tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18065616781071310052024-03-13T00:31:10.132-04:00Baker's B.Y.O.D.-- Bring Your Own Device, Dog, & Deconstruction of LiteratureDocumenting the integration of technology and therapy dogs in the high school English classroomKate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-68936238492847082612022-08-22T13:33:00.003-04:002022-08-22T13:33:50.845-04:00Oh, hello you.<p>Dear Reader,</p><p>It has been awhile since I last posted. During that time, I was swept away on a fantastic journey where I delved into the world of corporate marketing, training, and product development. I learned new skills and worked with people from around the globe all from my computer desk at home. I'm grateful for the experience and the opportunities to support learning worldwide.</p><p>I'm sorry that I didn't write here while I was "away," but now I'm back and there are two things that I should address:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The name of this blog is a bit outdated since I am no longer in the classroom teaching full time. I am still connected to the classroom space via colleagues, consulting, and student-teacher supervision, but I am no longer actively therapy-dogging in schools. I intend on keeping the BYOD, but I'll have to noodle on updating the title image, subtitle, and acronym.</li><li>Technology is constantly changing and edtech tools that were available yesterday may no longer be available today. Please keep this in mind if you are like Alice down the rabbit hole and exploring my library of posts. If the tool or platform is no longer available, I challenge you to consider how you can apply the same skills/content to any chosen platform. The skills and pedagogy I write about are platform/tool agnostic. </li></ol><div>I have a few ideas on future posts to write, so stay tuned for more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best,</div><div>Kate</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-15514811899128436322019-08-12T10:14:00.000-04:002019-08-12T10:14:10.454-04:00Happy Not Perfect & EdmodoEdmodo has partnered with the mindfulness app, Happy Not Perfect, to deliver educationally-focused mindfulness content to educators and students via the Edmodo mobile app.<div>
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<br /><br /><br />In and out of the classroom, Edmodo can also support students’ and teachers’ mindfulness and well-being. On the Edmodo mobile app, students and teachers can access mindfulness content created by Happy Not Perfect (HNP). Take a brain break by engaging in a daily mindfulness workout and choose from unique meditations developed specifically for students and teachers. </div>
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Out of the classroom, students and teachers can individually access the content on their personal devices and engage in a personal mindfulness workout or choose from the myriad of meditations.</div>
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In the classroom, teachers can access the HNP content on their devices and lead a whole class meditation by broadcasting the meditation via speakers. To help my students prepare for final exams, in the week leading up to the exams, we would take about 5 minutes every other day to engage in a whole class mindfulness activity. Then on the day of the final exam, we began the exam period with a meditation. While some students take the activity more seriously than others, I stressed (<i>see what I did there?</i>) the importance of dedicating 4 minutes to getting centered before beginning a stressful activity.</div>
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By making mindfulness part of an ongoing commitment to social and emotional learning, anxiety and negativity can be reduced, thereby helping students be more focused and prepared for the challenges they may encounter at school and in the world.<span id="docs-internal-guid-2e911c88-7fff-9558-6bf7-ea3e5f586de6"></span><br />
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Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-68259644930287511942019-03-31T09:56:00.003-04:002019-05-15T13:00:47.341-04:00Collaborating with Maslow<div style="text-align: left;">
When I was in teacher prep classes 20 years ago, I remember being frustrated with the focus on philosophy and educational psychology without understanding the practical applications. I remember thinking, "This is great Skinner and Maslow, but HOW do I implement this in the classroom? HOW do I teach a novel? HOW do I teach grammar? HOW DO I TEACH?" Now, 20 years later, I understand the foundation educational psychology serves for instructional practices.</div>
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When a student acts out in class, I return to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and ask: what is this student lacking? What does the acting-out student need? Educators cannot expect students to to put aside their basic needs for the sake of today's worksheet or test. Poor performing students do not have the capacity to set aside their basic needs so that they can focus on higher-order thinking tasks. And those same students may also lack the capacity to advocate for themselves and state what they need. While the teacher in me may initially want to reprimand the acting-out student and unnecessarily escalate the situation, the mom in me recognizes the opportunity to diffuse it with a question to the student: "Are you cranky because you are hungry?" There's granola bars in my desk drawer for that reason.<br />
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As I integrate technology in my classroom, I again return to Maslow. Akin to a checklist, my adaptation of Maslow's hierarchy looks at it with a digital lens. Without meeting the physical needs of hardware, wifi, and battery, educators cannot integrate technology. Without addressing the safety needs of digital citizenship, filters, and firewalls, educators and students cannot safely interact in a digital realm. But where educators primarily need to focus their energy in effectively integrating technology is using technology so that the needs of belonging and esteem are met. Students need to feel that they belong to something greater than themselves, and they need to feel good about the learning that is happening in that space. Educators can leverage the power of learning management systems such as Edmodo and Google Classroom to create online learning communities, and use badges, comments, and awards to positively reinforce, a la Skinner, the interactions that occur in the learning community (badging will be another blog post coming "soon"). All of this is so that students will become self-actualized, intrinsically motivated learners who realize the strength and aptitude of their talents.<br />
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This will sound repetitive (which it is), but Maslow's Hierarchy is also foundational for collaboration. What do people need in order to be proficient and effective collaborators? Look to Maslow for the answer:<br />
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This is a no-brainer. In order for effective and efficient collaboration to occur, first, physical needs of people, equipment, and resources need to be met. Then training, certification, and group norms will aid creating a safe and prepared space for collaboration. So that individuals feel that they belong to something greater than themselves, leaders need to allow for team building activities and mentorship. And throughout this how process, feedback, affirmations, and accolades will build the esteem of the group. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html" target="_blank">Google's study on the effectiveness of teams</a> revealed that the single most important factor in determining team success was trust. In order for team members to trust one another, their needs, as identified above, must be met.<br />
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I posit that we take Maslow for another spin (he is probably rolling in his grave right now) and examine how the meeting of needs can also expand our sphere of influence by pairing the Hierarchy of Needs/Collaboration with a hierarchy of choice and decision making.<br />
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As a person's needs are met and they move up the hierarchy to expand their focus from self to group, the person is also increasing their sphere of influence. Whereas basic, physical needs were initially decided and completed by others, as people and teams move up the hierarchy they can begin to shift from a position of passive consumer to active decision maker for not just themselves, but also the greater group. Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory also plays a part as individuals move the self space to the group and society realms.<br />
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If you would like to learn more and take inventory of your own needs and the needs of your organization for collaboration, take a stroll through the slides below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTVBnoslVoJW6VLWwPMixSx01XDsniVEmd3ZPz91ew-1qSnPs9bz_Fgl067kxjyxX2DM5-DWNA1wJ4y/embed?start=true&loop=true&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-84728229515637842582019-03-21T11:01:00.000-04:002019-04-01T10:23:59.921-04:00Screencasting: Pick the Right Tool for the JobScreencasting is an integral part of my flipped classroom as I can record videos for a variety of purposes that include (but certainly not limited to) i<a href="https://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2017/09/how-to-flip-back-to-school-night.html" target="_blank">nforming parents and students about class expectations</a>, providing <a href="https://youtu.be/ehd4jal0nnI" target="_blank">answer key videos</a>, documenting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MLEcjabSHQ" target="_blank">directions and the steps of a project</a>, and informing support staff of technical glitches, but I recognize that I am not a Hollywood cinematographer. So, the screencasting tool I choose depends on the type and length of video I need to create.<br />
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Screencastify</h3>
<a href="https://www.screencastify.com/" target="_blank">Screencastify </a>is a Chrome extension that I use for quick recording of videos that are saved to my Google Drive or uploaded to YouTube. As editing capabilites are limited in the free version, I record quick, raw videos on the fly with Screencastify. If I need to quickly record the steps for using a specific edtech tool or need to record a quick video documenting a technical glitch, I will use Screencastify and share the Google Drive link to the video in an email, Edmodo post, or support help ticket. While I can upload Screencastify videos to YouTube, it is quicker and easier to just send the videos to Drive for fast distribution.<br />
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For screencasting with students who use G Suite for Education and for schools that block YouTube, Screencastify is the easiest edtech tool for students to use to create their own screencasts as the video can remain in the walled garden space of Google Drive and shared with those who need access. Videos can be embedded in Google Slides or the links turned in to assignments for quick assessments.<br />
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Screencast-O-matic</h3>
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I love <a href="https://screencast-o-matic.com/lp/screen-recording-video-editing/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=recording&utm_term=screen%20capture%20software&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MzkBRAGEiwAkOXexCH78g5oXo3UJCB_ZD7nQzq18JVnXttOGf-V2POLnrzgHxuPvL0YGhoC7rsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Screencast-O-matic</a> for making longer demonstrations or informational videos that are under 15 minutes. To mitigate the need for post-production editing, I will have open on my desktop or browser all materials I plan on recording. Every video will begin with a title slide and a short introduction ("Hi, this is Mrs. Baker and today I will show you..."), and as I record, I will hit the pause button and switch tabs as needed. The video may conclude with a closing slide or a simple statement, "Thanks for watching! Please contact me if you have additional questions." Videos are uploaded to YouTube and later pulled into <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/" target="_blank">Edpuzzle</a>, <a href="https://www.activelylearn.com/" target="_blank">Actively Learn</a>, or posted in <a href="http://www.edmodo.com/" target="_blank">Edmodo </a>and Google Classroom. </div>
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If you are serious about video production and need advanced editing tools, then <a href="https://www.techsmith.com/store/camtasia?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1524774665&utm_content=58548108855&utm_term=camtasia&gclid=CjwKCAjw7MzkBRAGEiwAkOXexE-was0zlA-qSBbDztbpOgs2z-kFN-aoVFJFrGaAfeNsQbmV8Du3gBoCnXAQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Camtasia </a>is worth the $$$ investment, but be ware, videographers, that post-production editing can take up more time than the actual filming. There are some great flipping educators out there who can quickly whip up a screencast with cool transitions and special effects, but I haven't built up that level of proficiency with using Camtasia.</div>
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Interesting in Learning More?</h3>
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Recognizing that we do not have Hollywood's budget nor the equipment to create a blockbuster screencast, I created this self-paced lesson embedded below which is modeled off of the Explore-Flip-Apply instructional method of Flipped Learning. Navigate through the slides, examine the examples provided, accesss the resources, and take a spin at creating your own. If you send me your creation, I'll add it to examples provided.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="479" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQNhiVkI6J_4vPmG9KPg4mpq44PCdaxS-VGML0bOv_Zji0fKSZhahIttkqeVEzFVgSqWOtUwahZEdY8/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="600"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-25568879274519588642019-03-10T11:26:00.000-04:002019-04-01T10:24:16.253-04:00Teaching (Digital) Literacy: Driving Students to the Intersection of Reading, Writing, & DiscussionPart of my job as an English teacher is to teach students how to read, analyze, talk, and write about texts in both paper-based and digital formats. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) in <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/08/teenagers-read-book" target="_blank">article published in August of 2018</a>, "In recent years, less than 20 percent of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure, while more than 80 percent say they use social media every day." Furthermore, “Compared with previous generations, teens in the 2010s spent more time online and less time with traditional media, such as books, magazines and television,” said lead author Jean M. Twenge, PhD, author of the book iGen and professor of psychology at San Diego State University, “Time on digital media has displaced time once spent enjoying a book or watching TV.” While students are reading plenty of digital texts, I wonder how well they are able to analyze, talk, and write about them. By integrating such edtech tools as <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/" target="_blank">Edpuzzle</a>, <a href="https://goformative.com/" target="_blank">Formative</a>, <a href="https://www.activelylearn.com/" target="_blank">Actively Learn</a>, and the G Suite for Education in to teaching practices, we can drive students to the intersection of reading, writing, and discussion so that they can practice skills that they can use both in and out of the classroom.<br />
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I had the opportunity to collaborate with the venerable and uber-intelligent Natalie S., the senior researcher from <a href="https://www.activelylearn.com/" target="_blank">Actively Learn</a> on a workshop session that we gave at <a href="https://cue.org/" target="_blank">CUE</a> and <a href="http://www2.ncte.org/groups/cel/" target="_blank">NCTE-CEL</a> in 2017. The above linked article from APA reinforces the importance of teaching digital literacy skills to my students. We cannot assume that student are proficient digital natives. The activities showcased in the slides provide teachers with lesson examples that cover a range of assignments:<br />
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<li>Quick, Do Now annotation of an image with <a href="https://goformative.com/" target="_blank">Formative</a></li>
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<li>Flipped Learning style audiobooks that include checks for understanding with <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/" target="_blank">Edpuzzle</a></li>
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<li>Daily reading lessons that include checks for understanding and opportunities for annotation and digital discussion with <a href="https://www.activelylearn.com/" target="_blank">Actively Learn</a></li>
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<li>Extended writing tasks that integrate annotated texts with Google Docs</li>
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Check out our slides and learn how you, too, can drive learners to the intersection of reading, writing, and discussion.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSyBcR9hSxJefPbMn6TvLVr8zY39atYjY2-ut8XcuWEYcc-OaPH75GdC5QxI_6ljt4CgAn8JKp-7iuO/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-25746703079912065502019-03-03T09:45:00.000-05:002019-04-01T10:24:32.062-04:00Quick, Paperless Lesson Planning with Google Calendar and SitesI integrate technology into my personal and professional practices so that I can save time and function efficiently. For many teachers, lesson planning can be time consuming and cumbersome as they write, execute, and send the plans to administration. Utilizing Google Calendar and a class Google Site as part of G Suite for Education, lesson planning can be quick and efficient. And, as everything is curated online, I do not need to print out reams of paper when submitting my plans to administration or keeping parents and students informed of events in class.<br />
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1. Create a calendar for each prep taught.<br />
2. Create an all-day event for the lesson plan of the day.<br />
3. In the description area of the event, type in the plan and links for the day.<br />
4. Set the calendar to public and share with appropriate administrators.<br />
5. Create a Google Site with pages for each prep taught and embed the calendars.<br />
6. Share links to the Google Site as needed.<br />
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The longevity of Google Calendar makes it an ideal platform for paperless lesson planning. I have been writing my lesson plans in Google Calendar since September of 2013 and can easily access a specific day, month, or year with a few clicks. I do not organize and name my calendars by period as my schedule from year to year may differ. Nor do I need multiple calendars for the same level or prep, as I will have the same plan for each. Instead, I name and color code my calendars by the title or level of the class and use the same calendar every year I am teaching that prep. I can compare previous years' plans to the current school year, as well as copy/paste/edit descriptions of plans I reuse.<br />
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Here is a quick screenshot of my English 9 February 2018 and 2019 calendars. I can see that last year, I did not begin my <i>Odyssey</i> unit the end of the month, whereas this year, I am ahead of last year's pacing.<br />
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<b>Writing the Plans</b></h4>
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The day on which an event takes place is much more important the time it takes place. For each day I write plan, I create an all-day event. The time of event is irrelevant. I do not need my plans to be posted to a specific time because I am following the same teaching schedule every day, and it would be a waste of my time and energy to post the same plan for multiple times on a given a day since I am teaching the same plan for each class/prep period.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABmQqn6vs8U/XHvfPt9WjMI/AAAAAAABYtw/rUOIq1RqnMcorXTyN2mm1W87Kre6FdBCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.01.55%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="822" height="313" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABmQqn6vs8U/XHvfPt9WjMI/AAAAAAABYtw/rUOIq1RqnMcorXTyN2mm1W87Kre6FdBCQCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.01.55%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the title area of the event, I will state what topic we are covering that day and be sure to select the appropriate calendar for that prep/class. In the description area, I will type out an outline of the plan and include any links to resources. I keep the structure of the plan consistent with four main areas: Objectives, Tasks, Assessments, and Standards.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYpiFwQe6_E/XHvhMNqWYoI/AAAAAAABYt8/96633McWNpwUUh1sB8TqVTrJx4gJ00VfACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.13.24%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="846" height="311" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GYpiFwQe6_E/XHvhMNqWYoI/AAAAAAABYt8/96633McWNpwUUh1sB8TqVTrJx4gJ00VfACLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.13.24%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I can easily copy/paste the description and post it as a note in my Edmodo groups or Google Classroom (or other learning management site) for students to access at home. By posting it to my LMS groups, students can access any attachments and ask follow-up questions if needed. While I can add attachments to the event, I prefer to post the attachments in Edmodo for students to access as the Calendar is more of a static landing page to see classroom events and not an arena for discussion.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWm1JWW5HsM/XHvjTwrqa2I/AAAAAAABYuI/CAxfKHb1tvwE_-ADUayY_FNyIQW_k9ndwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.22.22%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="967" height="321" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWm1JWW5HsM/XHvjTwrqa2I/AAAAAAABYuI/CAxfKHb1tvwE_-ADUayY_FNyIQW_k9ndwCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.22.22%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>Publicizing the Calendar</b></h4>
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In the settings of each lesson plan calendar, set the calendar to PUBLIC. This will make it visible when you embed it in a Google Site that will be visible by students, parents, and administration.<br />
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The new and updated version of Google Sites is ridiculously easy to create a class web page with an embedded calendar: create the site with a page for each class/prep taught, and from the Insert menu in the Site editor, simply click CALENDAR to embed a calendar on that page. Be sure to hit PUBLISH so that your site goes live!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AS6sYiqn5dA/XHvl5GPaeoI/AAAAAAABYuU/wDQcktVC6ZIfoiH5q5S1N8ICPg6Tq_GrQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.31.13%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1134" height="372" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AS6sYiqn5dA/XHvl5GPaeoI/AAAAAAABYuU/wDQcktVC6ZIfoiH5q5S1N8ICPg6Tq_GrQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2019-03-03%2Bat%2B9.31.13%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I provide <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/srsd.org/kbaker/pds-5-7-eng-9?authuser=1" target="_blank">the link to the class Google Site</a> to parents at Back to School Night as well as demonstrate how they can see the day to day plans by clicking on the event for that day. I also email the link to the Google Site to my administration when I am submitting lesson plans rather than printing out pages of plans.<br />
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<h4>
<b>Recap</b></h4>
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Lesson planning with Google Calendar and Sites is an efficient and quick way to track and publicize your day to day teaching from year to year for students, parents, and administration.<br />
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-15253432507704080462019-01-05T11:24:00.000-05:002019-04-01T10:25:29.300-04:00Quick Fix: Edmodo Quiz Timed OutEdmodo is the hub of my virtual classroom, and the Quiz feature has been a time saver: from quick quizzes to final exams, <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/hc/en-us/categories/200332404-Quizzes" target="_blank">Edmodo Quiz</a> is my go-to assessment tool because all questions and quizzes are banked, the quiz feature has versatile security features, and feedback is delivered in a timely fashion to students. If you want to learn more about creating Edmodo quizzes, <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2014/02/edmodo-quizzes-tips-tricks.html" target="_blank">check out this post</a>. But what do teachers do in the moment when students do not complete an <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/hc/en-us/categories/200332404-Quizzes" target="_blank">Edmodo Quiz</a> in the assigned time?<br />
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Before we even address the solution, let me provide some preventative measures:<br />
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<ul>
<li>First, I train my students to answer all of the automatically scored questions first. This includes multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions which Edmodo automatically scores when the students submit their quiz. Students can track their progress through the quiz by paying attention to the icons next to the list of question numbers. When students return to their quiz results, they will be able to see their correct/incorrect answers, so there is not an opportunity to finish the automatically scored questions later.</li>
<li>Second, when setting the time limit for the quiz, I always build in extra time. For example, my class period is 43 minutes, so I set an Edmodo Quiz that is expected to take the entire period to at least 60 minutes. </li>
<li>Third, if the students need to finish typed-response questions, I direct them to type in the words NOT FINISHED in the response box. This small step will come in handy later when it comes time to score the responses.</li>
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By teaching students test-prep skills and allowing for some wiggle room, I can mitigate issues.<br />
But, what do teachers do if the preventative measures did not work? Here is what I recommend when students get timed out of an Edmodo Quiz:<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Reset the Quiz:</b> this requires the least amount of work for the teacher. <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/hc/en-us/articles/205010954-Retake-a-Quiz" target="_blank">With a quick click</a>, teachers can reset student quizzes easily. Students restart the quiz from scratch as all of their previous answers have been deleted. </li>
<li><b>Typed Responses Only</b>: this requires more work on the teacher's part and dependent on the types of questions asked because students will be able to see the correct/incorrect answers for automatically scored responses when they view their quiz results. If the student needs to finish typed responses, the teacher allows the student to view his/her results and can either finish writing their response on paper or a Google Form. The teacher can then either grade the responses on paper by hand or copy/paste responses from the form's Google Sheet and copy/paste answers to the comment area of that question on the student's quiz.</li>
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When we concluded our film study unit of <i>West Side Story</i>, my 9th grade Honors students were assigned to complete a summative test using the Edmodo Quiz feature. This "quiz" is a doozy and worth a substantial amount of the marking period grade: students are asked to complete 27 automatically scored questions and three typed responses that ask them to analyze and synthesize information into a cohesive and concise paragraph response. I anticipated that students would spend about 10 minutes on the automatically scored responses (20 seconds per question, if that) and about 10 minutes per typed response for 30 minutes total on that section.<br />
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As first period started taking the test, I realized that some students were taking much longer than 10 minutes on their typed responses. Now, I could have been a stickler and said to the straggler students that they must finish in the class period and they will only be graded on what they complete, but I prefer to assess my students' understanding and not their time management skills in this case.<br />
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So, as we neared the end of the class period, I reminded students to answer all of the automatically scored questions and to type NOT FINISHED at the end of any responses that were incomplete or in the response box for any typed-response questions that were not started. At the end of the period, students submitted their test and moved on to their next class. Students who did not finish were directed to return to my room to complete their test during their studyhall period or after school.<br />
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So that students can complete their typed-response questions, I created a Google Form.<br />
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When students returned to my room, I opened the results for the test so that students could copy/paste from the responses that they had partially completed to the Google Form if needed.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9lc9tg-Fbkg/XDDUPqUvlnI/AAAAAAABWpg/8bQ2m7gV_Vk5BawWWiqANMamGwvSiG4HgCLcBGAs/s1600/EQ%2BNot%2Bfinished.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="644" height="375" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9lc9tg-Fbkg/XDDUPqUvlnI/AAAAAAABWpg/8bQ2m7gV_Vk5BawWWiqANMamGwvSiG4HgCLcBGAs/s400/EQ%2BNot%2Bfinished.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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By typing in NOT FINISHED, I knew to not grade the response just yet and to check the Google Sheet for the students response. I then copy/pasted the completed response from the Sheet to the comments area on the Edmodo Quiz question.</div>
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By having students complete their responses via a Google Form, I can sort their responses alphabetically and by class period on the Google Sheet. As I transferred students' responses from the Google Sheet to the comments area on the Edmodo Quiz question, I would change the color of the students' name on the Sheet to denote that I had completed the action.<br />
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As long as a student typed something in the response box, I would be able to complete the above listed actions and score the response without issue. I copy/pasted the students response to the comments area, typed in my scoring comments under their response, and updated the scoring box with the score.<br />
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The only snafu with this process is when a student leaves the answer response area blank. Edmodo will automatically score this as incorrect and not allow the teacher to adjust the score with partial credit.<br />
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While I can still copy/paste from the Sheet to the comment area of that question, I will need to manually adjust the final score of the quiz in my district gradebook.<br />
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While this fix for allowing students to finish Edmodo Quizzes beyond the assigned time may seem multi-faceted, it is fairly quick and allows me to authentically assess my students' understanding without their scores being comprised for poor time management skills. The hope is, that while some students may initially struggle with time management, with continued practice students will become more adept at composing responses in the time allotted.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-68209137918317967122018-12-09T12:31:00.001-05:002019-04-01T10:24:43.362-04:00Groupwork Protocols for Blended & Flipped Learning<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am inspired by <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=catlin+tucker+station+rotation&oq=catlin+tucker&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0j35i39j0l3.5131j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Catlin Tucker and her Station Rotation model</a>, but in a 43-minute period, I struggle with how to effectively implement the rotation piece with my ninth grade students. Every second in our 43-minute period is precious. No matter how well I train my students, the transition time for station rotation is problematic. So I thought, "What if the stations rotate to the students?" And with that, my Group Agenda Protocol was born!</span><br />
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<h3>
Protocols & Procedures</h3>
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This protocol for a class routine is designed to promote student accountability and efficacy, shifting the role of the teacher from the “sage on the stage” who is tethered to the front board to the “architect of learning” who creates structure for learning to occur and the “guide on the side” who facilitates student learning by circulating through the room as students work. While similar in design to a station-based model, students do not move from their seats, but rather complete tasks listed on the agenda in a set amount of time.<br />
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<b>Set-up Quick Steps:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Set up the room. </li>
<li>Determine the agenda and copy/paste the chosen agenda format to a new document and fill in with appropriate information. </li>
<li>Print agendas and organize materials for each group. </li>
</ol>
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The teacher sets up the room to create four groups of six students for a 24-student class or five groups of six in a 30-student class. Students may choose their group or the teacher may assign students to a group. <br />
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Each table configuration is identified by a number, taping a sign to the wall near the group. The agenda and group roles are printed and placed in a basket or bin on each table. Materials needed for the class period are also placed in the bin/basket. <br />
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The <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqUcs9bQ74LVVSN5BYEU96ElSPXV2AuNf8teLMs3wU/edit#heading=h.gpt3c6p4z6z7">group roles</a> are designed to maximize student accountability and to allow for every student to participate within a group of 6 students. If there are fewer or more than 6 students in a group, they can double up on responsibilities/roles. <b style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<h3>
The Group Agendas</h3>
There are three versions of agendas that can be customized as needed with specific directions, links, and tasks. To add additional tasks to the agendas below, simply insert a new row into the table for v.1 or a new column (then merge cells to get rid of extra spaces) in the task area for v.2 and v.3 agendas. It is recommended that you keep an ongoing document on which you compile the agenda for each day. This document can be shared with students and administrators. To see an example of a month’s worth of agendas following v.1 format click <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tTw4rbaw9M1YdkNUrooQx4yrBCd4uPb5QJgS70TnSCc/edit">here</a>, and to see examples of v.2 and v.3, click <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cCtnFrTPQKpCpKCeEWiUnR6LEpCXG1v_ZRGP72BHDuI/edit">here</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqUcs9bQ74LVVSN5BYEU96ElSPXV2AuNf8teLMs3wU/edit#heading=h.2capyuhsg623">Agenda v.1</a> is designed with all groups completing the same tasks at the same time in a 43 minute period. Think of this as a common playlist of tasks. The class period begins with a Do Now, bell-ringer activity, then progresses through three tasks, and concludes with an exit ticket. During the class period, the teacher circulates through the room, helping students and groups as needed. <br />
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The number of tasks can be increased when following Agenda v.1, but be mindful of the decrease in time for each additional task. One way to manage tasks is to break up a big assignment or a worksheet into smaller chunks. For example, a four page packet of activities could be separated into four tasks, one page per task. This will allow students to practice pacing and makes a large assignment seem less intimidating for struggling learners.<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqUcs9bQ74LVVSN5BYEU96ElSPXV2AuNf8teLMs3wU/edit#heading=h.jl2pauh6ngmk">Agenda v.2</a> is designed with all groups completing tasks via a rotating schedule so that the teacher can meet with each group at a designated time to check work or give a mini-lesson to the group. The class period begins with a quick Do-Now and then progresses through 4 non-sequential tasks of equal duration. The 4 tasks are completed in 8 minutes each, but can be completed in any order. Each group rotates through tasks using the provided sequence listed on the agenda. The period concludes with a 3 minute Exit Ticket. <br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqUcs9bQ74LVVSN5BYEU96ElSPXV2AuNf8teLMs3wU/edit#heading=h.9ctjgo6sd8h">Agenda v.3</a> is designed with a rotating schedule of 3 non-sequential tasks of varying duration (2 short tasks, 1 longer task). The 2-1 duration tasks are completed in two 8 minute blocks and one 16 minute block. One of the 8 minute tasks is spent meeting with the teacher. Each group rotates through tasks using the provided sequence listed on the agenda. The period concludes with a 3 minute Exit Ticket. <br />
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When following v.2 and v.3 of this group protocol, it is recommended that the number of groups be kept at four so as to maximize the amount of time the teacher visits each group. Included with the agenda templates is a version of Agendas v.2 and v.3, designed for groups of 5. If the number of groups and tasks are increased to five, then the time for each task and the time the teacher has to meet with each group is decreased from 8 minutes to 6 minutes per in a 43 minute class period. This may affect the quality of the meeting with the group, the work students are completing and may impact the type of tasks they are directed to complete in such a short time. <br />
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All Do Nows and Exit Tickets should be recorded in a student’s notebook, serving as an ongoing record of activity. The class tasks can be completed in the students’ notebooks or on teacher-provided handouts or digital files as appropriate.<br />
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To minimize the time spent by the teacher accounting for student completion of work, the Quality Controller should be recording the progress of each group member throughout the period on the provided chart located under the agenda, noting the completion of each task by each group member. Rather than collecting all papers for each group member and handing the papers to the teacher, students should keep evidence of the task completion in their notebook, which can be produced upon request. <br />
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At the end of the period, the Agenda page is turned in to the teacher. The Agenda is kept on file as documentation of student participation and behavior. The teacher can award participation points to each student based on the number of tasks completed. For example, if Biff Bifferson only completed 3 out of 5 tasks, a grade of 3 out of 5 can be recorded in the gradebook for that day’s participation. The teacher can follow up with each student and verify the authenticity and accuracy of the completion of work in a quick and efficient manner. If the student makes up the INC assignments, the teacher can easily update the gradebook.<br />
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Folks who attended <a href="https://fliptech.flippedlearning.org/fliptech-east-coast-2018/" target="_blank">FlipTech East Coast</a> and <a href="http://rewireyou.org/" target="_blank">Rewire</a> conferences got to experience the Group Agenda Protocol first hand. Below are the slides for the session.<br />
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The Group Agenda Protocol is a method for maximizing the precious time we have in class and for promoting student efficacy and autonomy in a structured learning environment.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vR4qRpZCJ2W3xYLeCrIEXjyfsPg5aKx2A5CUHO_J-qPdZdjd3FJVOstb2E8RYCnGTZhAxfjOmdFoPAI/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-87478635190102844592018-12-09T12:03:00.001-05:002019-04-01T10:24:57.670-04:00Digital Assessment Techniques with Edpuzzle<a href="https://edpuzzle.com/" target="_blank">Edpuzzle</a> is at the center of formative assessment in my <a href="https://flippedlearning.org/" target="_blank">flipped classroom</a>. From syncing with Google Classroom to quick checks for understanding, Edpuzzle is my go-to tool for assessing students' learning with video lessons. I have used Edpuzzle to <a href="https://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2017/09/how-to-flip-back-to-school-night.html" target="_blank">flip my Back to School Night</a>, <a href="https://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2016/10/blending-active-reading-conversations.html" target="_blank">blend with paper texts while reading audiobooks</a>, and <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/media/5bb662c071038540b5aa60bb" target="_blank">deliver instruction in professional development workshops</a>.<br />
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I can quickly record my own screencast or locate a video on one of their popular channels, such as YouTube, Khan Academy, National Geographic, TED Talks, Veritasium, Numberphile, and Crash Course. It is easy to upload the video, crop if needed, add voice or typed directions, and insert questions. Multiple choice questions are automatically scored, and teachers can provide feedback with the answers to provide students with follow up instruction. Scoring of students' typed responses is easy as well: teachers can give a numeric score out of 100 and typed comments to the student.<br />
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For today's post, I want to share my workflow for providing typed feedback on students' open-ended responses. Teachers know that assessment is a time-consuming, but vital part, of the learning cycle. For my EDpuzzle lessons, I will predominantly use multiple choice questions so that students are given immediate feedback, and I can quickly check and add scores to my gradebook <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SnFl0ZGRGOGS99hnp8UTM7YEi47IHGdvw4KrnkSycFE/edit" target="_blank">using my OSU Rubric</a>. So as to hold students accountable for the work, but not overly penalized for mistakes during formative assessments, students earn a grade in the gradebook based on where their raw score falls in the ranges below.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7L8bV_UH_VY/XA1DgiCoWPI/AAAAAAABWfM/okobB3pjD6YomX_hPhfT9j35TGc330-iwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-12-09%2Bat%2B11.29.33%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="804" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7L8bV_UH_VY/XA1DgiCoWPI/AAAAAAABWfM/okobB3pjD6YomX_hPhfT9j35TGc330-iwCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-12-09%2Bat%2B11.29.33%2BAM.png" width="401" /></a></div>
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While providing immediate feedback with automatically scored multiple choice questions is very efficient, providing typed feedback on open-ended responses can be time consuming. Typed feedback, though, builds rapport with students and solidifies connections between the teacher-student and the student with the content. To speed up my typed feedback, I use <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z7lZ9-HOr1x_oV-cynZSnIR7MZPcGluR34p8z0ycXZ8/edit" target="_blank">a comment bank that I keep in Google Docs</a>.<br />
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On a Google Doc, I type up feedback that I give to the students. Many make the same pattern of errors (need to elaborate, need to cite sources, etc) so I am often retyping the same sentences for multiple students. The copy/pasted feedback serves as the base of my feedback for I will add more personalized commentary (student's name, specific phrases from his/her response, etc) to the comments in Edpuzzle.<br />
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<b>Quick steps:</b><br />
1. Create a Google Doc comment bank<br />
2. Split your screen: Comment Bank is open in one side, Edpuzzle open in the other.<br />
3. Copy/paste the feedback to the Edpuzzle comment area.<br />
4. Add personalized wording<br />
5. Click COMMENT and give the student a score.<br />
6. Repeat<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ou1MgK2iw18/XA1KA0DRyUI/AAAAAAABWfk/McSCJK1gNa8jv5qmESITz2HrOUw_661DQCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-12-09%2Bat%2B11.31.26%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1600" height="364" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ou1MgK2iw18/XA1KA0DRyUI/AAAAAAABWfk/McSCJK1gNa8jv5qmESITz2HrOUw_661DQCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-12-09%2Bat%2B11.31.26%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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So that I am not bogged down scoring open-ended responses, my Edpuzzle lessons are predominately multiple choice questions with one or two open-ended responses at the end of the video lesson. I am purposeful in the design of the lessons so that when students type open-ended responses, they are utilizing higher order thinking skills.<br />
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No matter the edtech or paper-based platform, the design of the lesson must align with the function of the lesson, and assessment techniques must be efficient and effective for all.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-29461744979040005752017-09-03T20:45:00.004-04:002017-09-04T12:17:55.102-04:00Digital Dashboard DocumentThis year I am trying a more transparent and strategic approach to my technology integration. I've always been mindful of the purpose of the tool, but I wonder if I've consistently conveyed that purpose to my students and colleagues. I have a plan. I know what I'm doing, but do others see it?<br />
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So, to get things started, I created a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vYGO2qxLLOsvlTB4rt4Ucp4JZhd_04VvX66QpcwI960/edit" target="_blank">Digital Dashboard Google Document</a> on which my students will see what sites we will be using consistently, the rationale for using that site, and an area in which they will type in login information---not their actual password, but hints or clues in case they forget. There are important class links to district sites, as well as extra rows for students to add additional sites they may choose to frequent.<br />
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Both <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004766308" target="_blank">Edmodo</a> and Google Classroom give users the ability to generate an editable copy for each student with the file name and sharing permissions, so in the event that someone does not remember his/her password, the student can access the doc or I can offer clues. Many of the tools we will employ in class allow the teacher to reset passwords, but I want students to be responsible for their accounts before I access my dashboard.<br />
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If you like this design, go ahead and snag a copy, customizing it for your students. In the comments for this blog post, please share how you convey the purpose of technology integration to your staff and students.<br />
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<iframe height="500" src="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSOBbBSEc3xcY-wj9HEi3Y0sV4-Y_dNbq1vmvUM5YwNFPBbcD4q42qu_3XRdWwSF9UOTYffgcmzwl-D/pub?embedded=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-58091349596203212892017-09-02T10:17:00.000-04:002019-03-21T11:24:18.487-04:00How to Flip Back to School Night<a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2015/10/whyiteach-whyilearn-reflective-thinking.html" target="_blank">In a previous post</a> I shared about the results of flipping Back to School Night. Today, I'm going to show you step by step how I used blended learning to achieve those results.<br />
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<b>The first few days of school: </b> (Nothing crazy here) Have your Class Expectations typed up on either a Gdoc or Word document, photocopied and distributed to the students. I also include an area on the document for student and parent signatures. Give your students a few days to obtain the parent signatures.<br />
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I do not read the expectations document to the students in class because all teachers in all other classes are doing the same thing and my expectations will get lost in the shuffle. I do tell the students that they are to read the document carefully before signing. <br />
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So what do students do instead of passively sitting listing to me drone on about the course expectations? We are jumping right in to learning activities: icebreakers, group work, problem solving, etc. For the 2017-18 school year, I'm going to start with an <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Escape-Room-Editable-for-Any-Subject-Area-3230075" target="_blank">editable Escape Room / Break Out activity created by </a>Nouvelle ELA. I don't normally purchase items from Teachers Pay Teachers, but not being experienced in creating my own breakouts yet, I thought this was a worthy investment, and at less than $6, a real deal!<br />
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<b>Recording & Delivering the Video:</b><br />
There are a few simple steps for recording your video and making it interactive for parents and students.<br />
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<ol><li>Prepare your recording space by adjusting the lightning, background props, and alerting others that you don't want to be interrupted. Since you are providing an overview of your course, it is important to record your video in your classroom space. I put a sign on the door stating that I'm recording and do not want to be disturbed. </li>
<li>Create a title slide for your video using Google Slides or PowerPoint. Keep it open on your desktop.</li>
<li>Have open your Course Expectations document.</li>
<li>Open Screencastomatic or Camtasia, and select recording a portion of your screen and have the picture in picture on. You want folks to see and hear you. So don't be camera shy! You will size the frame so that it captures the slide first. <b>Tip</b>: you don't need to put your slide in present mode, simply have the recording frame capture the area of the slide. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saItU5dXy0g/Waq1MhLCZAI/AAAAAAABGFc/DVt5J7_YWJUh9uJzXJafpZQCrm_SXp5gQCLcBGAs/s1600/Title%2BSlide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saItU5dXy0g/Waq1MhLCZAI/AAAAAAABGFc/DVt5J7_YWJUh9uJzXJafpZQCrm_SXp5gQCLcBGAs/s400/Title%2BSlide.png" width="400" /></a></div></li>
<li>Record a quick introduction stating your name and the course. Hit PAUSE on the recording. </li>
<li>Switch to your course expectations document, resize the recording frame, and hit record.</li>
<li>As you talk through the expectations, you will slowly scroll through the document. Try not to read from the document verbatim, and do not ramble! This video must be kept under 15 minutes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Aa7yP4dQM/WarLtM2X2WI/AAAAAAABGF8/Fiod2P55WcchryMGpEoa7iGuNvF_zr-ogCLcBGAs/s1600/Course%2BSheet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Aa7yP4dQM/WarLtM2X2WI/AAAAAAABGF8/Fiod2P55WcchryMGpEoa7iGuNvF_zr-ogCLcBGAs/s400/Course%2BSheet.png" width="400" /></a></div></li>
<li>If you plan on importing the video into <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/" target="_blank">EDpuzzle</a> or another interactive video tool, strategically pause after important moments so that you will have spaces to insert the questions which will check for understanding while watching the video.</li>
<li>After you have finished talking through your course expectations, pause the recording, switch back to the title slide or create a slide that includes your contact information, resize the recording frame, and record a brief closing message. This will give your video a more polished feel by capping the ends with an opening and closing slide.</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CmOdG2LzCYCKuj53Rq8xjExbLhR9K7UKX4_GEkMDHB4/edit" target="_blank">Create a handout of questions to accompany the video</a>. If using an interactive video tools such as <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/media/59aabade45847036dec2e6ea" target="_blank">EDpuzzle, insert the questions to check for understanding</a>. </li>
<li>At least two weeks prior to Back to School Night, assign the video lesson as homework, the student and parent must watch it together! The two week time frame allows parents to work around their schedules.</li>
<li>So as to prevent tech issues from occurring, provide multiple avenues with which parents and students can access the video and reinforce that all answers are to be written on the question handout page. No matter the hardware, EDpuzzle allows for folks to view either by signing in to their account or through Guest Mode, so parents can experience the tool along side their student, but you don't have to worry about the student not completing the assignment if they have trouble logging in to their account at home. </li>
<li>As students turn in the questions page, review the responses and make note of any patterns: if many got the same question incorrect, then you need to address the issue on Back to School Night and follow up with the parent individually in an email.</li>
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</div><b> </b> <b>After the Video:</b> Following up with parents after the video is important for community building and creating an open dialogue with parents. All parents should be sent an email thanking them for their completion of this task and inviting them to Back to School Night.<br />
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If your Back to School Night is anything like mine (9 minutes per class with 5 minutes between each), it is impossible to do a deep dive and convey all of the information about your course to parents. Also, due to work schedules and such, not all parents attend Back to School Night, so rather than thinking of this event in terms of information delivery, focus on how to let the parents in the room experience your class with a short learning activity. Let the video be the information delivery mechanism, as you can ensure all parents and students take the time to view it and answer the corresponding questions.<br />
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Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-83447523408770290822016-12-15T12:22:00.002-05:002016-12-15T20:38:43.710-05:00Digital Portfolios with Google ToolsI realized that I was over complicating matters and making things too complex when it came to creating digital portfolios with my 9th grade ELA students. I am passionate about technology integration in my class, but I am mindful of how/why we use the technology. As I flip the learning in my class, it is easy to get inundated with the myriad of edtech tools and sites that are available. So, keeping things very simple, and sticking with what we know, I decided to capitalize on the power of Google Docs and hyperlinks to create digital portfolios with my students.<br />
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The portfolio is one Google Doc on which the student will list and link to each of the writing pieces, as well as write a brief reflection of what was learned about the process of writing.<br />
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<b>The Quick Steps:</b></h3>
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<li>In Google Docs, create a template <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/HyperDoc-Handbook-Digital-Lesson-Design/dp/1945167009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481816481&sr=1-1&keywords=hyperdoc+handbook" target="_blank">hyperdoc </a>of the portfolio.</li>
<li>In Google Slides, create a slide deck that walks students through the set-up process.</li>
<li>In Google Classroom create an assignment and attach the slide deck ("anyone can view") and template doc ("generate an editable copy for each student"). </li>
<li>Allocate time in class for students to work on the portfolio. </li>
<li>Score the portfolio each marking period.</li>
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<b>The Template</b></h3>
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If you haven't picked up a copy of <i><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/HyperDoc-Handbook-Digital-Lesson-Design/dp/1945167009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481816481&sr=1-1&keywords=hyperdoc+handbook" target="_blank">The Hyperdoc Handbook</a></i>, you better do so NOW. Author Lisa Highfill and all share strategies for creating Google Docs with an enhanced visual design. The template I created for the portfolio is organized by inserting tables to create title areas and lists of assignments. Also, I changed the background color of the page and the fill color of each table section. By changing the visual design from the usual white Google Doc, I am influencing students' initial reaction to the doc: because the <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11l0hXwKaeUcZBwj1v4bXh4nVfqBJwghtaQE9qz06ZfI/edit" target="_blank">portfolio doc</a> looks differently than the other docs they've seen, they will react to it differently.</div>
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Students are allowed to personalize the doc and change the fonts and colors, but I want to make sure that they have a consistent theme to their visual design. Color palette generator such as <a href="https://coolors.co/" target="_blank">Coolors </a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1T3y3xM266UUvCdqtfYrWY9zD2ONQU1p6tHxX-sXaiew/edit#slide=id.g17bebb15a0_0_1061" target="_blank">other activities</a> that teach students about visual design facilitate the process.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JuxK8e7ggU/WFLD6P9JvaI/AAAAAAAA9Tk/GaxRnNX-9VEGuf4g6joTUGLae3XTyCd_QCLcB/s1600/Digital%2BPortfolio%2BTemplate.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2JuxK8e7ggU/WFLD6P9JvaI/AAAAAAAA9Tk/GaxRnNX-9VEGuf4g6joTUGLae3XTyCd_QCLcB/s640/Digital%2BPortfolio%2BTemplate.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11l0hXwKaeUcZBwj1v4bXh4nVfqBJwghtaQE9qz06ZfI/edit" target="_blank">Open the doc</a> and go to FILE, MAKE A COPY to create <br />
your own editable version of my template.</td></tr>
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The sections of <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11l0hXwKaeUcZBwj1v4bXh4nVfqBJwghtaQE9qz06ZfI/edit" target="_blank">the portfolio doc</a> include a heading area for the student's name, an about the Author section, and a list of the assignments that include a label for the type of writing, the assignment title and link to the student's writing piece, and an area for reflection on the specifics of the writing task. The most important area is the reflection. If I want students to act like authors, then I need them to think about the intention of their writing and reflection on the process of creation. </div>
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<b>Setting Up the Portfolio</b></h3>
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To lead students through the set up process in a flipped instructional manner, I created <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1laxzCIkY7rUn-xLQiQNQj2e5Nq-5yf2ir44ElLdAx6o/edit#slide=id.p" target="_blank">this slide deck</a> that walks students through the process.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="299" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1laxzCIkY7rUn-xLQiQNQj2e5Nq-5yf2ir44ElLdAx6o/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br /></div>
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You'll notice that I also included the rubric for scoring the portfolio with in the slide deck. More on scoring later in this post.</div>
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Google Classroom Assignment</h3>
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If you aren't using Google Classroom yet for your Google Docs workflow with students, you are missing out! Google Classroom makes managing student docs so much easier. For each assignment I create, I can attach resources and templates. Each attachment can be set to view only or editable by all, or I can have Google generate an individual copy for each student that has the file name and sharing permissions automatically created. No more untitled docs!</div>
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For the Digital Writing Portfolio Assignment in Google Classroom, I attached the slide deck (set to view only) and had Google generate an editable copy of the portfolio doc for each individual student. All docs created are housed in the folder for this assignment in my Classroom folder in my Google Drive. </div>
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As we finished up individual writing pieces, I allocated class time so that students could add the latest assignment. The beauty of using hyperlinks for each assignment is that my students are not just limited in creating Google docs of their assignments: anything that they create that is housed on the web can be linked to their digital portfolio doc.<br />
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Scoring the Portfolios</h3>
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At the end of each marking period, I give students time to finalize their digital portfolio. In Google Classroom, the students click DONE to submit their assignment, thus removing editing privileges on the doc. I score the portfolio with <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FZf6ZGeuQHpVWj_aI7okGYmI-9PBsag6noztZcHkuXo/edit" target="_blank">the rubric</a> below <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2016/02/snow-days-stomach-bugs-in-paperless.html" target="_blank">using the Doctopus and Goobric add-on in Google Sheets</a>. After all portfolio docs are scored, I return the files to the students. At the end of the next marking period, they revise the portfolio doc and hit DONE on the same assignment I first created-- no need to create a new assignment for each marking period! </div>
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Philosophically, <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2013/04/writing-about-grading-writing-again.html" target="_blank">I am against putting grades on writing</a>, but working within a system that mandates grades on assignments, I focus on providing feedback and ample opportunity to revise assignments until the student (and I) feel that the piece has met the objectives while also finding a way to get a numeric grade on the assignment. </div>
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If you notice, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FZf6ZGeuQHpVWj_aI7okGYmI-9PBsag6noztZcHkuXo/edit" target="_blank">the rubric</a> adds up to 100 points, but the columns for scoring are equivalent to a specific percentage and letter grade that aligns with the grade breakdown of my district:<br />
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A = 100-92<br />
B = 91-83<br />
C = 82-75<br />
D = 74-70<br />
F = 69-0</div>
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20/20 = A<br />
18/20 = B<br />
15/20 = C<br />
12/20 = F<br />
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I do not give half scores or use other numbers for each column listed above. The numbers are the numbers, but you will see a greater range of scores when you look at the permutations of the possible rubric scores and what score shows mastery versus lacks proficiency.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LF2BzftgVg/WFLNfbAV4kI/AAAAAAAA9UA/a0wocwvosfAn7bSbNXPj0CvOMPghbSDfwCLcB/s1600/Digital%2BPort%2BRubric%2BPerms.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1LF2BzftgVg/WFLNfbAV4kI/AAAAAAAA9UA/a0wocwvosfAn7bSbNXPj0CvOMPghbSDfwCLcB/s640/Digital%2BPort%2BRubric%2BPerms.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Rubric design and scoring will have to be saved for another post. But, if you look at the permutations above, because I made set each column score to a specific number that aligns on the 100 percent/point scale, I've allowed for more possible passing scores than failing scores. As Rick Wormeli will tell you, the 100 point scale (especially in my district with 100-70 as passing) puts way too much emphasis on failing grades. My scoring flips this dynamic and puts the emphasis on the upper range.<br />
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BUT, the whole purpose of the digital writing portfolio is to de-emphasize grades and focus on publishing student work in a manner that is organized, reflective, and on-going, and using Google Docs as the housing system of students assignments is a method that is simple and sustainable. I don't have to worry about a special website or an app closing down in a few years, and students can easily replicate this process after high school graduation with their own personal Google Doc accounts to create portfolios for college and career.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-19154955320266737952016-10-19T20:51:00.000-04:002016-10-20T09:47:21.889-04:008 pARTS and Creative Writing with ResearchBefore I share today's 9th grade writing lesson with you all, I have to give a big, huge, ginormous SHOUT OUT to my edifying edu-buddy <a href="https://twitter.com/guster4lovers" target="_blank">Cheryl Morris </a>and the indomitable <a href="https://twitter.com/jcorippo" target="_blank">Jon Corippo</a>. The evolution of this lesson and writing task begins with <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mistercorippo/grammar-and-sentence-structure" target="_blank">Corippo's 8 pARTS</a> and Cheryl's sharing of her versions of said resources.<br />
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Here is a quick tour of <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mistercorippo/grammar-and-sentence-structure" target="_blank">Corippo's 8 pARTS</a>: using imagery in art to teach grammar skills.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/iefPD6lZThNzNe" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #ccc; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> <br />
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<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/jcorippo/teaching-english-mastery-with-pictures" target="_blank" title="Teaching English Mastery with Imagery">Teaching English Mastery with Imagery</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/jcorippo" target="_blank">CUE, Inc</a></strong> </div>
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<i>Great stuff, right?! </i><br />
<i>I think so too!</i><br />
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But, I'm a bit of a stickler for visual design and the layout of paper (<i>dare I say <u>the</u> dreaded word) </i>worksheets, I adapted Corippo's design and created my own template that included a space for the picture and grouped the parts of speech to designate relationships visually.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDND9Ks6XLI/WAgHj5DxsbI/AAAAAAAA8CY/4N9lM8-WP3c8R0x9CdNb0Nqnk8brsCGuwCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.45.07%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDND9Ks6XLI/WAgHj5DxsbI/AAAAAAAA8CY/4N9lM8-WP3c8R0x9CdNb0Nqnk8brsCGuwCLcB/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.45.07%2BPM.png" width="497" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CzfGeeCILph0iRw98La5IZPcCKcpXvB97ldOI6Gj7Ek/edit#" target="_blank">Click here to access the Google Doc</a>. Go to FILE, MAKE A COPY, to create an editable version.</td></tr>
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The talented Cheryl Morris created a rubric for the writing task, and I snagged this too, tweaking it for my class.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7ijHpJ2Zs4/WAgIk0dtgoI/AAAAAAAA8Cc/zn1ODsbfCpA8cYyA2c6BiHZxI3bgiZH7QCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.49.19%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N7ijHpJ2Zs4/WAgIk0dtgoI/AAAAAAAA8Cc/zn1ODsbfCpA8cYyA2c6BiHZxI3bgiZH7QCLcB/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.49.19%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FPNkNdTCnayvXKpHLv1cPKUYwgmy4a8uTQU2V2lfsow/edit" target="_blank">Click HERE to access the Google Doc version.</a> Go to FILE, MAKE A COPY to create an editable version. </td></tr>
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For our first repetition of this assignment a week ago, students focused on a picture that could relate to our reading of Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game." The students wrote their paragraph on paper and I conferenced with each individual student, going over the worksheet and rubric and providing narrative feedback on the paragraph. Notice the rubric focuses on the application of grammar concepts, not necessarily the creativity of the writing. Don't worry, that will get added in later. At the end of each conference, students were told to write down a list of ideas for revision based on our conversation-- don't actually start revising (<i>yet)</i>, just down a plan to revise.<br />
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After all conferences were complete (this took a few days), students were directed to revise and type their scene based on the picture, relying on their revision list. I told them at this point to stop thinking like students and to start thinking like authors: the picture was a starting point, now go in any direction that makes sense, as long as dialogue and description was included in the writing. Some wrote a continuation scene of "The Most Dangerous Game," others capitalized on the theme of the story and wrote a fanfiction piece using characters from the <i>Hunger Games. </i>To "publish" their work, students added the link to their Digital Writing Portfolio (<i>more on that in another post!</i>).<br />
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For our second repetition of the 8pARTS task, which took place today, I added a bit of a twist. See if you can spot it in today's agenda posted to our Edmodo class group:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttDhlGloEV4/WAgMMX_VlzI/AAAAAAAA8Co/5TRMyI7N2OcDy25Cpbwbn4ZoAaOU_BmIQCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B8.13.04%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttDhlGloEV4/WAgMMX_VlzI/AAAAAAAA8Co/5TRMyI7N2OcDy25Cpbwbn4ZoAaOU_BmIQCK4B/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B8.13.04%2BPM.png" width="448" /></a></div>
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We started the task same as before: close read the image and jot down a list of examples of each part of speech in the picture -- a picture which was also a connection <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2016/10/blending-active-reading-conversations.html" target="_blank">to our reading of James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."</a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LciJLLMfRG8/WAgMbSRefLI/AAAAAAAA8Cw/B9fdf_CC5wceBGbeu4cuUmGT4458wHZxQCK4B/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.41.21%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LciJLLMfRG8/WAgMbSRefLI/AAAAAAAA8Cw/B9fdf_CC5wceBGbeu4cuUmGT4458wHZxQCK4B/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-10-19%2Bat%2B7.41.21%2BPM.png" width="497" /></a></div>
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After our list was generated, I told the students this is a picture taken from real life, not a film, tv show, or one of Walter's daydreams, and I asked them what questions they had. Shouts of "<i>How old is that plane?" "What kind of plane is that?" "Did that come from the Bermuda Triangle?" "Is that Amelia Earhart's plane?" </i>reverberated through the room. <i> </i><br />
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I replied, "I don't know. How about we try and find out?"<br />
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<i>(Ok, so I really did know <u>some</u> things about this plane, but I learned so much MORE during the next step.)</i><br />
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Students grabbed their phones or borrowed a Chromebook. They started typing in keywords to search; I showed a few how to do a reverse Google Image search.<br />
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And an amazing thing started to happen: around the room, I heard exclamations of "<i>I found it!"</i><br />
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Students visited the sites and started shouting out information: <i>the plane is a FM-2 Wildcat; it was in Lake Michigan; it crashed during a training mission.</i><br />
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AND THEN they started digging deeper: they found the name of the pilot, the name of the ship the plane took off from, the story of the crash, how long it was underwater, what happened to the pilot, how many other planes are in Lake Michigan, how this plane was found and recovered, and where the plane is now.<br />
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As they found the information, the students were directed to keep a running list of notes in their composition book.<br />
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By the way, this whole research phase took less than 10 minutes. I didn't hammer them on sources and citations (<i>yet)</i> of their information. For now, I wanted them excited about what they found. Don't worry, we will cite our sources later.<br />
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Calling the class back together, we compiled our quick research and created a plot diagram of the story of this plane: The FM-2 Wildcat flown by Ensign William Forbes from the deck of the USS Sable that had engine trouble during a training mission and crashed into Lake Michigan. Forbes was rescued, and after 70 years, the plane was recovered where it was later transported to an aviation museum in Florida.<br />
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Students got a kick out of my puns, because there was literally rising action as the plane takes off, and literally falling action as the plane crashes.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iaAWr0bCgGc/WAgQfVgMahI/AAAAAAAA8C8/kk9y4mlP6oQ9onF7fKOcth_iBItu6xmkgCK4B/s1600/Plane%2BPLot%2BDiagram.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iaAWr0bCgGc/WAgQfVgMahI/AAAAAAAA8C8/kk9y4mlP6oQ9onF7fKOcth_iBItu6xmkgCK4B/s640/Plane%2BPLot%2BDiagram.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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And now comes the final <i>(almost</i>) step to this task. I told my students to pick one event on this plot diagram and write the scene of this event. As if ripped from the pages of a larger novel, write the scene with characters, setting, dialogue, description pulled from the research, and (<i>oh yeah, can't forget these</i>) underlined and labeled examples of the 8 parts of speech.<br />
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Tomorrow, as I walk around the room quickly scoring their worksheet and draft completion using the same rubric above, I'll offer some narrative feedback, and they will type up their handwritten draft in Google Docs, publishing it by adding the link to their doc to their Digital Writing Portfolio <i>(more on that in another post!). </i><br />
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<i>But seriously, I can't wait to read what they've written!</i><br />
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From one photograph, students practiced visual analysis, critical thinking, grammar, 8 parts of speech, research, and creative writing skills.<br />
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That in itself is a work of art.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-85900706944829837952016-10-16T20:16:00.001-04:002016-10-16T20:47:21.899-04:00Blending Active Reading & Conversations with EDpuzzleAs I integrate technology into my classroom, I want to make sure that my students do not have their faces in a screen all the time. Also, I want to capitalize on creating opportunities for my students to practice listening and self-pacing skills. Blending paper with digital media and face to face interactions with digital learning, I created checkpoints in an <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/">EDpuzzle</a> video lesson that would encourage students to close read a text and "Turn and Talk" to answer text-based questions accurately. <br />
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Building on previous teacher-centered lessons from our reading of Richard Peck's “Priscilla and the Wimps” and Richard Connell's “The Most Dangerous Game” in which we actively read texts together, students encountered a text for the first time in such as a way as to practice self-pacing skills during an in-class flipped lesson. In an effort to flip my reading instruction and to encourage students to actively read, I edited a preexisting audiobook video on YouTube to include <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mZBGn3fLbGropd9gQzrgkdoLxIJksEpGOQQmTdUMIR4/edit">the text of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber</a>. I then uploaded the new version to <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/">EDpuzzle</a> and embedded the checkpoint questions, tagging each with a <a href="http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2016/ela/">NJ Learning Standard for ELA</a> 9th grade (formerly known as Common Core Curriculum Standards). <br />
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Each student logged in to EDpuzzle on his/her class Chromebook, and then synchronizing with a partner, hit play and listened with personal headphones to the audiobook while reading along with a paper copy of the story. <br />
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As you can see from the EDpuzzle lesson below (go ahead, try!), at various points in the story, the video would pause and students were directed to mark up their paper copy of the text so that they could better understand the narrative structure, as well as answer comprehension questions. Students would turn and talk to their partner to discuss the directions and questions. I navigated around the room, listening to the partner conversations and seeing what students marked on their paper copy. It was immediately apparent if a student recognized the ellipsis or not, and I was able to quickly confirm or redirect as needed.<br />
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After marking up the paper text, students submitted their answers to the questions in EDpuzzle and were given immediate feedback on their accuracy, including an explanation as to why each answer was correct or wrong. I also tracked student progress in EDpuzzle and mark typed-in responses as correct/incorrect while students work through the video. <br />
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Despite the video being under 12 minutes, student conversations extended the lesson time. Those who talked too long or got off topic soon realized the consequence of not staying on task: Students who did not finish the lesson in class were instructed to complete the lesson prior to the next class meeting. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="475" src="https://edpuzzle.com/embed/media/57fed1a9cf2ce7ed3ea1a3de" width="590"></iframe><br />
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Even though the visual design of <a href="https://edpuzzle.com/">EDpuzzle’s</a> site is different from PARCC or other online tests, the digital literacy skills students are using to answer standards-based questions will help prepare students for future digital standardized assessments. And by having students work synchronously with a partner, they are able to practice interpersonal, conversational skills. <br />
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-91573286751778408422016-07-20T20:44:00.000-04:002016-07-20T20:44:00.685-04:00Connecting with Colleagues at Flipcon16While I couldn't be at Flipcon16 in Allen, Texas in person, I was able to converse with flipped learning pioneer Aaron Sams, Flipcon keynote speaker Tyler DeWitt, Flipped Learning Network Board Charman Ken Bauer, and flipped educator and author April Gudenrath via a Google Hangout about nonlinear learning in today's classroom.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z4x1R2PKzMk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4x1R2PKzMk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-79963402953441309982016-07-14T13:54:00.001-04:002016-07-14T13:54:36.117-04:00Literature, Travelogues, & Google MapsIntegrating geography concepts into the ELA classroom is easy to do when a story features characters undertaking a physical journey. Students and teachers can create collaborative Google Maps pinned with specific locations to practice digital literacy and research skills.<br />
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To enliven our study of Homer's <i>Odyssey</i>, students worked collaboratively to create a map of Odysseus' and Telemachus' journeys. Using evidence from the text, students pinned a specific location on the map, selected an appropriate and symbolic icon for the pin, typed up a blurb about the location, inserted an image for the location, and attached a link to a source that would extend visitors' understanding of the location.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YVBCtzYSZ3smy2wCu0tgxSauwl8&usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1j-BjVNrEI/V4fHLyPim0I/AAAAAAAA318/1T7LFivgqMcvLR4qapX9b-5IGbFo4ILxgCLcB/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-14%2Bat%2B10.08.27%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YVBCtzYSZ3smy2wCu0tgxSauwl8&usp=sharing" target="_blank">You can visit the map and click on pins. </a></td></tr>
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To facilitate the process, students were directed on the daily agenda posted to Edmodo to visit the Chrome Web Store and install the Google URL Shortener, <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2013/11/tab-scissors-glue-extensions-for-chrome.html" target="_blank">Tab Scissors, and Tab Glue extensions</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pATK_3WGV5A/V4fHgaak4sI/AAAAAAAA32A/ehTNk54YZGESOonoM7kyYq2uRQY9DsU1gCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-14%2Bat%2B1.03.32%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pATK_3WGV5A/V4fHgaak4sI/AAAAAAAA32A/ehTNk54YZGESOonoM7kyYq2uRQY9DsU1gCLcB/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-14%2Bat%2B1.03.32%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The extensions allowed students to split their browser windows, placing them side by side for easier jumping between tabs, and the URL Shortener truncated the long links for inclusion in the pin description. Each pin's description can be color coded and enhanced with images, text, and links to other sources.<br />
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In addition to marking locations, students could map the travel routes, customizing the color and width of the line. Additionally, the style of the map can be changed as well.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KeKT5MmN2Cw/V4fLsTGdP1I/AAAAAAAA32Y/xQpofE4kGdUQSyktKpRXAksw-d9WbRnkQCLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-14%2Bat%2B1.27.03%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KeKT5MmN2Cw/V4fLsTGdP1I/AAAAAAAA32Y/xQpofE4kGdUQSyktKpRXAksw-d9WbRnkQCLcB/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-07-14%2Bat%2B1.27.03%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odysseus' journey from Ithaca to Troy and then to the Land of the Ciccones, and the Lotus Eaters. I can quickly see that this class is starting to get off course as they have skipped the Cyclops Island. </td></tr>
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Throughout this "fun" collaborative class activity, students demonstrated digital literacy skills that included typing, searching, using the trackpad, and jumping between browser windows all the while speaking to each other face to face as they divvied up tasks and reviewed the content.<br />
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Brainstorming other ways to incorporate Google Maps in the ELA classroom, students could....<br />
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<ul>
<li>Pin where they went during summer or school-year breaks. </li>
<li>Research their heritage and pin locations where their families originated</li>
<li>Write a creative travel-themed short-story with pins of scene locations and the text of the scene in each pin's description</li>
<li>Compose poetry based on specific pinned locations.</li>
</ul>
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<i>How have you used Google Maps with your students?</i></div>
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<i>What other ways could Google Maps be incorporated into your classroom?</i></div>
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<i>Post a comment with your thoughts!</i></div>
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-22515268888694502512016-04-10T20:38:00.000-04:002016-04-10T20:57:07.248-04:00Goldilocks and the 3 Bears of ProductivityEveryone knows the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. Goldilocks eats, sits and sleeps through the bears' house seeking what is "just right".<br />
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As I attempt to stay organized with being a mom, wife, teacher, presenter, and coach, I feel as if I am Goldilocks. This planner is too big. That bullet journal system is too long. This app is too complex. From Pinterest to Amazon to Google, I've searched for just the right organizational system that meets the needs of my Type B (but many times Type A) personality.<br />
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<b>Planners, bullet journals, and productivity apps... <i>Oh my!</i></b><br />
<i><br />
</i> I like the idea of a planner, but not the actual item. I don't want one more thing to carry, and I guarantee I won't always have it with me. A paper-based planner is also less appealing since I use Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar for personal and professional purposes, both of which are synched together. I don't want to run the risk of forgetting something because either the planner or the digital calendars were not up to date. I have multiple calendars in Google: two for <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/srsd.org/kbaker/pds-2-4-8-honors-english-9" target="_blank">lesson plans</a> (one for each level of my classes), another for family, and another for my events and tasks. School events listed in Outlook appear on my Google Calendar. And all of my bazillion calendars are synched to my Android phone where I can quickly view events listed on the month-view widget.<br />
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Akin to scrapbooks, bullet journals are visually appealing and can be a robust way to track everything from appointments to daily water intake to long-term goals. I also like the idea of a bullet journal, but I know I do not have the time nor personal diligence to follow through with using it proficiently. I did spend numerous hours on Pinterest pinning bullet journal resources, so if you are interested, feel free to check out my board:<br />
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<a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="200" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/katebake1/bullet-journal/"> Follow Kate's board Bullet journal on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </div>
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I've been poking around on Google Play searching productivity apps, but nothing seems to fit my needs just right: I don't need a complex app, I like to write lists, and I want simple, but appealing visual design. I also need something that is platform agnostic since I own both Android and iOS devices, Chromebooks, and Windows and Mac computers. I also want something fast that when a thought pops in my head, I can quickly locate where that thought needs to go for reference later. Google Keep has been the closest I've come to "just right."<br />
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If you, dear reader, have any recommendations for productivity apps, please leave a comment on this post!<br />
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<b><br />
</b> <b>Google Keep keeps me (mostly) organized.</b><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fkt025i12aE/VwruWPoXPBI/AAAAAAAA1zg/tAv4cD4bQpQlJbJgFlmmREXIsWdWrjTWQ/s1600/Screenshot_2016-04-10-20-22-42.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fkt025i12aE/VwruWPoXPBI/AAAAAAAA1zg/tAv4cD4bQpQlJbJgFlmmREXIsWdWrjTWQ/s320/Screenshot_2016-04-10-20-22-42.png" width="180" /></a><b><br />
</b> I LOVE LOVE LOVE Google Keep for list writing, and while it fits most of my needs for organization, I am still tweaking my system. I can create digital post-it notes and check-box lists in Google Keep. All notes can be tagged and color-coded. I can attach pictures and share notes with others. I can drag to reorder the notes and archive them as needed or even turn them into a Google Doc. If I think of something, I grab my phone and speak, type or draw a note in Google Keep.<br />
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I have two ongoing lists that I refer to everyday:<br />
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1. To Do<br />
2. Grocery Shopping<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkveMKTDEFQ/VwruN0U7YkI/AAAAAAAA1zc/K3Hl4slyhK0f5xvQlI8ZGz89SdlsH2uMw/s1600/Screenshot_2016-04-10-17-29-43.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hkveMKTDEFQ/VwruN0U7YkI/AAAAAAAA1zc/K3Hl4slyhK0f5xvQlI8ZGz89SdlsH2uMw/s320/Screenshot_2016-04-10-17-29-43.png" width="180" /></a>My To-Do list is a running record of things that I should get done ASAP within the next few days. While I can prioritize by reordering the items, I can't categorize them individually. I could create separate lists by category, but I'm leery of having too many high-priority lists at the same time.<br />
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Grocery shopping is self explanatory. I can't tell you how many times I wrote a list on paper only to forget it at home, or I forget to put numerous items on the list. I check and uncheck items on the master list as needed rather than deleting and retyping items. I also have this list shared with my husband in case he wants to add something--which he has yet to do digitally.<br />
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<b><br />
</b> <b>Organization can be a Bear.</b><br />
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</b> Ultimately, the planner, journal, list or app itself won't make me more productive and organized. I must take action. Productivity and effective organization can't just be a fairytale!<br />
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If you have a system or tips for organization that you'd like to share, please post a comment!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNR1m5b8pSg/VwrrEWKix1I/AAAAAAAA1yw/Mka6ygB8CBkQRWZlxOYrtWyRKMhzbUkCw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-10%2Bat%2B7.56.29%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNR1m5b8pSg/VwrrEWKix1I/AAAAAAAA1yw/Mka6ygB8CBkQRWZlxOYrtWyRKMhzbUkCw/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-10%2Bat%2B7.56.29%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-40469888329971675652016-04-05T20:43:00.002-04:002016-04-06T13:09:43.095-04:00Google Voice Typing & 2nd grade HomeworkMy 2nd grade daughter is a whirling dervish. She is sharp, intelligent, but she cannot sit still. Get her excited about something and she will talk... and talk.... and talk.... <i>and talk</i> about the topic. But I notice that when she is asked to write or type something, those quick thoughts fly away rather than travel down her arm on to the page.<br />
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When I reflect on why I like blogging, it has as much to do with my interest in the written word as it also does with the dexterity of my fingers and the voices in my head. My younger years of playing piano have transitioned from playing the ivory keys to flying over the QWERTY keyboard. To be honest, I was never a virtuoso, but a very shy piano player, never truly confident in my abilities and reluctant to play for others. While I could play a classical piece of sheet music, I couldn't hear the music in my head if I was asked to improv for jazz band. Relating this to writing, as my fingers fly over the keyboard, I can hear in my head the words I want to appear on the page. My thoughts quickly travel down my arm and out of my fingers on to the screen because I am a proficient typist. My students are always wowed by this parlor trick: I can type coherent sentences with correct punctuation and spelling without looking at the screen. It creeps them out when I'm looking at them as they talk to me, but typing something on the computer.<br />
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So last night, my 2nd grade daughter's homework included typing up a paragraph about rainforest<br />
animals. What could take me a few minutes to type up a paragraph would take my daughter eons to get on the screen. What to do? I wanted her to do the homework herself, rather than me typing it up for her, but her typing skills are not developed yet. And as I'm trying to clean up dishes after a long day of school, it wasn't feasible to take the time for her to practice typing AND writing at the same time. So using Google Voice Typing, we were able to separate the skills of typing and writing AND get the homework completed in a short amount of time.<br />
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<b>Our Process:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Open a new Google Document</li>
<li>Go to TOOLS, select Voice Typing</li>
<li>My daughter and I discussed the topic prior to hitting the record icon. Then when she knew what she wanted to say, she hit record.</li>
<li>My daughter spoke her thoughts aloud and Google captured her words on the screen.</li>
<li>Using the keyboard, my daughter edited her work, moved the cursor, hit record, and would clarify areas that needed revision. </li>
<li>When the paragraph was completed, she learned to use CONTROL-A to select all the text and chose a font to style her work.</li>
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<b>Proud Mama captured the moments: </b><br />
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When I think about my 9th grade ELA students who struggle with writing, I wonder if they have similar issues: their brains are working too quickly and their fingers can't write or type fast enough to capture the thoughts on the page. With Google Voice Typing on our class set of Chromebooks, students could record themselves or a partner answering an open-ended response question and once the words are on the page, they could work together to edit and revise the response. Due to time constraints, so much the writing process is condensed and by the time students get to high school they are expected to have proficient fine-motor skills to write or type quickly. One look at any papers I may collect and you will be able to distinguish the proficient writers based on their penmanship and the words on the page. </div>
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Google Voice Typing can help any fast-thinking, whirling dervish of a student to get his/her words on the page so that more time can be spent crafting their writing as opposed to recording it. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--mf3evsLF3k/VwRZAQZooZI/AAAAAAAA1t8/d9F21-B2r44NYhNUhg9RMnDNrjxvnVZDA/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-05%2Bat%2B8.31.14%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--mf3evsLF3k/VwRZAQZooZI/AAAAAAAA1t8/d9F21-B2r44NYhNUhg9RMnDNrjxvnVZDA/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-04-05%2Bat%2B8.31.14%2BPM.png" width="115" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Change that to "Click to Write!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-22523219517073165232016-02-05T13:29:00.000-05:002016-04-19T21:37:40.829-04:00Snow Days & Stomach Bugs in the Paperless ClassroomYou may have noticed that it has been a while since I last blogged... since November... which coincides with the start of swim season (look for a future post on what edtech stuff I'm doing with the swimteam). Between practices, meets, and keeping up with the other day-to-day activities of teaching and family, I've neglected my blog, but today's surprise snow day offers up some "free" time to write.<br />
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<b>Germs & Bugs</b><br />
I've been wondering about the unintended effects of having a paperless classroom. Up until this week, I've been fairly healthy this school year, but I was stricken with a stomach bug Tuesday morning, which just so happened to be the day after I collected a stack of department-mandated Quarterly exams from every one of my freshman English students on Monday. Could this be a mere coincidence? Probably not, considering students have been absent for the same reason. So this begs the question, how germ-ridden are student papers? While grading papers may make some teachers metaphorically sick, I wonder if grading papers makes teachers literally sick due to germ and virus transmission. I'm being serious!<br />
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I saw a post the other day on social media about <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/sophiegadd/things-youll-understand-if-youre-dating-a-teacher" target="_blank">the 23 things you'll understand when dating a teacher</a> and thought back to the years when I started teaching and was sick with bronchitis, pneumonia, and strep or the years when my husband and I first started dating, and he was constantly coming down with something. Granted our immunity has improved over the course of my 17-year career, but in the past three years of bringing Chromebooks into the classroom and flipping my assessment techniques, I've seen a decrease in the frequency with which I've contracted an illness.<br />
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<b>Less-Paper Assessment</b><br />
So what am I doing differently with assessment? How am I going paperless? I still give my students papers (ask them about Baker's infamous packets), but the key is I don't collect them to assess them. Since flipping my classroom, I am freed from the spotlight of the stage at the front of the room. Structuring the period with student-centered learning activities, I can walk from desk to desk, ask students to show me their paper to read, ask them to flip the page over so I can continue reading, and then make quick marks and provide verbal feedback with my pen, never laying my actual finger on the paper. Plus, by speaking directly to the student face to face, the student has the opportunity to ask questions immediately. <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-have-confession.html" target="_blank">I was always so frustrated when students would give a cursory glance to the comments I spent hours making on their papers</a> back in the days I collected, scored, and redistributed their work.<br />
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Using Edmodo and Google Classroom, students are turning in their work electronically. From <a href="http://kbakerbyodlit.blogspot.com/2015/07/link-to-posts-in-edmodo.html" target="_blank">submitting links to Edmodo discussion posts</a> to turning in typed outlines on Google Docs, my students are generating an informal online portfolio of the work that can be accessed at anytime with a mobile device or computer. Assignments are never misplaced in the bottom of a bookbag or lost after a folder has exploded in a crowded hall.<br />
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It has taken me a bit of trial and error, as well as help from online colleagues to figure out the most efficient ways to score online assignments. Pairing Google Classroom assignments with the Doctopus and Goobric Add-ons seems to be the most efficient system I've come across: few clicks to make, links and scores organized on a spreadsheet, rubrics pasted in to the Google Doc, scores emailed to students. I had tried out Doctopus prior to Google Classroom and it just didn't work for me, but NOW... <i>holy moly guacamole!</i><br />
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<b>Doctopus & Goobric Set-Up</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>Create your rubric for an assignment on a Google Sheet. The first column will be the focus areas of your rubric, while the first row will be for numeric values. Type in your qualities for each focus area and score. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YRNZ9yf747g/VrTiYqCff7I/AAAAAAAAzsA/7vWHeMRx0hE/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.44.29%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YRNZ9yf747g/VrTiYqCff7I/AAAAAAAAzsA/7vWHeMRx0hE/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.44.29%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>On a new, blank Google Sheet, go to the Add-on menu and select Get Add-ons, then locate Doctopus. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IN0ZtJhy32s/VrTitmlGP2I/AAAAAAAAzsI/vk-v3XBHx_c/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.51.52%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IN0ZtJhy32s/VrTitmlGP2I/AAAAAAAAzsI/vk-v3XBHx_c/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.51.52%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>Open Doctopus and follow the directions in the side panel, selecting "Ingest Google Classroom Assignment," then selecting your Classroom Class and Assignment, and then attaching a Goobric (your rubric that you made in Google Sheets). The add-on will fill in all the information on the Google Sheet, listing students' names, email addresses, links to the scoring screen, and the student documents, as well as scores as you enter them in on the scoring sheet. I've purposely hidden student names and email addresses on the screenshot below. You will need to enter in the SUM or similar formula to calculate the total scores in the Grade column. For those of you who do proficiency based scoring, you can use conditional formatting to color-code the scores in the spreadsheet (which I didn't do in this screenshot below).<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4gRDUwpfus/VrTjOQN581I/AAAAAAAAzsQ/Kzg0dDX_7OA/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.43.38%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w4gRDUwpfus/VrTjOQN581I/AAAAAAAAzsQ/Kzg0dDX_7OA/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.43.38%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>To score student work, click on the hyperlink in the Goobric Link column and the scoring screen will appear in a new tab. </li>
<li>On the scoring screen, you can see the rubric for entering scores, a dashboard for submitting and advancing to the next student, and the student's document where you can enter in comments as needed. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21yGKzmxHQM/VrTktWNN_rI/AAAAAAAAzsc/WVH84qj6iKA/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.44.59%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-21yGKzmxHQM/VrTktWNN_rI/AAAAAAAAzsc/WVH84qj6iKA/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B12.44.59%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></li>
<li>After scores are submitted, the spreadsheet automatically updates and you can set it so that students are sent an email with the scores and the rubric is pasted at the bottom of the Doc with the appropriate cells highlighted to signify the scores. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kymb2YJ8m3E/VrTluQo1qbI/AAAAAAAAzss/N8QUdiyHiEk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B1.08.59%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kymb2YJ8m3E/VrTluQo1qbI/AAAAAAAAzss/N8QUdiyHiEk/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-05%2Bat%2B1.08.59%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></li>
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So why do I like this system? Well, after set-up, scoring takes place on one screen, and I have minimal clicking to get through the class set and students are immediately sent their scores.<br />
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If you'd like more information on setting up Doctopus and Goobric, take <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DRxiqYnAt7gQjrx8VJHi77xkIAbm8kOn-1lu78RWYTU/edit" target="_blank">a look at this public Google Doc</a> and make sure you send a thank you tweet to <a href="https://twitter.com/astillman" target="_blank">Andrew Stillman</a>, the mastermind of Doctopus and Goobric.<br />
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<b>Snow Day Papers</b><br />
So here I am at home on a snow day, happily blogging. But, I've also found another reason for going paperless. Remember those department-mandated Quarterly Exams I collected on Monday? Guess where they are sitting right now. Yup, that's right... on my desk at school. <br />
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After being out on Tuesday and Wednesday, I was busy catching up on all the things from being absent and left them on my desk, thinking I will get to them on Friday. Well, it looks that groundhog was wrong and the weather-folks underestimated this "brush" of a snow storm because here I am sitting home on a snow day without my stack of papers to grade. Guess I'll have some catching up to do again....<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-846112375826803592015-11-26T11:56:00.000-05:002015-11-26T12:05:35.129-05:00Crowdsourcing Book Recommendations #CEL15 #NCTE15I am continuing to decompress from attending the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Conference on English Leadership (CEL) events in Minneapolis, Minnesota where sessions, keynotes, and roundtables were brimming with resources and book recommendations. Throughout Penny Kittle's <a href="http://booklovefoundation.org/" target="_blank">book-loving</a> CEL closing keynote, I live-tweeted many of her recommendations, but I know I was not able to tweet out them all.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Jason Reynold's page in Amazon <a href="https://t.co/5BAbkAIl73">https://t.co/5BAbkAIl73</a> More book recommendations from <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a></div>— Kate Baker (@KtBkr4) <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4/status/669213185442889731">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/libertyegg">@libertyegg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a> here's the link to All American Boys <a href="https://t.co/A1eILnAsWb">https://t.co/A1eILnAsWb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a></div>— Kate Baker (@KtBkr4) <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4/status/669214842960482305">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Andrew Smith "Stick" <a href="https://t.co/euUixDSfcS">https://t.co/euUixDSfcS</a> Book Rec from <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a></div>— Kate Baker (@KtBkr4) <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4/status/669215629128241152">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Zac & Mia <a href="https://t.co/2XWbv16YZZ">https://t.co/2XWbv16YZZ</a> Book Rec <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a> "Non weepy Fault in Our Stars" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a></div>— Kate Baker (@KtBkr4) <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4/status/669216885578186752">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle" target="_blank">Penny Kittle</a> (as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/ReadDRjwilhelm" target="_blank">Jeff Wilhelm</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CarolJago" target="_blank">Carol Jago</a>, and all of the keynote speakers) are so inspiring (what an understatement!), and after 6 days of the NCTE and CEL conferences, I am struggling to retain all of what I learned. While I know I can go to Goodreads or Amazon to find books to read, I get overwhelmed with all of the choices and reviews. In an effort to simplify the process and capitalize on crowdsourcing, I created <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UWHwkk_zhJ7knCIFfMQ8eg9O1Uuskvqia0xslhQrKec/viewform" target="_blank">a Google Form for Book Recommendations</a>.<br />
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If you think a book is worth reading, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UWHwkk_zhJ7knCIFfMQ8eg9O1Uuskvqia0xslhQrKec/viewform" target="_blank">complete the form</a>. Quick and simple. Notice this form does not provide a place for 5-star ratings or reviews. As Penny Kittle pointed out when we recommend a specific book, we are imposing our own thoughts on the person to whom we are making the recommendation. <br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">When you only choose 1 book to recommend to recommend to a S, you make the choice. Give them a stack & let them choose. <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a></div>— Heather Rocco (@heatherrocco) <a href="https://twitter.com/heatherrocco/status/669218345334546432">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="en">Bring a stack of books to Ss... they have to reach for a book to own the book <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cel15?src=hash">#cel15</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/pennykittle">@pennykittle</a></div>— Kate Baker (@KtBkr4) <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4/status/669218143026319360">November 24, 2015</a></blockquote><br />
Transferring this same notion to general book recommendations (not just for students to read books in class), <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1giejbPZE_QkfvrXDOHsH0OIBDPNyGaK37Yjg5nWw95c/edit#gid=1371651271" target="_blank">the books recommended</a> via <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UWHwkk_zhJ7knCIFfMQ8eg9O1Uuskvqia0xslhQrKec/viewform" target="_blank">this Google Form</a> will serve as our digital stack. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1giejbPZE_QkfvrXDOHsH0OIBDPNyGaK37Yjg5nWw95c/edit#gid=1371651271" target="_blank">The spreadsheet results</a> can be filtered by fiction or nonfiction, alphabetized by author or title, and we can then venture to Amazon or Goodreads to find more information on the text. The form and <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1giejbPZE_QkfvrXDOHsH0OIBDPNyGaK37Yjg5nWw95c/edit#gid=1371651271" target="_blank">spreadsheet</a> are intended to serve as a starting point, a quick list of recommendations.<br />
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Even if you did not attend NCTE15 or CEL15, <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UWHwkk_zhJ7knCIFfMQ8eg9O1Uuskvqia0xslhQrKec/viewform" target="_blank">fill out the form</a>! Thank you!<br />
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Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-15888121240425559602015-11-14T17:06:00.000-05:002015-11-15T15:13:39.246-05:00Flipping ELA-- More than Students Reading Books at Home<br />
I had the wonderful privilege to present at the 2015 NJEA Convention in the <a href="http://flippedlearning.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1" target="_blank">Flipped Learning</a> Theater with the pioneering <a href="https://twitter.com/jonbergmann" target="_blank">Jon Bergmann</a> and the ever-enthusiastic <a href="https://twitter.com/DaretoChem" target="_blank">Marc Seigel</a>. I presented two sessions: Flipping the English Language Arts Classroom and Technology Tools for Flipped Reading.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKJ82ykigJ8/VketA66D3WI/AAAAAAAAxhk/lrRGHaHmf2o/s1600/20151106_112122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKJ82ykigJ8/VketA66D3WI/AAAAAAAAxhk/lrRGHaHmf2o/s400/20151106_112122.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D9BD-8JjqCc/Vker6btwrRI/AAAAAAAAxhY/46pSzULXBIQ/s1600/20151105_100147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D9BD-8JjqCc/Vker6btwrRI/AAAAAAAAxhY/46pSzULXBIQ/s320/20151105_100147.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4">@KtBkr4</a> is about to rock her Flipping the Lang Arts Classroom. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NJEAConv?src=hash">#NJEAConv</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flipclass?src=hash">#flipclass</a> <a href="https://t.co/PSNPEPusDE">pic.twitter.com/PSNPEPusDE</a></div>
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Learning some new things from <a href="https://twitter.com/KtBkr4">@KtBkr4</a> at her "Edtech Tools to Flip Reading" presentation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njconv?src=hash">#njconv</a> <a href="https://t.co/JtRdQiphi9">pic.twitter.com/JtRdQiphi9</a></div>
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My slide decks are below. I'm really proud of my visual design for these slides! <a href="http://www.slidescarnival.com/" target="_blank">Slide Carnival</a> has some excellent templates that can be customized. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks within the slides for access to resources. Lots of goodies!<br />
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<a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/the-flip-side-with-jon-bergmann/3364-how-flip-happens-unpacking-a-flipped-close-reading-lesson" target="_blank">Speaking with Jon Bergmann at the convention for his BAM radio show, "The Flip Side,"</a> the question was broached, "Well, isn't English already flipped? Read at home and come to class ready to apply?" My answer is a resounding NO! For some students, reading is the difficult task, and I want to be present with my students for the difficult tasks. I can Flip 101 (aka replace live, direct instruction with video or tech tool) many things in the classroom, including reading, but I need to make sure that students are adept at the skills when we are face to face before I send them home with flipped tasks to complete. The "face-to-face before do at home" time will vary depending on the content. For some material, I need 5 minutes to make sure students are adept, but for other skills or content, my students may need multiple class periods to demonstrate that they are proficient independent learners.<br />
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I am a big fan of the "in-class" flip: allow students to practice self-pacing and independent learning in class rather than at home. Remember, the primary premise of Flipped Learning is to make the best use of face-to-face time with your students. So if this means they need guided, independent learning (I know, such an oxymoron) prior to unsupervised, independent learning (I know, redundant), then that is what I will do. The flip at home will not be successful, and we will lose precious face-to-face time if I don't scaffold the process and gradually release control to the students.<br />
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The Flipping ELA Slide Deck features some activities and resources for how to Flip 101 and Mastery Flip an English Class. I've learned so much from my Flipped ELA peeps that I can not take credit for all the things in the slides. While I use what I share on the slides with my students, the original ideas may have come from one of the phenomenal flipping ELA teachers listed towards the end of the slide deck.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IlBdNBvOt1UIlbVztEdJMT7sWLPMcX5KHwpNxEaHQEM/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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The Tech Tools for Flipping Reading will provide some examples of Flip 101 screencasts for modeling close reading, as well as edtech tools such as Booktrack Classroom and Curriculet for flipped reading instruction. And make sure you listen to t<a href="http://www.bamradionetwork.com/the-flip-side-with-jon-bergmann/3364-how-flip-happens-unpacking-a-flipped-close-reading-lesson" target="_blank">he interview with Jon Bergmann</a> because I share how my students practice close reading using Google Docs as we Explore-Flip-Apply author's purpose and literary devices in texts.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QV3fAbp3rlFUYlD9hA-tOG8FhuSl5F_6uiPs2gECl8g/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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</b> <b>Be sure to reply in the Comments to this post with your strategies for flipping your class or any questions you may have about how to flip!</b><br />
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</b>Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-25739700357871127352015-10-10T12:32:00.000-04:002015-10-10T14:55:03.797-04:00#WhyITeach #WhyILearn Reflective Thinking for Teachers, Students and Parents<div style="text-align: center;">
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At <a href="http://njpaecet2.org/" target="_blank">NJPAECET2</a> a photobooth area was set up where participants filled out speech bubbles to thank a teacher and answer the question, "Why do I teach?" Pictures were taken, tweeted out with the hashtag #WhyITeach or #ThankATeacher, and all the speech bubbles were taped to the windows.</div>
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This is a powerful visual and an easy method for triggering reflection. <i>Why do we teach? What teachers am I grateful for?</i> In the age of assessment, it is easy to lose sight of the purpose of education and the people who matter when we are bogged down with mandates and methods of documenting accountability. Notice, not anywhere on these speech bubbles does it say, "So, my students can get As on tests" or "Thank you to the teacher who helped me ace that exam."<br />
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<i>Why do we teach? Who are we grateful for?</i><br />
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I teach because I love learning and experiencing the world through a text. I teach because I want to share my love of learning and cultivate the curiosity of my students. So much of what I do for students can be seen in small gestures -- creating an engaging classroom climate, awakening students' critical thinking skills, guiding the students' towards connected yet independent learning and self-sustainability. All of the small things add up over time to create a solid foundation for students as they journey towards graduation. To use another metaphor, in freshmen year I'm leading them to the path and giving them tools and resources to use, but the students are walking the path when they venture beyond my room. Through professional development opportunities, I'm sharing my strategies, engaging and collaborating with educators --which expands my reach: when I help another teacher, I am helping that teacher's students. Ultimately, I teach so I can help make the world a better place.<br />
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I'm grateful for my parents who are educators, my former teachers, and my colleagues near and far who have inspired me and shaped my teaching practices. I cannot be the teacher I am today without their influence.<br />
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With the start of the 2015-16 school year under way and having the largest cohort of freshmen Honors classes ever, the above questions also got me thinking about what would my students say if I asked them, "Why do you learn?"<br />
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Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/teacher2teacher" target="_blank">@Teacher2Teacher</a>, who sent me a kit to replicate the #WhyITeach activity in my district, I adapted the directions to fit my students and we used the hashtag, #WhyILearn. Students filled out their speech bubbles, and I hung them up around the classroom so that they could have a daily reminder of their responses as we get deeper in the course content.<br />
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Take a look at some of their responses...<br />
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Did you see if any of the responses had to do with testing or grades? Me neither.<br />
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So many of the responses focus on the future and wanting to be successful. But what is their definition of success? What does success really mean to my students? How do we quantify success? These are important questions to answer. The answers are also important to keep in mind as when the stress of school gets too overwhelming: focus on the big picture; think about how this moment will lead to a better future.<br />
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Also at the beginning of the school year is Back to School Night, and the activity with my students got me thinking about what the students' parents would say if I asked them the question, "Why do you want your child to learn?"<br />
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Flipping Back to School Night, I recorded a screencast of my class expectations and procedures two weeks prior to the big night. Students were given the assignment to watch the video WITH their parent and answer the corresponding questions using <a href="http://edpuzzle.com/">EDpuzzle</a> before attending Back to School.<br />
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Since my parents already knew the procedures and expectations of my class, I didn't need to spend time on Back to School Night repeating the information and could do an activity in the 12 minute class period that would let them get a feel for my teaching style and how their student might feel being a member of the class.<br />
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After a quick introduction and recap of most important information, I posed questions to my parents, "Why do you want your child to learn? What is the point? What do you think is the purpose of learning?" They were tasked with writing their answers on yellow blocks of paper before running out the door to their next class.<br />
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Thinking of the parents' responses as building blocks, I taped them to the wall of my classroom. Take a look...<br />
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Do you see any responses that include getting good grades or doing well on standardized assessments? Me neither.<br />
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Besides being part of the decorations in the room, I wonder how else I can bring parents into the classroom so that we all keep our sights focused on the purpose of learning and how we can best meet the needs of the students. When it comes to education, everyone matters, parents, students, and teachers.<br />
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So as we venture further into the journey of this school year, continue reflecting on WHY we do what we do and how it fits into the greater scheme of our students' lives, remember the purpose of teaching and learning.<br />
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This is a panoramic shot of the walls of my classroom. In the comments here, please share why you teach and learn and how you remind parents, students, and other teachers about the purpose of education.<br />
<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-79880578974101691852015-09-27T13:14:00.002-04:002015-09-27T13:14:06.325-04:00#NJPAECET2 I took a GIANT step forward...Barry this is for you.I have always been a leader, a starter, and a team player. The oldest of 5 children, drum major, swim team captain, founder of a swim team and high school therapy dog program, #flipclass advocate, edtech edge cutter... I've always been on the head of the metaphoric spear, but never the only point person, but something shifted the weekend of NJPAECET2 x 2.<br />
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I took a giant step forward in terms of leadership on September 19th and 20th, 2015 at the 2nd convening of the NJ-PA Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers. Being part of a 20+ person steering committee crowdsourced by the legendary Barry Saide, it can be a bit of dance to know who is doing what and when and to understand all the moving cogs and wheels of the organizational machinery. At the conclusion of the 1st convening of NJPAECET2 last year, we started planning for the second iteration: soliciting for sponsors, creating forms for proposal submissions, generating a list of invitees, and more. Not working a full-time job this summer afforded me time to be available to take on greater responsibility behind the scenes-- working with Barry, Liz, Steve, Scott, Gio, and Josh, I had a hand in session acceptances and scheduling, the itinerary of the convening, setting up the Edmodo group, countless pages of color-coded spreadsheets of participants, presenters, sponsors... I learned so much about spreadsheet design and management this summer... when something needed to be done, I was on it.<br />
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I'm the type of person who needs to know what my role is and where I fit in the scheme of things--tell me what to do, and I will do it. When I know my role, I will act accordingly. I'm also the type of person who if I see something that needs to be done, will speak up, but I will speak up with the expectation that whoever is "in charge" will make decisions and delegate. Seeing Barry as our "leader," I assumed that he make the final call on all things: Things not running on schedule, Barry will decide what to do. Something is missing, Barry will get it. But at NJPAECET2 x 2 that was not the case. On September 19th and 20th, I cast aside those expectations and stepped into the role of decision-maker and delegator.<br />
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"Step up, then step back" was one of the mottos heard during Colleague Circles at NJPAECET2-- speak up, be a leader, but then step back and allow someone else to come forward and lead. Barry, you stepped back so that I could step up.<br />
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When the first keynote ran over time and the schedule needed to be adjusted, I emailed Barry, sitting 2 tables away, about what to do. Then I quickly realized, I didn't need Barry's permission to adjust the schedule. As the timing of events continued to need adjustment, I did it. Popping into sessions to check on presenters, snapping pictures, making announcements, alerting participants it was time to move to the next session, constantly thinking about "how can we tweak this to make it better?"and calling a steering committee "brain dump" session at the conclusion of the weekend-- I was on hyper speed not just as a participant, but as an engineer who kept the train on its track and schedule.<br />
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None of this would have happened if I wasn't given the opportunity to grow and didn't have fantastic, amazing educators to work with. Thank you, Barry, for creating the opportunity to step up. While I know it would never be an easy job, I now know that I have the skills and ability to be "The Leader." Where will I go from here? I don't know quite yet (I have some ideas...), but I know I have taken a very important first step.<br />
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Thank you to all who attended, presented, sponsored, and organized NJPAECET2. You all have elevated me, and I continue to bask in the glow of the celebration of our profession. I can't wait to see what else we will accomplish together.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-65070613213834253952015-07-31T11:30:00.000-04:002015-07-31T19:02:36.758-04:00Creating Curriculets with Students<a href="https://twitter.com/guster4lovers" target="_blank">Cheryl Morris </a>asked me if students can create their own <a href="http://www.curriculet.com/" target="_blank">curriculets</a>, embedding questions and quizzes inside a text. Her plan: have students work in groups or as individuals to create their own curriculets and share them with other students to read and answer the questions/quizzes-- like a suped-up literature circle! What a great idea to promote higher level thinking! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g21Y3dvUcp4/VbuDoASfHAI/AAAAAAAAtpM/HfCn6FQUDrU/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-31%2Bat%2B10.17.01%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g21Y3dvUcp4/VbuDoASfHAI/AAAAAAAAtpM/HfCn6FQUDrU/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-07-31%2Bat%2B10.17.01%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of the opening of A Tale of Two Cities in Curriculet</td></tr>
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However, student accounts and teacher accounts function differently in <a href="http://www.curriculet.com/" target="_blank">Curriculet</a>, so while students can embed their own annotations in a text, they cannot add a layer of their own questions and quizzes. But Cheryl's question got me thinking, and I have a workaround solution: set-up a couple of fake-teacher accounts where students can take turns creating curriculets.<br />
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Initially, I thought setting up one account for all students to access would work, but the security features will not allow multiple, simultaneous logins on the same account. Each fake-teacher account will need to have its own email address (running out of addresses to use, check out <a href="http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-more-from-your.html" target="_blank">GMail's plus feature</a>). I do NOT recommend each student creating his/her own fake-teacher account for managerial reasons. It would be too difficult to monitor 30 or 130 individual teacher accounts. The teacher should set up the fake-teacher account(s) prior to giving access to the students so that students can focus on creating/editing the curriculets and not be delayed or confused by set-up procedures.<br />
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Why wouldn't I want to give my students access to my teacher account on Curriculet? Wouldn't that be easier? My teacher account includes performance data from current and previous years. I do not want students accessing the teacher dashboard. The fake-teacher accounts are created so that they can access the curriculet-editor feature. The fake-teacher account will not have any active classes tied to it. As I outline in the steps below, students will share with the teacher the created curriculets and the teacher will assign the reading of the created-curriculets through his/her real teacher account that has groups and classes already set-up.<br />
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<b>The Steps for Students-Created Curriculets:</b></div>
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<li>The teacher creates the fake-teacher class accounts for students to use.</li>
<li>In the fake-teacher accounts, go to Curriculet's STORE and select the titles for which you want students to create curriculets, or in the LIBRARY upload a Google Doc or Word Document students will use to create the curriculet. Name each curriculet appropriately.</li>
<li>State the ground rules and objectives for usage and give students the username and password for the fake-teacher class accounts.</li>
<li>Students log in to Curriculet on the fake-teacher accounts and select the text(s) from the LIBRARY. I envision students creating curriculets for short stories, poetry, or excerpts of lengthy texts. Multiple curriculets can be created for the same text.</li>
<li>Students embed their annotations, questions, and quizzes in the text.</li>
<li>When finished, the students SHARE the created-curriculet with the teacher by emailing the link (or to keep a record of the created-curriculets in the teacher's files, have students copy/paste the link to a Google Form/ Spreadsheet or LMS assignment). </li>
<li>The teacher (in his/her real teacher account) adds the created-curriculets to his/her LIBRARY and assigns them to the class to read.</li>
<li>The teacher (in his/her real teacher account) monitors the students' reading of the created curiculets, checking for accuracy and (if he/she so chooses) shares with the creators the readers' performance data.</li>
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Want to see this process in action? Watch the screencast below...<br />
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Thinking this through from a lesson-planning and implementation point of view, the teacher could provide the students with the specific guidelines for how many questions, annotations, and quizzes to embed. Or the teacher could let the students run free and have a reflective discussion after the curriculets are created where students analyze and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their creations. I like giving minimal directions so that I do not stifle student creativity and have an opportunity for metacognitive analysis, but the teacher can make that call. Users can make many versions of a curriculet layer for one text, so students could be creating curriculets for the same text at the same time. I suggest following a specific naming convention so that each curriculet version can be differentiated: Year Pd Group Name. Example: 2015 Pd2 GroupA.<br />
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Keep in mind that many texts in the Curriculet Store come with the layer of questions, quizzes, and annotations already created, and tech-savvy students will be able to find them. So, I would make sure to have a clear purpose and objective for the student-created curriculets that goes beyond the assessment of comprehension. </div>
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Thinking about time constraints, I do not recommend having students create their own curriculet for a lengthy novel unless the teacher is dividing the class up with each group focused on a specific section of the novel. Again, each student or group should make his/her/its own curriculet layer starting at the assigned section (the teacher creates the curriculets for each section ahead of time). Do not try having all students working in the same curriculet at the same time. It won't work.<br />
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In order for this process to work, I recommend that the teacher monitors all accounts and does the set-up work ahead of time. If students are focused on the task of creating the curriculets, there should be little room for shenanigans.</div>
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Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1806561678107131005.post-74628783693747352752015-07-30T17:46:00.000-04:002017-09-03T21:18:35.020-04:00They NAILED it! Making the rounds on the interwebs this week is Key & Peele's Comedy Central skit, <i>Teaching Center</i>, where they pose the question, "What if Teachers Were Treated Like Pro Athletes?" <br />
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Key & Peele totally NAILED it.<br />
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Yeah it is Comedy Central, so of course it will be funny, but what makes this video stand out is in the nuances and details. I know very little about Key & Peele, other than they are a TV show, but I can tell they know teachers and the teaching profession. While it would be nice to be treated like professional athletes who garner special attention and million dollar salaries, how Key & Peele chose to satirize Sports Center highlights the fact that teachers are not in the teaching profession for the notoriety or riches.<br />
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<br />Kate Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17916823276653301714noreply@blogger.com0