#ISTE2015 Peer Evaluation & a BAM Radio Interview

So, this happened.....  Jon Bergmann, flipclass pioneer, interviewed me about my peer evaluation techniques at ISTE.

How did that happen???  Well, after chatting about what I do during lunch with Jon Bergmann, Aaron Sams, and Crystal Kirch, Jon says, "I need to interview you right now for my radio show!"  Say, what?!  I didn't even have time to process his statement.  Next thing I know, Jon finds a quiet spot, whips out his phone and starts recording and asking me questions. You can listen to the podcast of the interview with Jon Bergmann here.

That was on Sunday. On Tuesday, I presented my ISTE session, "Best Practices & Digital Tools for Feedback, Assessment, & Evaluation," to a packed room. No open seats and folks were even sitting on the floor!

@KtBkr4 getting people excited about assessing students @ISTE_OLNetwork #edtech #ISTE2015 pic.twitter.com/yz6exA52Ca

— Ryan Hudson (@hudson524) June 30, 2015

#ISTE2015 Nice job @KtBkr4 sharing a great set of feedback, evaluation & assessment tools pic.twitter.com/Q24ngLjZLA

— Jon K Price (@JonKPriceIntel) June 30, 2015

To learn how/why I got started with peer evaluation, read this.


Since my student teaching days, I've been refining my peer evaluation process, and with Google Apps for Education, the process has become paperless. Google Classroom makes it easy to manage the workflow. Keep in mind, the following steps take place over the course of a week or so. Students get their writing evaluated by classmates, and then the writers evaluate their evaluators. The objectives of this process are centered on fostering a community of writers and having a dialogue about student work. Students are engaging in an analytical, reflective, and metacognitive process.


GOOGLE CLASSROOM STEPS:

1. Create an assignment in Google Classroom for students to turn in their writing.
2. Create a Google Form for the peer evaluation.  I use a combination of rubrics: checklist of requirements, numerical qualities, and Outstanding/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (OSU) to assess quality. 
3. Share the writing pieces with the class. Classroom will automatically put all student work in to an assignment folder which you can share with the class. I prefer to set the permissions to "Anyone with link can COMMENT." When you change the folder settings, it will change every document in the folder to match the sharing permissions of the folder. 
4. Create an announcement where you provide the link to the shared folder and the Google Form for evaluation. Students open folder, select essays to read and evaluate on the Google Form. I encourage students to do at least 5 different evaluations. 
5. Create another Classroom assignment for analyzing the evaluations. I create a template Google Doc with guiding questions and have Classroom create a copy for each student and I attach the master spreadsheet for the students to copy/paste their particular data. Students analyze their data and agree/disagree with the itemized evaluations as well as the whole evaluation. They must provide evidence to support their agreement/disagreement with the evaluations. 
6. Create another Google Form for the Evaluation of the Evaluator.  Writers will fill out the form providing their evaluator with feedback on the quality of the evaluation. I've also used the Autocrat add-on to auto deliver the feedback to a Google Doc for each evaluator instead of doing the next step. 
7. Create another Classroom assignment for analyzing the evaluation of the evaluator with another Google Doc template (again set it so Classroom generates a copy for each student to edit) and the link to the spreadsheet attached. Students copy/paste their corresponding data on to their Google Doc and analyze/reflect on how well they evaluated their classmates.

Throughout this entire process, I am monitoring the students and checking the spreadsheets.  If I see something out of joint (someone isn't pulling his/her weight), I will speak directly to the student and provide redirection.  Students are also allowed to talk to one another while working on the evaluations. I keep an ear on the conversations and will jump in as needed.

So I know this process is an overwhelming amount to digest at once.  I do not do all of this right away.  I scaffold the process and gradually ease students into this. Here is my instructional design:

Marking period 1: Foster an open community by getting students accustomed to sharing their work.  Everything from worksheets to quick writes is shared with a neighbor.  I also have students post their finished work to our Share Our Work small group and Scribe City group in Edmodo (more on the Edmodo groups in another blog post).  We do quick peer evaluation activities on paper to start and by the end of the marking period use Google Forms. We have discussions on how to evaluate each other's work with students writing self-evaluations. No formal evaluations of the evaluator just yet.

Marking period 2: We maintain our open community, but the writing tasks and peer evaluations have increased in complexity and length. We no longer use paper to evaluate, everything is on Google forms.  Students still complete self-evaluations and begin to use Google Forms to evaluate the evaluator.

Marking period 3: Pull it all together!  Students engage in the entire process completing formal evaluations of writing tasks and the evaluators. Everything is on Google Forms and in Classroom.

Marking period 4: Continue. Continue. Continue.  As a final project, students write up a final self-reflection as a writer and evaluator examining their growth through out the entire year.

So that is it in a nutshell.  Did I lose you through all of this?  Need clarification?  PLEASE, share and let me know what you do with your students.  I am continually tweaking this process, so I value your contributions!

How to (Not) Fill a Blank White Page

Working with Ms. Morris, Mr. Lindgren-Streicher, and Mr. Thomasson back in August and similar in concept to Google's 20% time projects, the Blank White Page Project was conceived as a way to connect students and teachers through questioning and self-directed learning. While we are implementing this within the confines of the continental US, this project could be adapted to include classrooms around the globe.

The Process

1. The class discusses types of questions and students make a list of questions they have always wondered about. The questions should be open-ended and require research and creativity to answer. 
2. One of the teachers in the group creates a Google form for recording and a Google site for housing the questions. 
3. Students go to the BWP site and record their questions.
4. The teacher moves the questions entered by his/her students on the Google form to the various categories on the BWP site.
5. Students return to the site and peruse the questions, choosing one to answer. 
6. Students create "an answer" to the question, share it with the teacher, and the teacher posts it to the site. Answers can be in any form as long as they address the question.

Students can complete the BWP project individually or in groups comprised of members from their own school or elsewhere. Using Edmodo, Twitter (#BWP12), Skype or Google Hangouts, students can collaborate on creating and sharing answers. This process can be continually repeated throughout the year and additional teachers and classes can be added to the site. Additional participants could be found via networking on Twitter with other educators-- just pop into a #flipclass chat on Monday nights-- or via posting a request to one of the communities on Edmodo. I've met teachers online from all over the country, Canada, and Australia, many of whom are interested in connecting their classes.

Grading

Since this is project based learning, students could be scored with rubrics on the use of technology and creativity and effort in answering the chosen question. Self evaluation and reflection is also an important piece of the assessment process.  Students could also be additionally evaluated on their communication skills and ability to collaborate. The objective is for students to take ownership of their learning, so they should "own" the grade, not the teacher.

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MY Implementation Issues

This has really been bothering me. I was so excited to begin this project (and I STILL AM excited to continue it), but I have met with some set-backs this year that have impeded the process and participation. I'm very frustrated by these set backs and not being able to better connect with the other teachers and classes.

1. "Hey guys, wait for me!" Not all schools are on the same schedule. My collaborative colleagues began classes in August, and my school year did not begin until after Labor Day in September. I was the last one in the group to get my students started. Between mandatory diagnostic testing and getting the school year rolling, I wasn't able to get started on BWP until mid-September, a full month and a half behind the other participants. 
2. "We can't get in the computer lab today."  While we have computer labs, media centers, and now a solid wi-fi infrastructure for BYOD in my district, we are not as far along with integrating technology on a daily basis in the classroom as compared to a 1:1 district. I am bound by scheduling constraints and access to the computers themselves. We have 6 computer and mobile labs for 2000+ students right now and students' home access is inconsistent.
3. "What's a Google Site?"  I may be a MS Word wizard, but I haven't earned my wings yet flying through the cloud.  I didn't learn about Google Sites and how to create Google Forms until this summer and, other than using Microsoft programs, my students have also had limited exposure to technology in the classroom. This September was the first time many of my students have filled out a Google Form. My district is on the cusp of emerging from a ground-based school to one in the clouds as more teachers integrate web 2.0 tools in the classroom, and (after much delay) we are finally becoming a Google school and students will have their own Google Drive and access to collaborative apps. We are all learning as we go! 
4. "We got walloped by a hurricane."  Seriously, walloped. I was all set three weeks ago to get students started on answering questions for BWP, and then we got hit by Hurricane Sandy and school was closed for two weeks to be an evacuation shelter for our regional community. Numerous teachers and students were and currently are displaced and the past week has been about the recovery efforts and supporting the community. I can't complain about a change in plans considering the circumstances. 

Thinking Ahead

For any collaborative project that extends beyond the bounds of the physical classroom, teachers need to consider the following logistics: 

• Infrastructure: Does the school/classroom have the ability to connect to others? Does the school have available technology for completing the project and staying in contact?
• Timing: How will the school calendars and schedules hinder communication and the process?  What are the timelines for the project?
• Participants: Are all participants on the same page? Do all have the same expectations? Are all participants able to give the same level of commitment?  

If I've had issues on a national-scale, these could be compounded when applied to a global project. It is important to be proactive and prevent issues from occurring so that the project will be a success. I want the BWP to be a success because I know that it is a valuable self-directed project for my students, as well as myself. So, after much delay, we are ready to move ahead.

We all have so much to learn! 

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because your would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions." 

- Rainer Maria Rilke

QR Codes for Imagery Writing

This activity will appeal to students who are kinestetic and visual learners. Using BYOD, students will bring to class their personal device and use a QR code reader to access pictures on the web. Students will then incorporate sensory details to write a short creative response based on each picture.

The Process:

1. The teacher creates QR codes of various pictures found on the web and saves the codes in his/her files. Using a QR Coder and a Google Image search, pictures can easily be found. The pictures should invoke descriptive writing. 
2. Prior to class, the teacher prints out the QR codes and places them around the classroom.
3. Students circulate around the room and use a QR code reader on their smartphone or tablet to access the pictures and either write their descriptions on paper or use the voice recorder on their device to record the student's description of the picture. Students who do not have their own device will team up with another student who has a device.
4. When all pictures have been written about, students share their responses with their neighbor and the teacher asks for volunteers to share with the whole class.
5. The teacher will then project each picture on the big screen in the front of the room and the teacher will discuss the pictures with the class. Students will then revise their responses to include details that could not been seen on the smaller device screens or those sparked by comments made by classmates. Students can share their responses with their neighbor and discuss writing options.
6. Students choose one response from the set to revise and turn in for review by the teacher.

Grading

The initial writing responses will not be graded, but instead used for formative assessment. The final revised response can be scored using a rubric, but as I've stated in previous posts, I'm reluctant to put a score on students' writing. I'd rather read the response, annotate, conference with the student and offer constructive feedback for further improvement.

Take a look...

If We Could Write 10,000 Words...

I've been thinking about writing and how to evolve my students into better writers, but to be honest, I don't really consider myself an accomplished writer. The irony should be slapping you, dear reader, in the face:  I am an English teacher, so shouldn't I be an accomplished writer? Other than the publishing I've done on the copier at school, what I've written here on this blog and starting to write for Teachercast, the answer, sadly, is no.

English teachers are the jacks of all trades in the academic world: we juggle reading, writing, analysis, standardized testing with a myriad of texts and techniques. While the Common Core Curriculum Standards are supposed to provide English teachers with a common core of skills and texts, English classes are not standardized because the scope is too broad.  Writing gets sandwiched in context with the literature taught in class, and while I've written before about the merits of peer editing, I still feel as if there isn't enough time to get the students to become better writers.

The same dilemma is mirrored in my own life. Here I am typing on my laptop perched on the counter next to the onions caramelizing on the stove and surrounded by my daughter's first grade homework marooned on the kitchen island. And there's dishes and lunch boxes scattered about waiting to be corralled. But here I am, striking while the iron is hot, typing up this post.  I'd like to think that I'm producing quality work, but I'm sure I will be editing this piece when I am less "distracted".

How can students become better writers when they too are distracted ... hold on I got to stir the onions...  by all the other "stuff" that is covered in class?

I came across a FaceBook post by David Blixt, an author I've been reading and following online.

David Blixt - Author

6 hours ago via mobile

I've been asked, due to how much I'm able to produce, if I sleep. Yeah. I need 7 hours, or I'm pretty useless. And my productivity has plummeted since I became a father (that's not a complaint). Back when I banged out The Master Of Verona, I had a lot of 10,000 word days. My best was a 22,000 word day. These days 5,000 is a good day. But I'm also a better writer, and better editor, than I was ten years ago. I'd rather have 5,000 good words than 20,000 ones that have to be pared, replaced, and eventually cut. (The second draft of MoV was 300,000 words. The one St. Martin's bought was 192,000.) I don't know if that makes me prolific. But it does keep me busy.

(Swap out quote above for screenshot of FB post after dinner is finished... Oh no! I forgot to start cooking the porkchops! Be back soon!)


10,000 words a day-- to write 10,000 glorious words a day. What a feat! Granted, this feat requires the desire to write. How long does it take to write 10,000 words? I'd like just 10 minutes of uninterrupted time (hold on, stirring onions again).

I wonder how many words my own students write in a day and what type of writers would they be with that quantity (and desire).  If anyone out there in cyberspace has read Malcolm Gladwell's The Outliers, there's that magic number appearing again: 10,000. Granted Gladwell points out that it is 10,000 HOURS that are needed to create mastery, but I wonder, could students master writing in 10,000 words total? (We don't have 10,000 hours!) And, here comes the obvious questions, when and how do we implement writing 10,000 words in and out of class? 10 x 1,000 word essays? 2 x 5,000 word research papers? 20 x 500 word activities?

I've never taught a dedicated writing course that was exclusive to writing, but I do remember being tortured by a Creative Non-fiction class during my undergrad years.  While that class was dedicated to writing, I know for a fact that it didn't make me a better writer. I did not connect well with the professor and my own insecurities about writing did not foster improvement by the end of the course.  I'm sure there are plenty of other students who have had similar experiences.

The other piece of this puzzle is the use of technology to foster writing. Students have access to writing in forms that were not available to me way back when: Facebook, Twitter, blogging, email, etc. Technology has enable us to return to an epistolary society. Granted, most of the writing is in short bursts, but I do know that Twitter's 140 character limit makes me rethink sentence structure and how to be concise. I've done some quick Do Now type writing assignments where students compose a tweet in the voice of a character, but writing on paper doesn't have the same affect as using the app-- so more Twitter-type assignments will have to wait until students are allowed to have access.

So, thinking further about writing and technology, how else can I evolve my own teaching of writing into something that connects to the students, makes them think, and is fun? While using plug and play strategies with paragraph and essay structure has worked to get students started, I want to evolve their writing into something that is beyond cookie cutter. Traditional teaching strategies are not enough anymore.

For story writing, I've stumbled upon Google's Story Builder which uses text, music, and video to build a creative story that has moved beyond the bounds of paragraph structure. I'm excited to explore this with my students. I'll be starting Canterbury Tales with my not-as-academic seniors after Thanksgiving and Google Story Builder could entice the students to tell their own creative traveling tales or adapt the tales told by Chaucer.  My freshmen students have excelled at using the netbooks in class, so I'm sure this tool will keep them enthralled when writing creative stories of their own or those that connect to Of Mice & Men, The Odyssey, and Romeo and Juliet.

I have this song in my head now while trying to conclude this post...

So...

If we could write 10,000 words, could we write 10,000 more...?

(Off to finish dinner!)



PS-- I think my blog post turned out better than dinner. Multitasking is definitely not the answer for cooking or writing...


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Part Deux: I Need a Contractor for Google Story Builder

Using Google's Story Builder 

So I started playing with Google's Story Builder today to create an example for this post, and while I like it for the potential use and the innovative way to show creative writing, I'm having an issue writing up my own example story. I feel like I'm back in that dreaded writing class again and having writer's block. Creative writing is just not my forte because it involves building and thinking forward. I think in a backwards direction by analyzing and deconstructing what is already present; I break things down instead of build them up. If I don't know where I want my story to go, how can I write the story?   I am such an analytic thinker and my creativity is a MacGyver type: I synthesize things in front of me and manipulate to create something new.

Here is an example from Google and the characters of 30 Rock, which is better than any example I tried to create, and frankly, captures the process I went through.

The Writing Process

I'm fascinated by the process authors use to write because I want to learn how they create. When I am writing a blog post or an essay, I start with my subject or theme and then the post evolves as I write. I go with the flow instead of planning everything out beforehand. I just write and wander on the page and the style evolves during the editing process.

I attempted humor in part one of the post and tried showing how my life mirrors writing in the English classroom (not a dedicated writing class). The humor evolved as I was writing: I didn't start the post thinking, "Gee, let me write a humorous piece." I actually intended to write a straight forward review on the Google Story Builder, but the post just went in a different direction.  I'd like to think I was funny, but only you the reader can tell me....  maybe I don't want to know....  (my attempt at humor again... ok, I know it isn't funny to have to point out the jokes and explain them....)

Teachers, writers, and authors, how do you write and what other tools have you found that students could use? Does your muse hit you on the head with divine inspiration while in the moment? Or do you go charging in with a map of what you will write and leave your strategic mark?


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Part Three:  Update 11/15/12

I shared the above blog post with author David Blixt last night on Facebook and received this reply below.

 He also replied on his own blog. 

This has made my week! 

And this!  For me! TOO COOL!

Podcast Interview with Troy Cockrum

Just wanted to take a quick moment and share this podcast for the Flipped Learning Network and EdReach. I was interviewed by Troy Cockrum, another English flipper. We discuss aspects of flipping in the HS English Classroom and discussed how to engage students in effective peer editing.

My area was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy and I will write more and post later. In short, I'd like to thank Troy for this opportunity!

Enjoy!

The War on Writing Without Red Pens: Winning?

"The conditions of conquest are always easy. We have but to toil awhile, endure awhile, believe always, and never turn back." - Marcus Annaeus Seneca

I've been struggling with the logistics and assessment of student writing for my entire academic career and I'm not using hyperbole (again). I've written about peer editing and I know that works to help improve students' writing, but when it comes to the teacher putting a grade on the paper, I have issues.  I have never been satisfied with any rubric, checklist, or method.  Red penning the essay until it bleeds doesn't improve the writing on the next assignment because it is the teacher telling the student what is wrong, it isn't the student taking responsibility for crafting what is written on the page.  Red penning is a one-sided battle: the teacher has conquered and the student is caught in friendly fire.

I know, students could write draft after draft, revise until hands fall off, but where is the time for that? Unless I am teaching a writing class to 5 students, I will not be able to effectively balance all the curricular demands at the high school level with 150 students under my charge and get them to where they need to be as writers. And on a philosophical point, I have issues with putting grades on students' writing. I can use rubrics, but it feels so forced and formulaic (uh yeah, like those 5 paragraph essays...). I hear the science folks chiming in, "But formulas work!"  Yeah, they do: formulas are good for getting started and modeling. I'm no Heidi Klum, but I've modeled some formulas on my RUNWAY- A. But, I want to get off the runway!  I want writing to take flight! (How many metaphors & allusions did I just mix? OH NO! Don't take off points!)

Speaking of points, teachers and students all know what happens when the grade is plastered to the top of the page: the students stop writing; the paper is thrown in a folder rarely to be looked at again. I could use portfolios and have students present their best work at the end of the marking period.  But you want to know why/how most of those pieces got picked for the portfolio, I bet you can't guess....  oh, that is right....  the ones that got the highest grade from the teacher and needed the least amount of tweaking. Who is being responsible for the writing? And how to grade those portfolios?  I could instead assess them on their presentation of the portfolio as a way to test public speaking, but the writing wouldn't be the focus.

Having students revise, revise, revise is a wonderful ideal, I can't get passed this question: If students didn't KNOW how to write well the first time, how are they going to KNOW how to make it better? We know red penning doesn't work.  Students need to do more than revise, aka fix, the grammar errors. I want them to get into the meat of the ideas of the writing, and cook up a good meal, but that takes TIME and DESIRE to develop and craft, and in this current educational and societal climate, there are too many "more important" things to tackle. Writing for the sake of good writing just isn't happening unless one is a writer.

I sound worse than Grendel on one of his existential nihilism rants in this blog post, and my intention is not to whine and lament the death of intrinsically motivated writing. So let me get to my latest idea (oh here we go again...).

For the first marking period my one section of seniors focused on the concepts of heroism, bravery, and honor. After reading "Beowulf" and Grendel and learning the Hero's Journey pattern, I asked my not very academic senior students to write a personal essay on their own hero's journey.

Essentially, I asked them, "What do you want to be when you grown up and how have your past challenges prepared you for the future challenges you will face to attain your goal? How can you become a "hero" in your own life?" They had two weeks to write it, and I made it clear that they SHOULD be writing a little everyday, but most waited until 3 days before the due date to start it. Most confessed that they had a hard time writing about this topic and didn't know how to start, but I rebutted, "If YOU can't write about YOURSELF, who will?  Shouldn't this be the easiest topic to write about since no one knows you as well as you? Graduation is just 9 months away, shouldn't you have an idea of where you will go after graduation?" They like the idea of graduation, but not the reality and uncertain-ness to follow.

I collected the personal hero journey essays on Friday, and I had a feeling this would happen: the essays are horrible. Poorly written. Bland. Generic. Boring. Lots of telling, no showing. Ugh. Now, I could use that 100 point rubric stuffed somewhere in my files and I could red pen them to death and put equally horrible grades on the paper, but what purpose will that serve? The students will just get more negative reinforcement that they can't write well. I have a feeling that they couldn't write about themselves as heroes because most of them do not see themselves as heroes. And while they won't slay a dragon to save their kingdom, they can be heroric in their own right and slay metaphorical dragons in real life.

But in each essay, I did see something: a small glimmer, a hidden seed that could, with some nurturing, flower. So instead, I thought that instead of writing a letter or percentage grade on the paper, what if I pointed out some suggestions and highlighted the best part of the essay (the glimmer, seed) and wrote one motivational word or phrase (EMERGE, CAN DO, SYNC) on the top as a grade? The motivational word can't be transferred into the grade book, and I don't want it to. The grade on a piece of writing does more than harm than good. If writing is a process, shouldn't the revision and evaluation of the writing also be a process? Putting a magical motivational word on top isn't going to suddenly cause a writing epiphany for the students, but if the word could encourage them towards action, and if the word could trigger a positive response, then it could be one part of the overall process.

I don't want to give these students what they've always gotten. We'll see what the student reactions will be... they may or may not like it. Things are going to change and I want to show them that even though our time is running out, they still have the ability to grow in the time we have left. "Good enough" is not good enough anymore, and really, what will grades really matter after graduation? (And what do grades matter before graduation???)   I want them to learn some intrinsic motivation because no one will be there to push them in the real world. Writing doesn't have to hurt! Writing is not a battle!

Next marking period, we are reading Canterbury Tales by Chaucer and, while this group of seniors will most likely not become professional literary scholars, the concept of story-telling is relevant. What makes a good story? How are good stories told? What is their good story? The seniors will be revising those personal hero journeys into a personal story. Take that seed and nurture it.

“There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can't move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies.” ― Robert Frost

***** ********  *******   ********

Update: 10/25/12

This video has been floating around on Twitter this week and Seth Godin articulates eloquently much of what I base my own teaching philosophy on:  connecting the dots, not collecting the dots. Enjoy!

Digital Citizenship & Data Collection

With all this use of technology and the notion that prospective employers and college admissions officers are researching applicants, students should learn how to be responsible digital citizens and consider the effects of their digital footprints. Are students stomping through the online world, tip-toeing delicately, or dancing madly through the streets a la Mardi Gras?

This topic came up in last night's #engchat on Twitter about college admissions essays. Students tracking their digital footprint could make for a horrifying or surprising project and very relevant in this world where social media puts one's actions on full display.

In thinking about Wordle for analyzing texts, students could complete similar steps for social network aggregation and create a word cloud of their Twitter tweets and blog posts by using Tagxedo or copy/pasting FaceBook status updates into Wordle.

The Process:

1. Students would go to Tagxedo.com and enter in their Twitter handle. Tagxedo collects the tweets and creates the word cloud. Students can adjust the shape, color, font, and layout of the word cloud to create a desired effect. Students could also use a social network aggregator or copy-paste the statuses and tweets into Wordle and create a word cloud.
2. Students would analyze the word clouds and write a reflection journal entry. Is this an accurate portrayal of the student? 
3. The teacher could share with the class the word clouds (without the owner's name) and have the class infer and make judgments about the owner of the Wordle.
4. The class could discuss ways to "clean up" profiles and how to market one's self appropriately on social media. Brainpop offers a site where users can take online quizzes on various digital topics and teachers can access additional lesson plans on digital citizenship.

This project requires some honesty and openness to not leave out "scandalous" posts. The point is to see the messiness and the nefariousness of social networking to open students' eyes to how other's perceive their actions on the web: Enlightenment should then lead to personal growth and improvement.

Grading

Students can be graded on the completion of the process, the journal writing, and discussion participation using the OSU rubric. The epiphany and final outcome is more important than the grade. I'm actually reluctant to grade an assignment such as this because the formative process is much more valuable for the students' learning than a summative grade.

Sample

This word cloud was created on Tagxedo using my blog posts.  It is obvious what I write most about!

Easy as Fish in a Barrel: Structured Socratic Discussions

Having all students involved in a focused class discussion instead of being prompted and lead by the teacher, requires all students to be invested in the process. When the discussion is structured so that all students are vested in the process, students can use critical thinking to practice crafting and supporting arguments.

In this video posted on Edutopia, KIPP King Collegiate High School teachers learn to facilitate fishbowl discussions to promote the Socratic process in class.Using a critical thinking model, the teacher serves as a facilitator of the discussion and orchestrator of the activity. While this isn't a new technique, there are key components mentioned in the video that are applicable for any classroom.

The Socratic Seminar or fishbowl discussion begins with the layout of the classroom and the assigning of roles to students. The classroom is set up with an inner square of about 12 desks, surrounded by an outer square of 12-14 desks.  Students sitting in the inner square are discussing, debating, and arguing the specific topic as they reference texts, use analytic language, connect to other statements made, and agree or disagree with the other participants. Students sitting in the outer square evaluate the participants in the discussion by being assigned a specific role: reporter, silent contributor, and shadow-er.

The video does not explain in great detail the exact tasks each role plays. Generally, the reporter "reports" on the action of the discussion (provides a report after or during the discussion?); the silent contributor participates in the discussion as if he/she were in the middle, but is not allowed to speak until the conversation has ended; and the shadow-er is directly assigned a student in the inner square to evaluate on specific and multiple points.I would think it is awkward for the silent contributor to contribute at the end of the discussion-- although both the reporter and silent contributor would provide an opportunity for reviewing the discussion overall.  The silent contributor would also have to be a student who has self-control, something many students need practice one. The shadower would be the most assigned role by pairing up students in both the inner and outer squares.

Why I like this...
Students need structure: The classroom set up promotes the discussion and puts students on the spot and the specific roles keep everyone involved. The roles are different from the ones I've seen before and I can see practical application-- my favorite being the shadow-er. I also like that it is another opportunity for peer review/evaluation and that the students are taking responsibility for the discussion instead of listening to the teacher lecturing. I also like that this activity promotes face to face conversation--something modern students need to practice since they like having their faces glued to a computer or cell phone screen.

What I dislike...
The 4:22 video does not provide suggestions for shy students to overcome fear of speaking in class nor does it provide specific examples of what happens after the discussion. The video assumes that all students will be prepared and responsible in the discussion process-- I can't always assume students will be model citizens of the process. Also, specific rubrics are not provided. In theory, I like the possibilities of this activity, but realistically, the teacher and students need to be organized, prepared, and structured.

Previously, I've used a koosh ball or other soft material ball to facilitate whole class discussions.  The room is arranged so that all students are facing one another in a large square or circle (no one in the middle). Students come to class having written down 3 questions on the assigned topic. They take turns throwing the ball to either ask a question or answer a question.  One student is charged with keeping track of who speaks and how many times. The goal is to have everyone in class ask at least one question and add to an answer for one question.  This works well as an introductory activity to class discussions, but the conversation becomes too disjointed having to rely on the throwing of the ball to keep it going. I will say that the baseball players in the class usually get a kick out of this type of discussion.

Applying the KIPP fishbowl technique in my classroom, instead of being in small groups (which is my usual set up for structured discussions), my students could as a whole class argue answers to open-ended questions. Since my classroom layout is similar to the fishbowl layout, it would be easy enough to move some desks around so that students could debate on topics that connect to the literature studied (heroism, leadership, euthanasia, resolving conflict, civil rights, attaining the American Dream, etc). The Socratic discussion could be used as a precursor for writing an argumentative essay. Also, as stated in the video, the skills used in a Socratic discussion are the same skills that are used in daily life when arguing or supporting any point made.  Small group, whole class, or just speaking to one person, the critical thinking skills used in the Socratic discussion are skills that students need for every class and beyond.


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Update 12/7/12:  Applying the Socratic Seminar in Class

Students engaged in their first Socratic Seminar based on questions connected to Chapters 1-2 in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. I adapted the process shown in the video above.

My Process:

1. Desks were arranged to create an inner circle of about 8 students and outer circle with the remaining members of class. Ground rules and expectations were discussed.
2. Students in the outer circle used their devices or a netbook to sign on to TodaysMeet.com and join the chat room I created for the backchannel discussion. The outer circle asked questions and made comments. 
3. Four students in the outer circle volunteered to be the two Recorders of Answers and the two Reporters of Interesting Points. They kept track of the conversation on a collaborative Google Doc.
4. The discussion questions were posted one at a time on the front board and I moved the conversation along as needed. 
5. After about 10-15 minutes, the students changed roles and new questions were asked of the inner circle.

The questions themselves were open-ended, connected to the novel, and controversial so that students could reference the text, provide numerous opinions, and support their arguments. Students stated that they liked being given the choice to participate in the spotlight of the inner circle or keep a lower profile, but still strong presence, in the chat room.

After some initial trepidation, silliness in the backchannel chat room, and the inner circle learning not to talk over each other, the conversation progressed smoothly. I was able to moderate and facilitate the conversation as needed--which was minimal, except as you'll see towards the end of period 2's conversation. Notice the students aren't shy for calling out the inner circle or noting when students are monopolizing the conversation.

For the first time doing a backchannel discussion, things went well. I'm pleased with the level of engagement and can ignore the silly comments. Some of the students' comments were spot on and most haven't read to the end of the novella. One student stated that George was the kind of friend who would take a bullet for Lennie-- little does he know where George will "take" that bullet! A few knowing students did chuckle at the use of the cliche in period 8.

Today went so well because it was structured but still allowed the students to take control. I just hovered and monitored until needed.  The next step will be to add the role of the shadower so that students can get peer evaluations on their speaking and participation skills.