One of the ways I ended the year with my seventh graders was to have them work to produce a media project about an extreme weather phenomenon. I have assigned media projects before, but this year I think I gathered the best way to frame the assignment and I was very proud and pleased with the students' work. Here are some tips I can share from whatt I have learned:
1. Don't worry about the tech parts right away.
I do explain the assignment by telling the students that the end result is media project. I generated a list of possible Web 2.0 media formats they might use and put it on my class site. I didn't worry about the production. My experience has taught me that this generally works out, and, that I don't need to know very much--or even anything at all, about how to used the media program. Once students have an idea, they are willing to work with a program to get the project to to look and sound right. With so many choices, students can even change the media along the way. If you look at my class site you will see that I even recommended programs I had never tried before!
2. Start with sources.
Even I used to be so excited about the media production that I didn't enforce the research stage very effectively. This year I asked students to find five sources, annotate and post them to a Wikispace so they could serve as a reference for future years. Having the students evaluate sources made them slow down, and read carefully and responsibly.
3. Don't skimp on the script.
I get much better products when I focus the students on the writing. I asked every production team to write a script in two column format--the first with the words the "narrator" will say and the second column describing the visuals the audience will see as they listen. Sometimes students are so excited about the media they can be a bit light on the science. By not letting teams go into production until the script was edited, I more often avoid having to tell students with a glitzy production that they haven't included enough content. Students were so eager to start production that they worked diligently to improve their scripts.
4. Don't worry that some projects take more time.
I gave class time to productions, but this didn't mean everyone finished in school. I turned the responsibility for finishing over to the teams. In some cases they divided up work. In other cases they figured out a way to collaborate virtually (my favorite solution to the finishing problem.) I also realize that in some cases the work load was not divided evenly. I worry about that less now than I used to. Now I find that as long as the hardest working, most productive students feel acknowledged for their work, they are happy and even proud to carry out their vision of the project.
Many of these project can be viewed on my class site. I intend to write about a couple of the Web 2.0 media sites my students use in a future post. You are welcome to take a look.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Can a Student Science Symposium be Techie? by Laura
Our annual science symposium was held last Friday afternoon. Students in 6th grade worked in teams to program a Lego robot for a mission and also research and plan an innovation around the theme of robots of the future. In 7th and 8th grade, students do an independent research project based on our science theme of the year. They begin in November with research questions and work to complete the research and the writing in phases right up until the May event.
Technology plays a role in every aspect of the process. I wrote a Science Symposium Handbook several years ago to guide the students through the process and particularly the genre of science research writing. This year I published it both in hard copy and on Issuu: Science Symposium Handbook 2010-2011. Naturally students do background research and their writing on laptops. Some students used Vernier Probeware for their research this year.This year I would like to publish student papers online as well. And of course they do their data analysis on their laptops.
I used Google docs for some aspects of editing. One winter's day, when school was canceled for a snow day, students posted their Materials & Methods section on a common Google doc. I sat on my couch and read and edited each one, leaving comments for each student. They had a chance to benefit by reading each others this way too. I always have students peer edit sections of the paper before they submit to me, and this was sometimes done through Google docs.
Finally, students reflect about the process by filling out a Google form. The responses fill in a spreadsheet that makes it easy for me to see them all in one place. Forms have become my favorite Google app.They have reduced the amount of paper in my life even more than Google docs have. I love being able to analyze responses both student-by-student and question-by-question.
I have grown very thoughtful, though, about where technology is not seen. It is not seen in the afternoon presentations and the final paper itself. I teach at a technologically innovative school, and I can see how the event looks the same as such events have for decades.I have hesitated to have students talk from presentation on their laptops because the screens are small and not as conducive to face-to-face conversation as traditional posters are. My fantasy would be to have a projector for every student and use the boards as the "screen" but that is too expensive and running power to fifty projectors at once would not be possible.
The professional scientists who have attended the event over the year have always found it to mimic their own events. This may not be valued by my students or the majority of their parents and the other adults in our school community. So, I will continue to explore and mull over how science symposia in middle school should fit into the 21st century. As always, I would love to have ideas from readers.
Technology plays a role in every aspect of the process. I wrote a Science Symposium Handbook several years ago to guide the students through the process and particularly the genre of science research writing. This year I published it both in hard copy and on Issuu: Science Symposium Handbook 2010-2011. Naturally students do background research and their writing on laptops. Some students used Vernier Probeware for their research this year.This year I would like to publish student papers online as well. And of course they do their data analysis on their laptops.
I used Google docs for some aspects of editing. One winter's day, when school was canceled for a snow day, students posted their Materials & Methods section on a common Google doc. I sat on my couch and read and edited each one, leaving comments for each student. They had a chance to benefit by reading each others this way too. I always have students peer edit sections of the paper before they submit to me, and this was sometimes done through Google docs.
Finally, students reflect about the process by filling out a Google form. The responses fill in a spreadsheet that makes it easy for me to see them all in one place. Forms have become my favorite Google app.They have reduced the amount of paper in my life even more than Google docs have. I love being able to analyze responses both student-by-student and question-by-question.
I have grown very thoughtful, though, about where technology is not seen. It is not seen in the afternoon presentations and the final paper itself. I teach at a technologically innovative school, and I can see how the event looks the same as such events have for decades.I have hesitated to have students talk from presentation on their laptops because the screens are small and not as conducive to face-to-face conversation as traditional posters are. My fantasy would be to have a projector for every student and use the boards as the "screen" but that is too expensive and running power to fifty projectors at once would not be possible.
The professional scientists who have attended the event over the year have always found it to mimic their own events. This may not be valued by my students or the majority of their parents and the other adults in our school community. So, I will continue to explore and mull over how science symposia in middle school should fit into the 21st century. As always, I would love to have ideas from readers.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Student Led Conferences By Shirley
Most schools have parent teacher conferences throughout the school year and most teachers and parents seem quite happy with the outcome. What is wrong with this event? Only that the most important person, the student is missing during these dialogues. Why would we not include the students? How can we ask students to be creative, collaborative, independent learners if they are not present for this important event? A few schools have changed to student led conferences and I would love to know how teachers feel about this process compared to the outdated parent teacher meetings.
For many years I invited my students to be present during parent teacher conferences to listen and participate during our discussions about their progress, strengths and weaknesses. It was important to me that their voices were heard and I felt it was important, especially for 5th and 6th graders to know what was being said about them, both positive and negative, and usually behind closed doors. How can goals for the year be set without student participation? For the students who did not or could not attend a conference, I would have a quick update meeting with them the following day and go over the main points of our conversation. This way everyone was on the same page. Not perfect but at least inclusive.
I was therefore delighted when a few years ago Poughkeepsie Day School decided to implement a student led parent conference day for all students in middle school. Lots of research went into this project and we came up with a preparation plan for this new event. The process has evolved over the years and we have tweaked our reflection process several times. Preparation begins a few weeks before the conference date and takes place in advisory groups. Students are asked to really look at themselves as learners not just in each subject area but as overall learners and reflect on their progress, achievements and challenges throughout the year. Each student is given one half hour to present to parents and the adviser, who are asked not to interrupt until the student is finished (probably the most difficult part of the process). Students prepare and handle this event in many different ways, yet It always amazes me that even the quietest and shyest child somehow feels comfortable enough to sit for one half hour to talk about himself/herself as a learner in a positive way.
Our conference day was yesterday and I felt elated as students came in happily with their parents, well prepared and ready to begin to present themselves. Having used a variety of web 2.0 tools this year in class, most students chose to use their laptops to share from…we saw many Google docs, power points, blog posts and wiki pages. Not one student needed help or guidance and the half hour was barely enough time to complete each presentation. I heard honest, passionate students reflecting about themselves and setting realistic and challenging goals for the rest of the year. I haven’t had feedback from the parents yet, but plan to send emails this week to find out their responses..
Some interesting thoughts and resources about student led conferences….
Some observation I have made….
· Parents really listen
· Kids stay on agenda items and do not veer off the topic
· It empowers the students to take charge of their own learning
· Students are very honest about their work, learning styles, homework and strengths and weaknesses
· They set realistic goals for themselves
· Students feel good that they have accomplished something when finished
"We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience." John Dewey.
I would love to hear from other teachers and students about what they think the ideal conference would be like…please leave a comment.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Just Enough Technology by Laura
Last week the our entire middle school spent three nights and four days away from campus in quiet Ivoryton, Connecticut. We took our students away from campus, their homes, their families, and their technology for a week of education outdoors.
Being able to spend time with students away from routines and familiar places is an experience I would wish for every teacher and student. We did not need to provide the instructional program--Nature's Classroom, the program we chose in Connecticut, had a fine staff that did that. In addition to the instruction though, the trip was valuable because we had time with students that morphed into moments that were more casual, more intense, and thoroughly steeped in the experiential.
For some students, being away from home was a new challenge. Their busy schedule at Nature's Classroom helped enormously to alleviate this discomfort, as did the constant physical activity. After the first night, students were tired and it was much easier to sleep.
Being away from technology was also a challenge. The program forbade cell phones and laptops. This was hard on some students. It was perhaps equally challenging for some parents, and unfortunately, we had to confiscate a few devices during the week.
Teachers were permitted to have laptops, although connecting to the internet was a big frustration. To both document and reassure parents, we had committed to posting updates and photos on a newly created Google website. I know the parents appreciated it, and that students have been able to look back at the photos since our return. But oh--the frustration of having a slow connection! And the tension of wondering if the connection would be broken before the photos could be uploaded! I imagined returning in subsequent years with a MiFi or an iPad, or....
Then I went for walks. It was just spring in New England. The woods still looked like winter, until the eye tuned to the buds looking a bit more flush each day. We had a few days of blue, blue sky. Had I been standing around school on recess duty, I would have been chilled. But it was warm once I started to walk. My favorite walk was around the lake, and included a view of the camp from a higher elevation, across the water.
And by slowing down to the only speed my legs could provide, I realized that I had just enough technology for what I wanted during the week. We were in touch with the wider community as we needed to be. We were able to document and share the experiences of the trip. Perhaps not as quickly as at home, but speed wasn't the point of the experience for anyone--not the students, and not their teachers. With just enough technology I came to appreciate the best of the fast and the slow worlds.
Being able to spend time with students away from routines and familiar places is an experience I would wish for every teacher and student. We did not need to provide the instructional program--Nature's Classroom, the program we chose in Connecticut, had a fine staff that did that. In addition to the instruction though, the trip was valuable because we had time with students that morphed into moments that were more casual, more intense, and thoroughly steeped in the experiential.
For some students, being away from home was a new challenge. Their busy schedule at Nature's Classroom helped enormously to alleviate this discomfort, as did the constant physical activity. After the first night, students were tired and it was much easier to sleep.
Being away from technology was also a challenge. The program forbade cell phones and laptops. This was hard on some students. It was perhaps equally challenging for some parents, and unfortunately, we had to confiscate a few devices during the week.
Teachers were permitted to have laptops, although connecting to the internet was a big frustration. To both document and reassure parents, we had committed to posting updates and photos on a newly created Google website. I know the parents appreciated it, and that students have been able to look back at the photos since our return. But oh--the frustration of having a slow connection! And the tension of wondering if the connection would be broken before the photos could be uploaded! I imagined returning in subsequent years with a MiFi or an iPad, or....
Then I went for walks. It was just spring in New England. The woods still looked like winter, until the eye tuned to the buds looking a bit more flush each day. We had a few days of blue, blue sky. Had I been standing around school on recess duty, I would have been chilled. But it was warm once I started to walk. My favorite walk was around the lake, and included a view of the camp from a higher elevation, across the water.
And by slowing down to the only speed my legs could provide, I realized that I had just enough technology for what I wanted during the week. We were in touch with the wider community as we needed to be. We were able to document and share the experiences of the trip. Perhaps not as quickly as at home, but speed wasn't the point of the experience for anyone--not the students, and not their teachers. With just enough technology I came to appreciate the best of the fast and the slow worlds.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Anytime Learning...Anytime Teaching by Laura
I have been working in schools that have e-mail for nearly fifteen years. E-mail makes it easier for me to teach. I would rather help a student get "unstuck," even during my evenings and weekends, than wait for them to come to school frustrated. I wish students would e-mail me more! Writing an e-mail to a teacher means you have to know how to ask the question so you will get an answer that is helpful. Being able to ask a question in a manner that will furnish the answer you need, is a hallmark of an educated person--and a good communicator.
Sometimes explaining concepts in an e-mail exchange can be tough. I had a highly motivated student who corresponded with me a couple of times this past Saturday. She was analyzing her data for an independent science project. Because she is determining the relationship between atmospheric pressure and snow density, she needed to learn to do a scatter plot in Excel. We had discussed this in person, but when she got home it wasn't clear.
Screenjelly made it possible for me to help her-- on a Saturday evening when we were miles apart. I recorded this little movie in a moment or two. It won't win any academy awards, but it did help my student to get "unstuck." I have also used Screenjelly to record a movie for parents so they can see how they can navigate to information that is on my class website.
Anytime, anywhere learning, makes it possible to be an anytime, anywhere teacher too.
Sometimes explaining concepts in an e-mail exchange can be tough. I had a highly motivated student who corresponded with me a couple of times this past Saturday. She was analyzing her data for an independent science project. Because she is determining the relationship between atmospheric pressure and snow density, she needed to learn to do a scatter plot in Excel. We had discussed this in person, but when she got home it wasn't clear.
Screenjelly made it possible for me to help her-- on a Saturday evening when we were miles apart. I recorded this little movie in a moment or two. It won't win any academy awards, but it did help my student to get "unstuck." I have also used Screenjelly to record a movie for parents so they can see how they can navigate to information that is on my class website.
Anytime, anywhere learning, makes it possible to be an anytime, anywhere teacher too.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Let Kids Rule the School...We did just that! By Shirley
This week I realized that sometimes things just seem to fall into place and are meant to happen. This was the case with a new project that we tried in middle school this week, called Imagination Day. The first thoughts of something new began to emerge on Twitter last Wednesday, after I read a tweet and then a great blog post by Josh Stumpenhorst @stumpteacher. This post was all about the very successful Innovation Day that his school had just experienced and where students became teachers for the day. It sounded a lot like what we believe is important at PDS and what education should be all about…passion, creativity, flexibility and student led.
Our plan was initiated after I emailed our middle school head George Swain and our head of school, Josie Holford suggesting that we do something similar in our middle school. They were both excited and enthusiastic and so we brought the idea to our middle school faculty the next day, Thursday, during our division meeting. The next D Day - Intensive Study Day, was Tuesday and our next window of opportunity. Could we plan and organize something so big in a few days? By 5pm we had great ideas and the plans were set. The next step was to introduce Imagination Day to our students. George did just that at our assembly on Friday morning.
There was a buzz going around the Chapman Room, Cafeteria and classrooms as students talked about their passions and whether they wanted to teach, attend workshops or do both. Next step was filling out a Google form to tell us what students wanted to do. We had twenty-one offers of great workshops from a number of students from grades 6th through 8th grade.
Here are the offerings…
Session 1 Session 2
Session 1 Session 2
G-26 | Fashion | Building Birdhouses |
G-5 | Successful Revolution | Acting Improv. |
G-15 | Juggling with Devil Sticks | Drawing |
Media Center | Frame by Frame Animation | ----- |
Kitchen | Baking Brownies | Making Tacos |
G-19B | Candle Making | Speed Writing a Short Story |
G-20 | Sign Language | Origami |
G-21 | Math Magic | Rise and Fall of Rome |
G-22 | Speaking Chinese | World War II |
Gym | Basketball Skills | ----- |
Outdoors | Soccer Skills | Baseball Skills/Running |
Lower School | ----- | Teaching in Lower School |
Music Room | ----- |
Meetings were set up so that the “teachers” knew the length of the workshops and what they should plan for. They then filled out planning sheets. Lastly, the sign up Google form went out to the rest of the middle school on Monday morning. Everyone was happy with their choices and we were all set to go.
Tuesday arrived, and we the faculty were a little nervous. Had we pulled this off successfully or would it be a disaster? We divided up so we could oversee three different workshops in case there were any problems. There were NONE. We loaded up on cameras and Flip cams and off we went into the classrooms. Boy were we surprised! Every kid was engaged, focused and having a great time and learning so much. Student teachers were amazing and had planned absolutely fantastic lessons.
Here is the first video of our great day...
At the end of the day, we created another Google form so that everyone could reflect on all aspects of the day. Everyone in middle school (teachers and students) wanted to do it again and soon.
Here are some quotes from some of our students…
“I’ve never left school so tired.”
"I learned that teaching is fun and that I like Tacos."
"I was surprised at how well the class went."
"I learned that teaching is really hard."
"Learn from other people."
"I think this could be done any place, any time."
"It's a great learning experience. Not only are we learning from other kids but we are learning about other kids."
"I learned how to make candles and that lime is supposed to go on Tacos."
"School should not only be about academics. I say let the students have fun and learn something new."
Funnily enough, this article from The New York Times turned up about the same time as we were planning our Imagination Day. Let Kids Rule the School. So let's pass the word and involve more schools in this kind of day.
“I’ve never left school so tired.”
"I learned that teaching is fun and that I like Tacos."
"I was surprised at how well the class went."
"I learned that teaching is really hard."
"Learn from other people."
"I think this could be done any place, any time."
"It's a great learning experience. Not only are we learning from other kids but we are learning about other kids."
"I learned how to make candles and that lime is supposed to go on Tacos."
"School should not only be about academics. I say let the students have fun and learn something new."
Funnily enough, this article from The New York Times turned up about the same time as we were planning our Imagination Day. Let Kids Rule the School. So let's pass the word and involve more schools in this kind of day.
What more is there to say? Empowered students become creative, passionate learners. There is no doubt in my mind.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Taking A Break While Writing Reports by Shirley
I am in the middle of writing 6th grade humanities reports, and suddenly realized how lucky I am at PDS to be able to reflect and get to know each of my students so well. I know in other schools teachers have to grade tests and write reports based on test results. At PDS we don’t grade and don’t give many tests. Assessment is so much more than a number on a piece of paper.
My students recently completed an end of trimester reflection that asked a few questions about how they feel about their learning. I was quite surprised to find that many of them wrote that their best work was a collaborative project where they worked in pairs to plan, organize and teach a lesson on a topic about ancient Crete. They then had to create a Wiki page, using all the teaching tools they had used in their lesson, and link wherever possible to other students’ pages. Each separate class had decided that they would assess each others' work by using a rubric. They were far more rigid in their comments than I would have been, but at the same time very helpful with their comments and suggestions. Each group, then had the chance to go back and revise their Wiki to make changes, which they all chose to do. Why would I need any kind of test to see how much they know about ancient Crete? Their knowledge is all there on our Ancient Greece Wiki Site for everyone to see.
I am enjoying my report writing this year, and I’m finding that using Google Docs, our class blog and our Ancient Greece Wiki is making my job a lot easier. I have online access to every piece of writing each student has composed this year. All their collaborative projects are either on the blog or the Wiki, so I don’t have to carry papers, notebooks, lots of notes, or try to remember little pieces of information about each student. I have everything I need online to assess each student’s progress in all areas of their learning, and I really feel I have gotten to know these students much more in depth than in previous years. All of these web 2.0 tools have helped me write more individual reports with lots of examples and quotes from each student. I am only half way through the report writing, and look forward to writing the other half, about these creative, passionate and hard working students.
My students recently completed an end of trimester reflection that asked a few questions about how they feel about their learning. I was quite surprised to find that many of them wrote that their best work was a collaborative project where they worked in pairs to plan, organize and teach a lesson on a topic about ancient Crete. They then had to create a Wiki page, using all the teaching tools they had used in their lesson, and link wherever possible to other students’ pages. Each separate class had decided that they would assess each others' work by using a rubric. They were far more rigid in their comments than I would have been, but at the same time very helpful with their comments and suggestions. Each group, then had the chance to go back and revise their Wiki to make changes, which they all chose to do. Why would I need any kind of test to see how much they know about ancient Crete? Their knowledge is all there on our Ancient Greece Wiki Site for everyone to see.
I am enjoying my report writing this year, and I’m finding that using Google Docs, our class blog and our Ancient Greece Wiki is making my job a lot easier. I have online access to every piece of writing each student has composed this year. All their collaborative projects are either on the blog or the Wiki, so I don’t have to carry papers, notebooks, lots of notes, or try to remember little pieces of information about each student. I have everything I need online to assess each student’s progress in all areas of their learning, and I really feel I have gotten to know these students much more in depth than in previous years. All of these web 2.0 tools have helped me write more individual reports with lots of examples and quotes from each student. I am only half way through the report writing, and look forward to writing the other half, about these creative, passionate and hard working students.
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