Using Instagram for Class

#IG #imateacher #useit

How to use Instagram:

Step 1: Take picture

Step 2: Use a filter to make your picture look more fun

Step 3: Come up with a clever caption to your picture

Step 4: Use a funny hashtag

Step 5: Send your picture into the world

For the past school year I have been musing over how to better reach my students outside of the classroom. How can I remind them to study? How can I remind them of homework? How could I give extra credit in different ways? Enters Instagram. I set up a "teacher" account towards the beginning of the school year and with have been using it pretty regularly to communicate with my students. This has been a pretty hot topic at my school, so I thought I would share the thought process behind using Instagram as a communication tool.

Middle school students are tech savvy. They have phones, they have tablets, they use social media sites. These are facts. One study done in a middle school in Massachusetts surveyed a little over 500 students and 78% of those students owned a cell phone. Another study from the Pew Research Center showed 73% of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use social media sites. With numbers like this it makes sense to me to communicate with students using their own means.

I've been a heavy user of Instagram personally and I felt it only natural to extend my usage to my students. I created a student account with the name "Mrs_C" that way my students know its me in teacher mode. I post test review questions, reminders of projects and study time, appropriately funny thoughts and mushy teacher love.

 I feel like this is working for my classroom not only for science but also on relationship building. However, I have been met with some grumblings. Some teachers in my school think that I am opening myself up to too much information. They question my actions when I see inappropriate posts from kids like the booming vaporizer craze as of late. (This probably wouldn't be that big of a deal if I was working with seniors in high school but I'm working with 8th graders). My rebuttal, have a conversation. We are in the business of making students better people so if I see something that is anything less than stellar I see it as an opportunity to talk to the student (if they are willing) about their choices and consequences of their choices.

Where I have not worked out all the kinks to this process and it is only my first semester really in full Instagram swing, I do enjoy the impact it is having on my students and will continue to use it as a way to reach out.

Mrs. C

The Evolution of the BAM

I had gone into this school year with a couple goals in mind. First, I wanted to try my hand at flipping a classroom. Or, at least, students getting their direct learning through videos instead of me lecturing. Second, I wanted to give my students more freedom. Freedom to move around the classroom, freedom to sit where they wanted, freedom to work with whomever them deemed helpful, etc. Lastly, I wanted a classroom that gave my students choices. Gone will be the days that all students tackle the same problems, because let's face it, the are all not at the same place in their learning.

At the beginning of the school year I came up with a progression into giving the students a choice in their assignments. I invented something I lovingly refer to as the BAM or Benchmark Assessment Map. At first, it was just a way from the students to know and visualize what they would be doing throughout the unit. It was self-paced and by the end of the unit the students were trained that once they finished a task they marked it off and moved along.

The student's first BAM over Forces that Shape the Earth.

I duplicated this type of BAM for one more unit over rocks. This BAM was great for developing independence in the classroom as well as organization while trying to convince the students that online learning was the way to go. However, student buy-in for these types of BAMs were pretty low. And the buy-in coupled with trying to ween students off a seating chart led to some pretty low grades the first quarter. I then stumbled upon a choice board of Pinterest that gave me an idea of a Tic-Tac-Toe BAM. The students could pick their assignments after watching their lecture videos. I even made a second version for my SPED and ELL population that focused more on vocabulary building and basic understanding.

Modified BAM for Ocean Unit

These BAMs were decent in terms of student participation but I wanted more. I wanted something to do with students' learning styles. I also wanted a choice sheet that had different levels of difficulty so students could challenge themselves as they saw fit. After doing some more research I had found a couple places that were meshing the two ideas of learning styles and Blooms Taxonomy. I finally found this one (here) that was exactly what I had been after! I fell in love. I gave the students points to achieve by the due date but they got to choose the way the got the points. 

I did have to place some rules down. First, the students had to complete the pre-work (lecture videos and notes) before they could begin any of the assignments. They could work with whoever they wanted as long as they were working. Students were not allowed to come to me first. They had to ask at least three other people before they could ask me. I gave them a deadline for all projects to be turned in, after to deadline there would be a test. I would not accept any assignments after the test. 

Overall, I feel good about how the BAM had turned out this year but I still have some kinks to work out in the system. First, I am still in need of a turn in system. Where I love Schoology and how it has changed my teaching practice, it is so slow when uploading assignments that have been turned in online. Like, to the point I could have graded three paper foldables in the time it took me to open one. Second, I did still have students that chose to sit and cruise with their friends. I had one particular group of gentlemen that took a week to complete a crossword puzzle. Part of me says, "Hey. You can't win them all." and the other part of me is super irritated that they would goof off. In the words of Elsa, "Let it goooooo". Anyways, I think the last thing is alignment of tasks to standards. Where I feel like most assignments covered the basic concepts, I feel like they sometimes didn't go deep enough for what they are tested on. 

Well, the year is not over yet. Maybe I will figure it out before summer! 

Mrs. C

Ocean Unit BAM: Differentiation for All

When I started teaching 8th grade science this year I had a vision. That vision included a couple different aspects.

1. I wanted to not lecture. It bores everyone and in my experience 90% of behaviors come during lecture time because a student is bored and doesn't want/can't focus on what the teacher is saying. 
2. I wanted the students to be able to collaborate and work with whoever they wanted. By asking questions and teaching each other I feel like they will get more than working independently in rows.
3. I wanted students to have a choice in how they learn. Not all students are created equal and therefore there is no set way on how ALL students can learn material.

Up until now I have been pretty successful with 1 and 2. All the lectures I pull from online sources (thanks YouTube!) and the students are able to sit in pods and work with whoever they want (as long as they ARE working and all school rules are being followed). 

Disclaimer: I have had to go back to assigned seats for some classes at some point during the school year because either a majority of students did not finish their assignments or they were so awful for subs that a consequence had to be given. My students are not perfect.

I needed to work on #3. All first quarter I was giving students just a list of tasks they had to do. I did add in some Menu Assignments (check that blog entry out if you didn't get a chance) but really the students did what was assigned. So, I did it! I created their first go at picking their own assignments! I even went so far as to create two different versions- one for my low students (SPED, ELLs, Chronic Absentees) and one for the rest. 

This is the accommodated choice sheet. 

This is the regular choice sheet.

The point was the students had to complete three in a row. There are some over-lapping assignments and I attempted to have the board be so their three in a row had different types of activities that encompasses everything they need to know for the standard.

For the most part, I was happy with the outcome. However, there were some rough patches that had to be fixed.

• It still wasn't giving the students complete freedom of assignments. Towards the end of the unit I was just like "Whatever! Do 3 assignments at this point or you are not going to be finished!" 
• Students are still having time management issues. I had one student that picked a 3D model and then spent a week working on it. He didn't get the rest of his work finished. :-(
• Students knew that there was a difference in the two charts. It made for some awkward conversations that I wasn't super fond of.

Even with all of that, the students did do some awesome work!

Menu Assignments in the Science Interactive Notebooks

"Alright, students. Today we are all going to be writing a poem about the rock cycle."

Half the class cheers, a fourth roll their eyes, and a fourth begin to fall asleep.

The more I teach the more I realize, even the most "fun", engaging lesson or activity is still just school work to some students. It is still an assignment, there is no choice in the outcome. You do it you get a grade, you don't do it you get a zero. Very cut and dry. And for some students who lack motivation to begin with, even your fun "Let's make a video!" might not be reaching everyone.

Possible solution time... A menu of assignments.

Now, I did not come up with this. I definitely stole it from a highly creative teacher friend of mine from my first teaching gig. We were an AVID school and since AVID preaches Science interactive notebooks she came up with this menu to give students a choice.

How it works:
Have students take notes over the topic. Every school I've been in I have the students take Cornell Notes. Again, AVID schools. This step will definitely work with whatever note taking process you use.


Students then use their notes to create a synthesizing project. This is meant to have the students look back at their notes and find a way to understand and present them. I have had different sets of menu options throughout the years.

Their menu this year includes:

Tee Shirt Art- Students create the front a tee shirt that represents the topic. Back of the shirt includes a clever 1-2 lines about the topic. They then write telling about the shirt and how it ties into the topic.

Rhyming Poem- Student must create a poem with at least 5 couplets and a picture about the topic.

*Unfortunately, the poem writing is not the kids favorites so I have no good examples of this one.*

Cartoon Project: Students create a single frame cartoon- it doesn't have to be funny- with 2+ lines of captions. Must include an explanation of the topic. 

Song or Rap: Students create a song that includes vocabulary from the concept. It can be a popular song that change the lyrics to. Must include an illustration.

Superhero Assignment: Students design a comic book hero/heroine. Costume has to reflect the name and the name has to reflect the topic. The Superhero also has to have a power that correlates to the topic. Must include an explanation of the name, costume and super power. 

• 

Band Buzz: Create a band logo, name and 3 songs that have to do with the concept. Explanation of how they all connect to the scientific concept.

• 
•  

I am a huge fan of these types of assignments just because it breaks up the "You do because I tell you to" mentality of school.

Mrs. C

Donors Choose Project

As I have talked about in couple different posts my students are having to use these kinder-sized junk head phones to watch lectures in class. They break, they don't produce sound and it is miserable for my students who are actually trying to receive content. I created a Donors Choose project to try a get a class set of nice head sets for my students. If anyone would like to help out I would be so extremely grateful and I know my students would be too!

And Now We Have Sound

Check it out, pretty please!

Mrs. C

Update: I wanted to share a picture of the headphones they have to work with and tell you a story... I had a student who wanted to watch another video on our new topic of the rock cycle, so like a good teacher I went online to find another video that might help. I had left my own ear phones at home so grabbed one of the students headsets and they were AWFUL!! I couldn't hear anything but muffled noise and they volume was turned all the way up. Embarrassed, I had to borrow a student's ear buds and they laughed asking about the class set. 

We need help!

Flipping Feedback Unit One

The first unit is complete! (Finally). I feel like it took way longer than it should have but we have finished, nonetheless. I gave my students a survey about how they felt the "flipped classroom" is going.

As a reminder, I don't MAKE my students take notes. I do grade if they write and answer a WQA. It makes me smile thought that a large majority of them are taking notes anyways. It also makes me smile that 3 students say they most definitely do NOT work in my class and they are most definitely the students who don't take notes, don't use anything to write questions and are not doing well in my class...sooooooo...correlation? 

This is the part that makes me reflect on how the classroom is set up. I have quite a few students telling me they don't even go onto Schoology outside of class. As a reflection question to myself, I am wondering how to structure the class so 1) they are responsible for logging on at night for "homework" while 2) maintaining the self paced classroom. I am struggling with this one. 

This data chart really does make me feel like my students are getting something out of the class. I was afraid the WQAs were going to be a flop but it seems like a large majority of the students are finding them helpful. I also am EXTREMELY torn about the students being able to sit where they want. I really REALLY REALLY want them to be able to have discussions with whoever they see fit to help them solve the problem instead of me dictating. I am trying to get them to be self-sufficient. And yet, with them sitting where they want they can get a little off track. It is a classroom management thing, I know, but I need a solution. They enjoy it and most of them do work wherever. I am torn.

I did have some open responses for them

Favorite things about the class:

"Being able to have other resources rather than just Ms. Callahan. I also liked not having to carry around a lot of papers." 

"Moving at your own pace"

"My favorite part about the "flipped classroom is that I can learn the things we have to learn at my own pace instead of learning with classroom and moving on when I don't understand something."

"Taking responsibility"

"Being able to use technology to do work at home or at school."

"My favorite part of the flipped classroom is that we are able to stop and replay the lessons/videos."

What part of the "flipped classroom" would you like to see changed?

"More videos."

"The ear phones are really bad quality"

"Check on us every once in a while"

"To eliminate the whole "flipped classroom" thing. I want to work as a class or at least a group with a helper or teacher."

Now, if I only had a week to digest the information and try again. Unfortunately, I have until tomorrow. 

Mrs. C

Flipping the Classroom Series: What Does It Look Like?

Where, I do NOT have everything figured out nor do I claim to be an expert on "flipping", I do want to talk about the awesome going on during the class periods. I absolutely love that everyone has something to work on. (I know my friend in the foreground of the picture looks like he's causing mischief, but he actually is extremely far in the unit and has been doing a really good job). 

I encourage the students to work with each other, even if they aren't on the same assignment. These boys are of different folders and where the one taking notes is a couple folders behind notebook boy, he spent the period asking notebook boy about what he was watching on the video and what compared notes to make sure he didn't miss anything important. Side note: both of these gentlemen have had behavior issues in the past and since starting self-paced curriculum I actually am getting work out of them and way less behavior issues since they are constantly engaged. 

This group of students had moved on to the lab portion of the unit. It is so cool to watch which students become leaders and want to help others. The girl standing had already done the lab but the other students asked for her help. She then grabbed the slinkys, grabbed a textbook and led the lab herself. It was so fun to watch!

I LOVE the technology use in the class. I have been so fortunate to be able to have laptops and a few IPads and they both have really helped the students be successful. The technology, coupled with their Interactive Notebooks, has made them more self-sufficient learners. 

Flipping the Classroom: Grading with Technology

I had an epiphany yesterday...

Progress reports are due next week and I need to get some grades in the grade book. Here comes the predicament. The students are only doing work through three grade-able mediums.

1. WQAs (Watch, Question, Answers- off their video lectures)
2. Interactive Notebooks
3. Weekly "Do Now" warm up sheets- they are practicing test taking strategies

WQAs are easy. It is online on Schoology and I am able to grade directly on the discussion board with a rubric that appears when I click on the student.

The next challenge is Interactive Notebooks. The students are expected to take some sort of notes over the videos they watch- Cornell Notes usually- then do some sort of activity. The activity to go with the notes can be things like a foldable, menu assignment, lab write up, diagram, pretty much anything student created.

The Problem

I do NOT want to carry back and forth 90+ composition notebooks NOR do I want to spend my precious weekend going into school to go through all of them. Because, let's face it, good grading only happens on the weekends.

Enter my epiphany

I figured out a feature on Schoology that makes it so the students can use an IPad/IPhone/Android to take a picture or pictures of their finished product and then make a submission in an activity that is labeled the same as their Interactive Notebook activity. Once they upload the picture I am able to view it, comment on it, grade it with a rubric and return it to them via their grade book. I was STOKED!

Assignments as the students see them in Schoology. They now have to make a submission in order to move on to the next activity. Notice how the Layers of the Earth Foldable is checked green. It is so awesome for the kids so they know exactly what they need to do.

They click on an assignment and on the right side is where it says to "submit assignment". I haven't tried to submit through the web based program, only the IPad and phone apps. The apps were super easy and I'm sure the computer is just as easy to operate. (Note: I have been doing the good teacher thing and blocking out the kids names- this particular site is my test one. Rosco is my dog-hence I didn't block it out. Every once in a while I'll have him comment on discussion boards and the kids think its hilarious!) 

On the teacher website it will show like this when I have assignments that are ready to grade.

I click on a students and scroll through their pictures they submitted. I am able to highlight, leave comments, draw and through each one of the rubric categories I am able to leave a comment.

It is awesome! I cannot wait to see how it works out grading tomorrow...

Mrs. C

Flipping the Classroom Series: Benchmark Assessment Map (BAM)

The biggest struggle in setting up a Flipped Classroom, for me anyways, was the organization. How am I going to get my students to receive the information they need, in a way that is easy to follow, so that they become self sufficient learners?

Enter the BAM- Benchmark Assessment Map. This organizer does a couple different things in a unit.

1. Shows the student WHAT they will be learning- the exact benchmark as well as the supporting learning targets for that benchmark
2. Shows the student HOW they will be learning it- I wanted the BAM to go in order. For example, this first unit, the student needs to know the Earth has layers and that one of those layers is the mantle before they can know that convection currents occur in the mantle. 
3. Shows the student WHY they are learning it- this is always a big point with administration. They always like to not only ask the students what they are learning, but why are they learning it.

I did however run into a problem. Below is my first attempt at the BAM. Where it has the three components I wanted, it was not very clear to the students, which means they were not using it as a learning tool.

I was super proud of this creation until I noticed students were not completing assignments in order- like skipping watching videos and going straight into activities. So, I asked a couple classes on what they wanted to see on their BAM that would be most helpful for them. Below is the new BAM for the same unit.

The biggest complaint from the students with the original was that the order wasn't obvious, it was hard to figure out what needed to go in their Interactive Notebooks (even though it is posted on a LARGE Table of Contents in the back of the classroom) and it wasn't a "checklist". I did have another request to have how much each thing is worth, but I one girl put it best; "What does it matter how many points something is worth? You should do your best at everything." Well said, well said! 

I am going to give the kids the new BAM today and see if that improves the self-sufficiency/productivity of the classroom. Until then...

Mrs. C  

The 2014-2015 Classroom

Happy First Day to some and Happy Monday to others!

I know he probably doesn't read this blog but I do want to give special shout out to one of my very favorite people and THE best assistant principal I have ever had as he heads to his first high school gig! GOOD LUCK TODAY!! <3

Alright, to celebrate the school year officially on its way for everyone (and not just us crazy year-rounders) I am finally ready to share my classroom for this year. 

Room as you enter. I'm trying for a free seating like environment so I have a pod for tutoring, some groups for collaboration and some straightforward seating for those just wanting to watch videos or anything else individual like. 

As the students walk in. The black box is any paper assignments they have through Schoology. The baskets are anything the would need randomly (Cornell Notes, BAMs) The bin is for my AVID kids.

The front of the classroom.

RUBIES and "Ask 3 Before Me"

Capturing Kids Hearts- I did this training a couple years back and finally implemented it this year. I have these to remind myself and the students the hand signals.

Questioning Stems- We, as a whole school, are working on inquiry. This is my questioning stem wall. The students all have the question starters in their Interactive Notebooks.

My desk- I am really, really, really trying this year to stay organized. I have all my interactive notebooks, writing utensils and papers organized... for now. 

Table of Contents/Word Wall- I am having the students keep up with their own Table of Contents in their Interactive Notebook. I am going to try to include examples as well for them. I am also working on an interactive word wall. Right now we are working on layers of the Earth which is why that is the only one filled out.

Student Cubbies- Throwback to Lower Elementary! I have enough of these things for all of my Science students. I tell them if they don't want to take their notebook home I will house it for them so it does not get lost since it is SUPER important they keep up with it.

Binders- Again, REAAAAALLLY trying to stay organized. I have binders for pretty much everything- Student information, parent contracts that have been signed, any evidence for my professional portfolio, science standards and data from their pre-assessment. This year's motto: "If it doesn't go to a student it goes in a binder. If it doesn't go in a binder, it goes in the trash." We will see.

Happy Monday!

Mrs. C