporting Results
If I prefer to keep results in a different format other than the Formative website, I have the ability to export the results. These results are exported into an Excel file that will allow you to filter and manipulate the data.
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Andrew FenstermakerInstructional Technology Coordinator | Innovation Coach | Google Certified Innovator | Presenter | Blogger | Adjunct @UiowaEducation | Owner @kids_f_i_r_s_t |