Since I teach first grade, I’m experimenting with Google Forms as a method of parent communication, rather than as a tool to use with my students. I was hoping, with the add-ons, to find a way to gather the parent information into a single document that would let me view parent data, preferences, contact info, and more.
Overall, I found two add-ons that collect the data into spreadsheets. Both have pros and cons. I also found an add-on that sends individual data in an email. Here's more info about all of them. Form Builder: Form Builder was easy to install and customize. I like how it takes the data from my form and puts it into a Google sheet in any folder I want. However, the output was very hard to read, since Form Builder seems to include each question, along with its answer, in an unwrapped cell of a Google sheet. For questions that are long (like some of the questions on my parent questionnaire), I had to scroll right within the cell quite a bit in order to see the answer. SmartSheet: For my purposes, SmartSheet is a much better alternative to Form Builder. It takes the results from my form and puts them into a SmartSheet spreadsheet that’s easy to read and understand. The only downside is that you need to login to SmartSheet in order to see the data, rather than just opening up a Google sheet. So, it’s easier to understand the data, but there’s an extra step you need to take in order to see it. Email Notifications for Forms: This is a quick and easy way to get an email every time someone responds to a form. I like the layout of the email message….easy to read and interpret. I’m not convinced that I’d want to receive an email every time one of my parents responds, but this would be a good add-on if I did want individual email notifications!
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After reading “Harnessing the Power of Google Forms for Just-In-Time Teaching,” I was longing to find a way to use this with my first graders! What a simple and effective way of ensuring that the students are actually doing their “homework” in a flipped classroom.
Interestingly enough, I was just writing about that challenge as I prepare my project proposal for my capstone project. I’m trying to find a way to take advantage of the benefits of a flipped classroom with the essential nature of in-person teaching in the early primary grades. For my purposes, I believe that an in-class flip will work best, but I would absolutely use this model if I were flipping a classroom for an older grade. However, I do see myself taking advantage of the pre-assessment piece of this. While the way I’ll implement it is technology-free, it’s still an important way to see what the students know, and to frame my teaching to what the students need. From “The New Google Forms, 9 Classroom Uses,” I can see using Google Forms to store quick grades, though I generally use a printed spreadsheet on a clipboard so that I can jot down thoughts about student performance throughout the day. This could be a good way for me to compile classroom data then view it graphically, though the downside is that it’s usually easier for me to jot with a pencil than to use two hands to type. I can also see using the “CYOA” (or branching) Google Forms for a parent volunteer sheet. Parents would submit high-level information about their availability for volunteering, and then the branches would further narrow based on availability, then activity, then area of expertise. In fact, I think I’ll try this for my branching project! So many of the benefits listed in “Flip Your Classroom” by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams are reasons that I want to "half-flip" (or "in-class" flip) my first grade classroom. A half-flipped lesson is a recorded lesson that's available in class after students have had in-class instruction by their teacher. It gives students independent access to differentiated lessons, at their own pace, while preserving the in-person, relationship-based instruction that is so essential in first grade. A half-flipped lesson almost functions as a second (or third or fourth) teacher in the room. While a teacher is working with groups, individual students can refer to recorded lessons for review or relearning. The students can listen, pause, and rewind, customizing the pace of the lesson their own needs. Recorded lessons can be differentiated so that students at different levels can have access to differentiated material at their levels. Even game and activity instructions can be recorded so that students who need to hear the instructions again can do so independently. I experimented a bit with students recording lessons for each other last year. It was effective for several reasons. First, the students were motivated by the idea of an authentic audience for their recording. Second, the students reinforced their own learning by having to explain how to do a task. Finally, I was able to use the student recordings as formative assessments. One hurdle to implementing this model is the amount of time required to record lessons. Another is figuring out how to differentiate lessons and give students access to different material. Finally, I need to be confident that I’ll have reliable and consistent access to technology in my class. What do I need to know to address my driving question? Let's assume that I'll explore my driving question in one content area: math. First, I'll need to know my students' levels of proficiency in a variety of areas, including: math, reading (as it relates to reading directions independently on assignments), navigating tasks independently, and social-emotional (confidence, need for emotional support, ability to work with others). Of course, I'll need to understand my students' levels of proficiency in using an iPad or ChromeBook.
I'll also need to figure out in which areas to flip my classroom. Will it be for content lessons only? Or for directions, too? How will I differentiate my screencasts? I could use QR Codes, or different screencast nomenclature for different groups of students. Will I be creating the screencasts, or could I potentially have students create them? These are just a few of the "need to knows" before I start experimenting with flipping in first grade. How can I use a flipped model effectively in a first grade classroom to differentiate instruction without losing any the in-person academic and social-emotional learning that is essential in the early primary grades?
For older students, a flipped classroom model, in which students are learning material at home then doing project work in the classroom, gives the students the maximum benefit of their time with a teacher to work on their individual needs. But what about for early primary students, who need both that direct instruction and the project and discussion time with their teacher? Can I somehow use the flipped classroom model so that my students get the benefit of both? The problem that points me to this driving question is that the broad range of academic proficiency in my first grade classroom requires that I differentiate almost to the individual. In first grade, this means small group and individualized instruction for almost every lesson. A modified flipped classroom model, in which teacher-created instruction is available without a physical "teacher," could potentially support a highly-differentiated first grade class. In this case, the flipped lesson wouldn't necessarily "front-load" but would instead "back-load" and be available for reinforcement after an in-person lesson. I’m a social media skeptic….but I’ve finally found a way in which social media can provide real-world benefit in a middle or high school classroom. It's by using social media to teach how to use social media.
First, some brief skepticism about social media in school. Social media can be distracting because the devices themselves are distracting. One of the greatest complaints of teachers in 1:1 programs is that students are distracted by texts, social media, games, and more. In fact, there’s a blossoming software industry that provides classroom device management for just this reason. Another reason that I'm skeptical is that both reading and writing on social media reinforce poor reading and writing skills. The character limit on most social media sites forces students to write brief, pithy, high-level blurbs. There simply isn’t enough room for deep analysis or critical thinking. In addition, studies have shown that we are losing our stamina for reading longer essays and writings because we are so accustomed to reading character-limited pieces on the internet (see the Time Magazine article about the study). Students are having to re-train themselves to read longer primary sources and novels because their brains have lost the ability to concentrate for longer durations on deeper material. These are just two of many reasons that I’m skeptical about using social media in the classroom. However, why not teach students how to use social media for what social media is used in the business world: to promote, publicize, and connect? Instead of teaching content areas with social media, teach students how to develop effective online publicity and marketing material for a class or a project, then have them use these skills on Facebook to publicize events. Teach students how to create a professional website, then have them maintain it to publicize a school newspaper or magazine. Teach students how to use Twitter, then have them use it to promote a school club. Many companies hire social media marketing experts; in fact, there are consulting groups devoted to providing social media marketing services. Teaching social media marketing skills to middle and high students is actually providing them with skills that they can use for internships, summer jobs, and more. Even better, when students are using social media as it's used in the real world, they learn through real-world personal experience about digital citizenship. They learn to create a positive and appropriate online presence; how to create a post or picture the promotes you in a positive way; how to frame a post to create a desired image; and the power of social media to connect you to the world. It's the ultimate in project based learning for digital citizenship and responsible social media. No matter how much time I have with my class, I’m always looking for ways to get more one-on-one assessment time with students. Educreations is nifty interactive whiteboard app that records both writing and audio so that I can get a “virtual” one-on-one experience with every student in my class on a single day.
I use Educreations primarily for math assessment. It’s a great way for students to record themselves solving a problem and explaining their math thinking….all independently, so that I can watch and hear them solving and explaining after class, even from home. It’s really like having one-on-one time with every student while they solve a custom math problem. How do I use it? First, I assign custom math problems to students based on what I want to assess. In my current math class, this could include problems differentiated to the individual. I usually distribute the problems on Post Its. Next, the students take turns using the iPads to “write” their problems on the Educreations screen, and then record both their writing and their audio explanations of their math thinking behind the solution. They then save their lessons with their names and go back to their other work. Here’s an example of using Educreations to solve a basic subtraction problem using the “counting back” strategy: https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/mrs-meyers/35530467/?s=RR0uWT Educreations has many strengths. First, it’s easy to learn and use. With a very brief mini-lesson, most first grade students were able to use the app to record themselves solving math problems. The kids can write on the screen with a finger or stylus, so even kids who can’t keyboard can use the app. You also can share and post links to Educreations lessons, so it’s good for sharing with parents. Educreations also has a few deficits. In the free version, you can save only one draft at a time. Since my class is on one account, this limits my whole class to one draft. Also, you can’t edit a lesson once it’s saved. Unfortunately, this means that kids can’t go back and fix their mistakes; rather, they’ll have to record a new replacement lesson, instead. Finally, it would great to create a template that you can then share and reuse. For example, I’d love to create a template of a place value chart, then have the kids solve math problems in the chart. Instead, the first graders would need to either draw the place value chart (hard to do with your finger!) or important a graphic. Overall, though, Educreations is my favorite app for quick, highly differentiated math assessment. Why CBL? The goals of challenge based learning (CBL) are aligned with the goals of 21st century learning. CBL includes a real problem to solve, inquiry and research, student choice, and collaboration. The real-world challenge must be meaningful and relevant. At the end, the project has an authentic audience. I explored several different websites and, as far as I could tell, the primary difference between CBL and PBL is that CBL requires the use of technology to find a solution, while PBL doesn’t necessary involve technology. This would make sense as CBL was developed by Apple, a technology company. Why flipped teaching? Flipped teaching also can be aligned with the goals of 21st century learning. It shares the goals of developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and inquiry skills. It essentially gets to these goals by using at-home time for students to learn content through “direct” instruction (video), and in-class time for active learning, projects, and collaboration. What does this mean for first grade? In my first grade classroom, I use elements of CBL and PBL to boost engagement throughout the curriculum every day. Even in a simple math exercise, it’s more motivating for students to solve a real problem (i.e., I want to buy birthday pencils for all of you. I only have 2 so far. How many more should I buy so that each of you will have a birthday pencil?). Students love to have choice (i.e., you can play this word game with a partner, or read independently), and they learn and work well in thoughtful, effective collaborative groups. Presenting to an authentic audience is both motivating and challenging. However, for first grade, I believe that it’s more important to develop the inquiry, research, collaborative, and critical thinking skills, and not to commit to using technology when it may not enhance the process or outcome of a project. I prefer to reserve technology for when it makes sense. For that reason, I would favor PBL over CBL for first grade. Similarly, I could envision using a modified flipped classroom for first grade, but it would not necessarily involve technology. For example, I could ask students to read a magazine about spiders at home (or ask their parents to read it to them), then do a collaborative project involving spiders in class the next day. While it’s possible that I could record an engaging screencast about spiders for the first graders to watch, I believe that, in this grade, they would benefit more from the practice of reading or being read to at home. I know that students learn best when they are motivated, and that, according to Dan Pink, the sources of motivation are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. While CBL and flipped classrooms have many elements that address these sources of motivation, the technological element makes them more suitable for students older than first grade. Rather, I prefer to use those elements of each that motivate my students: elements that help my students feel that they are directing their own learning, that they are creating new things that are meaningful, that they are growing and producing as learners, and that they are providing great value as members of our classroom community and world. Based on the reading and listening from the past several weeks, here are some overall thoughts about applying these ideas to teaching and education.
Linda Darling-Hammond makes sweeping recommendations for changes in educational policy. If implemented, these changes have the potential to overhaul the public education system and accomplish her goal: “a system of high-achieving and equitable schools that ensure every child the right to learn.” This supports John Dewey’s quote about how our democracy is predicated upon equal opportunities for education for all children.
Her overall plan allocates responsibility to states (for resources), districts (for distribution of resources, effective staffing, and standards for teaching), schools (for work environments of growth, assessment, and communication), and teachers (for meeting the needs of individual students and developing themselves professionally). Several of Darling-Hammond’s recommendations stand out to me as particular interesting.
Overall, Darling-Hammond makes a strong case for these institutional changes, and the international evidence is compelling. However, change needs both time and money in order to be effective, and these types of changes would take lots of both. I would value Darling-Hammond's thoughts on how to begin these changes (top down? bottom up? from the states? from the teacher prep programs?), as well as a timeline and plan for rolling them out. For my first grade classroom, though, even without change on an institutional level, I can work to engage my students with meaningful thought-based lessons and performance-based assessment. |
Masters in Innovative Learning:
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