Hate Chalk: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Looking Ahead to 2015

This is my "Looking Ahead to 2015" post. Below you will see different projects, websites and products I hope to use in 2015. If you're interested in any of what I describe and want more information, please don't hesitate to contact me on Twitter (@ArinKress) Also, if you're interested, here's my "Looking Back on 2014" post where I explain many changes that occurred for my students and I during the past year.

Most Exciting Project for the Students on My Team: Distance Teaching Project
In November, Mike Soskil asked me to join the Distance Teaching Project. Here's a quick write up found on the site:

On this site you will find videos created by students. Since students learn more of what they teach than what they consume, students from around the world will be sharing their learning with each other. This project started as a collaboration between students at the Wallenpaupack South Elementary in Pennsylvania, USA and students at the Cheery Education Centre and Havila Children's Center in the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. Since then it has grown as other teachers around the world have seen the power of peer teaching. Through teaching, we hope that all students involved learn a wide variety of content, the joy of helping others, and cultural understanding.

My students will be in charge of contributing science videos with students from the following states and countries contributing videos in the following subjects:

Grove City, Ohio - Science

Newfoundland, Pennsylvania - Math

New Hyde Park, New York - Reading

Surat, India- Physical Education

Nairobi, Kenya- Foreign Language - Swahili

Draguignan, France- Foreign Language - French

Shenzhen, China- Art

Here's our first submission. In the video below, one of my students teaches about what causes day and night:

Please check out the Distance Teaching website periodically as more videos will be added in 2015! Mike, thank you for your leadership with this project and for asking my students to participate!

Most Exciting Project for The Students At My School: Playground Transformation
One frequent complaint from my students is the lack choice during recess. My students only have 15 minutes a day for recess and can choose to jump rope, play four square and basketball. One great thing about the 'playground' is that it is comprised of a LARGE paved area. Therefore, I hope to help bring more choice to my students. We are looking into using Fit and Fun's plethora of stencils to give the students more variety during recess, keep them active and even give teachers the opportunity to use the stencils to add a kinesthetic layer to their lessons. My favorite stencils as a teacher are the numbers grid, the US map, and compass rose. I think my students will enjoy the MAZE, agility ladders and Skelly Board game the most. I'm excited for this project and will hopefully write posts as the transformation occurs.

Most Exciting Project for a Small Group of Students: Lunch Group
The week before Christmas break another teacher and I started a lunch group for students who expressed interest in strengthening friendships. We had a great first meeting and I'm really looking forward to the opportunities this groups provides the students who participate.

Most Exciting Project for ME: AssistEdShift
Oliver Schinkten (@schink10) is one educator who continues to inspire me to push boundaries. Oliver and I began collaborating in the fall of 2013. He is one of the most passionate educators I know and he has an incredibly tireless work ethic. Oliver decided to step out of the classroom for the 2013-2014 school year as a 'moral imperative to make positive change in education.' He admirably offers his expertise and services in any way possible to help educators. He also spends time speaking to and inspiring others around the country as both himself and his alter ego, Big Ron Crowley. Here's my favorite video from Big Ron about standardized tests:

Joking aside, I predict that 2015 will be a huge year for Oliver. In addition to all of the above, he has created AssistEdShift (with minimal help from yours truly.) Right now it's in its infancy, but the great thing about AsisstEdShift is that it's envisioned as a one-stop shop for educators with a collaborative twist. Right now, AssistEdShift is made up of recommended blogs, podcasts, videos and other resources from educators around the globe. However, what Oliver and I have have planned for 2015 is very exciting and we need YOUR help. Think about what YOU want changed in your classroom, at your school, in your district. How can we help provide you with resources, guidance and inspiration. Oliver and I know that together we truly can make positive change. We want to ASSIST you as we SHIFT EDUCATION in a positive direction. Please join us on our journey! To learn more go to www.assistedshift.com and follow @AssistEdShift on twitter.

Most Exciting Conference I Plan to Attend: ISTE
In June, I will attend the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Philadelphia. I am very excited to learn from top educators from around the world and I hope this conference will be a highlight for me in 2015.

Most Exciting New Website to Use with my Students: BlackRocket
Just two weeks before Christmas Break, I introduced Black Rocket to my students. Black Rocket allows students to create their own video games based off content being taught in class. My students have only been on Black Rocket twice at school and they are extremely motivated to create and play the games. I can see Black Rocket adding a lot to my classroom in 2015.

Most Exciting New Website I Plan to Use PledgeCents
PledgeCents in a great website and company who helps educators raise funds for supplies in their classroom. I created a cause and am waiting for approval within my district. PledgeCents representatives have been EXCELLENT to work with and you can tell they have their priorities right when it comes to working with teachers. @PledgeCents participates in Twitter chats and daily tweets positive encouragement to educators. I look forward to using PledgeCents in 2015 and recommend others use it as well!

Most Exciting Product I hope to Get in My Students' Hands: Sphero
If I can get my PledgeCents cause funded then my students will have access to ten Sphero robotic balls. If you haven't heard of Spheros before here's a quick video on how it can impact math and science instruction. On Sphero's Education site, lesson plans for math and science are available with many other resources.

As you can see, it looks like 2015 will be another very busy year. Thanks to all the educators and companies above who will continue to inspire me and many others around the world! Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Looking Back on 2014

Here is my "Looking Back on 2014" post. Although this is a reflection post for me, I hope you can learn something from my experience and what I recommend:

Best Flipped Classroom Platform: EdPuzzle -
EdPuzzle changed the way I teach math. I have flipped for two years but EdPuzzle's incredible analytics allow me to formatively assess my students daily. If you're interested in flipping I just posted a five part series for the beginning flip class teacher. Here's the first post.

Best Software Purchase: Camtasia ($99) -
I create about twenty videos a month between flipped class videos, global classroom videos and Classroom Champion videos. Camtasia is extremely easy to use and well worth the money! I use it to create all my screencasts and to edit all my videos. Video instruction adds so much to my classroom and Camtasia really has changed the way I teach.

Best Hardware Purchase: Video Camera and Tripod (Approx. $300) -
About two months ago I bought a videocamera and tripod. It was by far the best purchase for me for the school year because I have used it in so many ways: To create flipped videos, to record those exciting, unplanned moments you don't want others to miss, to record my teaching so I can reflect, to record student brainstorming and replay the discussion after learning the content to see how far they've come, etc. However, the most frequent use I get out of the camera is when the students use it to teach short lessons that I use for flipped classroom videos. The students BEG to use the camera to teach and it has added so much to my classroom. (I spent close to $300 but you can get a camera and tripod much cheaper, or get one donated through a grant, so don't let the price hold you back from something that could change your classroom! Before I bought the camera I would take pictures and record using my cell phone. I constantly ran out of space and I never wanted students to handle my phone. Now, the camera is 'our' tool and something the students know they can use easily.)

Biggest Instructional Impact: LearnPads
In January 2014, I began to use devices in the classroom. My district purchased LearnPads and each teacher has access to twelve. Immediately I saw the value devices brought to the classroom, and I began to adjust my thinking instructionally. Thankfully, other teachers have allowed me to borrow their LearnPads, so for this school year I have been operating in a one to one setting.

Biggest Change Instructionally: Gamification
Because my students have access to LearnPads, I decided to totally revamp the way I teach science. I felt like I was too focused on providing the instruction and not as focused on student discovery and questioning. Therefore, I turned our science curriculum into a video game format. Students have to complete 7 tasks and pass a ten question quiz to pass a "step." The students will work through 3-5 "steps' to pass a level (unit). At the end of the level the students must pass a 20 question test. When students finish the level they can work on an enrichment project for the level until the other students are ready to move on. Students work at their own pace either by themselves or with a partner or small group to research the topic and complete the tasks. I try to have at least one hands on activity in each step and most of the other steps deal with inquiry based questions. This set up allows for me to meet with students who may be struggling, while allowing other students who learn quickly time to learn the content and expand upon the questions that they have asked during their research. This has been a huge shift for me instructionally but the students love it. They are asking so many more questions and are much more involved in their learning. I'm excited as to what my gamification science classroom will morph into in 2015. Let me know if you're interested in my gamification classroom and I will gladly elaborate.

Best Chrome Add On Flubaroo-
After my students complete different levels in science, they will take a quiz via google form. I use Flubaroo to automatically grade the quizzes and email the students' scores to their school email address. Flubaroo creates a "Grades" tab within the Response spreadsheet that I can use to analyze the students' scores, commonly missed questions, etc.

Best Teacher Phrase "I don't know"-
I probably said "I don't know" more this year than I had in my previous eight years of teaching altogether. Saying this phrase often means two things: 1. My students are asking the type of questions I want them to ask. Questions that I TRULY don't know the answer to. And 2. I'm giving the students ownership of their learning. Even if I know an answer to a question, I may said "I don't know, what do you think?" to give the student an opportunity to verbalize his/her thinking. Many times the student may run and research the answer online and then enlighten me with the findings. The students feel so much more empowered when they teach others in the classroom. My suggestion would be to say "I don't know" more in 2015 and see how it changes your students' thinking.

Best Student Phrase "Can I make a video?"
Like I explained above, I bought a video camera and tripod to use. I set up a dry erase board in the corner of my room and the students are constantly begging to make videos. Multiple times a day different students will ask to make videos. Sometimes I send them to other areas in the school (library, computer lab) so they can have a quiet to record and other times my five 'late bus riders' will try to squeeze in a recording in the five minutes before they are dismissed. There have been so many benefits to recording student teaching and this is a phrase that I hope to continue to hear in 2015.

Biggest Impact on my students' lives: Classroom Champions -
This year I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Classroom Champions teacher. So, for the past four months my students have participated in Classroom Champions lessons on Goal Setting, Fair Play, Community and Perseverance. On December 6th we had the first of two live chats with our mentors: Meryl Davis and Charlie White. If you're interested, here's the link to the call.

The organization has been wonderful to work with and I would highly recommend applying next year. Follow @ClassroomChamps, @SteveMesler @GiddeonMassie and @HlePNW on Twitter and keep your eye out for the 2015-2016 application in the Spring. You can learn more about Classroom Champions here.

Biggest Impact on my life: Global Classroom
This year was transformative for me. For just over a month during the summer, I traveled to Australia by myself. I went to the Flat Connections Conference in Sydney, took a twelve day bus tour from Perth to Broome, met my global classroom partner class in Perth and then spent time with my global classroom partner teacher, Jacqui Korten. If Jacqui and I hadn't created the global classroom that we did during the 2013-2014 school year, I know I would never have made the trip to Australia and had the experience of a lifetime by swimming with sharks, repelling off cliffs and seeing some of the most spectacular sunsets I'll ever see! This is the perfect example of how the connections I've made online really have changed my life.

Best Education App: Remind-
Remind is a simple, sleek app that allows teachers to text students and parents. I use Remind four to eight times per week to 'remind' students of their homework, remind parents of important events at school and to inform students of amazing things happening such as shuttle launches, eclipses, etc. Remind is a great company that I would recommend to any educator. Here are some unique ways that I have used Remind in the past.

Best Education Website: Skype in the Classroom
Skype can transform your classroom, hands down. If you have not created a Skype in the Classroom account, PLEASE do so in 2015. Putting the time and energy into figuring out how to Skype at your school WILL be worth it. You can easily skype in guest speakers to provide expert insight to your content, skype with classes from around the world or use it in many other creative ways. Our favorite skype calls have been with two paleontologists, a marine biologists from the Bahamas, a Yellowstone Park Ranger, an entomologist and an employee at NASA. Again, please take the leap! Here's a post I wrote a few years ago to help teachers get started using Skype in the Classroom.

Biggest Group Inspiration: Skype Master Teacher Group:
This year I was chosen to be a Skype Master Teacher. Through this group I have been in contact with extraordinary educators from all corners of the world. The projects that they do and the ideas that they share continue to inspire me to push boundaries within my own classroom. To get you started, I would recommend following the following educators on Twitter in addition to @SkypeClassroom: @msoskil, @teacherka,  @bevladd, @kcalderw, @murcha, @shannonmiller @Mrs_Smoke @campreadsmore @iro_st and @lkegode.

Biggest Individual Inspiration: Livingstone Kegode: (@lkegode)
Through Skype in the Classroom, I have not only exposed my students to places and people all around the world, but I have also been able to see first hand the work of teachers in six continents and in many different situations. The teacher who has inspired me the most, Livingstone Kegode, lives and works in a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The obstacles that he faces daily are ones that many of us can hardly fathom. Yet, he continues to educate the beautiful students in his region with the zeal and fervor of a teacher at the most privileged school in the world. He tries to set up a Skype call DAILY with his students which provides them with countless opportunities to learn and grow. However, whether he realizes it or not, the caller (speaker or class) on the other end is being inspired and uplifted at the same time. He is an incredible educator and someone I am happy to have connected with in 2014. Here's an article about Livingstone that includes a video of him explaining the importance of Skype and here are videos of his students teaching Swahili. Thank you, Livingstone for inspiring so many teachers around the world, including me!

I would like to thank all the people and organizations above who have helped me directly or indirectly this year. I truly believe I am a better teacher because of the time and effort you put into helping improve education not only for my students but students all around the world!

So...you're looking for an all-inclusive flipped class platform?

This is the fifth post in a series about my flipped classroom. You can read the previous four posts here:
Beginning Questions for the Flipped Classroom

So...you're focused on the in class time?

In the previous three posts I brainstormed questions for educators considering flipping, questions when educators are ready to take the leap and offered some suggestions and tips for instructing via video.

In this post, I offer a quick look into the "In Class Time" for my flipped classroom. Understanding the in-class time, starts with understanding the homework for the previous night:

Monday's Homework Example:

EdPuzzle Comparing Fractions Video

OR Daily Math Week 5 - Day 1

Students who have a device and internet access watch the video for homework.

Students who do not have access that night to a device and/or internet complete daily math review problems.

During the evening, it's not surprising for me to get several emails about the homework from students. I love this emails and cherish the opportunity to communicate with the students via email about homework.

In the morning, I'll look at the analytics available on EdPuzzle and at a glance it's VERY easy for me to see how many students will have to watch the video in class and MORE IMPORTANTLY who struggled and needs help.

I am lucky to have a 90 minute block of time for math each day. Here's how I typically split up my math class although the 60 minute section isn't always stations:

10 min - Warm Up

10 min - Whole Class Review

60 min - Flexible Time

Three 20 minute stations (Independent, Partner, Teacher groups)

Projects, etc.

10 min - Recap lesson and introduce that night's video

10 minute Warm Up

The first ten minutes of my class is called “Warm Up.” Students who didn’t watch the video the night before will get on a computer or use a device. Students who did watch the video will work on the Daily Math review problems. (Therefore, during the ten minutes of homework and during the first ten minutes of class all students will have watched the video and completed the independent review work.)

Just as an aside: I teach two groups of 26 students. In each class I typically have seven students or less who do not watch the video (mainly because they don't have access at home.) I have access to the following in my classroom: two desktop computers (district provided), one iPad (donated), one galaxy tab (donated), one iPad 2 (personal), one Chromebook (personal) and one MacBook (personal). If I have more than 7 students I send them to another teacher’s classroom. Hopefully soon I will have access to three more Chromebooks I received through a grant. I have one student who will come in the classroom early in the morning to watch the video instead of standing outside before school and I have two students whose parents pick them up ten minutes after school has been dismissed. The reason I explained all of this is because you have to figure out a way to make it work. These are just some ideas you can offer to students who might not have access at home.

During the ten minute warm up I ‘conference’ very quickly with each student who watched the video the previous night. They show me the notes that they took from the video and we go over any questions that they missed. (I walk around with the EdPuzzle log pulled up on my phone and I can easily see how many questions each student missed. Many times the students will say things like “I know where I went wrong, I get it now.” Or some students may ask questions about why his/her answer wasn't correct. It’s a great way to start conversations with the students.) ALL the students know that their quiz scores are used as formative assessment and that I want them to do their best. However, most importantly, they know I want them to learn from their mistakes.

10 minute Whole Class Review

After all the students finish the video (approximately 10 minutes or less), we will then discuss the video as a group. We have a brief chuckle about the joke and then get into the ‘goal’ of the video. Students have the opportunity to ask questions about the video and we usually go over a few problems (especially the problems that received the lowest percentage of correct responses.)

60 Minute Flexible Period

After the video I’ve done many different things depending on the lesson. Many times I set up three stations and I can split the students into groups based on how they performed. Typically the three groups are a teacher group, partner group and independent group. Other times the students might work on a larger project while I pull smaller groups during this time. This is a very flexible time for me and I use this time differently depending on the lesson. However, this is the MOST important part of flipping in my opinion. You will be surprised how much extra time you have in class now so be sure to use it wisely!

10 Minute Recap and Intro

I usually use this time to let the student recap what they've learned during today's stations and ask questions. I also briefly introduce the video for that night's homework. I make sure students know what supplies they need as well. The students copy down their homework and the whole process starts over again.

Tuesday's Homework Example:

EdPuzzle Ordering Fractions Video

OR Daily Math Week 5 - Day 2

Like I've said in previous post: MAKE YOUR FLIPPED CLASSROOM WORK FOR YOU! I've enjoyed learning about the set up of Crystal Kirch's classroom and Delia Bush's classroom when I was beginning my flipped journey but I also had to adapt it to work for me. Here's information about Todd Nesloney flipped classroom as well.

In the next post you can learn about four different flipped class platforms that I have researched.

Thanks for reading!
Arin
(@ArinKress)

So...you're ready for your first video?

In the previous two posts I brainstormed questions when educators first consider flipping and when they're ready to take the leap. Now, I will offer some questions and tips for video instruction:

What is the goal of the video? (Be sure to mention this at the beginning AND end of each video. Some teachers write the standard/indicator on slides at the beginning and end of the video)

Be prepared:

Have all materials (if on video) or slides (if creating a screencast) ready beforehand.

Think through the video so you don’t have to do much editing afterward. However, if you do make a mistake, that’s ok! Hopefully the students will catch the mistake and it can lead to a discussion in class.

MOST of my lessons are 'screencasts' of me teaching a SMARTboard lesson using SMARTboard software. I use Camtasia to screencast my lessons and this works best for me. However, adding variety to your flipped videos is KEY!

BE CREATIVE in the different ways to Flip:

Screencasting (no picture inset)

Screencasting (with picture inset)

Teaching using a videocamera/tripod

Teaching with a guest (bring in your principal or another teacher as your sidekick!)

Students teaching on camera

Students creating screencasts

On Location flipped videos - These are my favorite! (Where can you record a lesson that students will remember? Local donut shop? Local park? Cafeteria in your school? You can read more about these videos here.)

Also, instructionally, there are different types of flipped videos that I've used:

Introduction Videos

Reteaching Videos

Review Videos

Spiraling Videos

Screencasting Tips-

To SPEED up your screencast, try to have as much written on the slide as possible BEFORE you begin your screencast. Hide the writing if possible and then reveal it when necessary. I use the SMARTboard program and do much of the writing beforehand so the students don’t have to watch me write (poorly) with the mouse as I’m solving problems. The writing is covered with a 'screen shade' and then revealed when I'm ready. Preparing the slides beforehand, can take many minutes off your video.

BE YOURSELF. Make jokes and be personable on the screencast or video. No one wants to listen to a robot.

Keep your videos short. Typically my videos are 4-7 minutes in length. My students typically have four questions with the video which means that their math homework is approximately ten minutes each night.

INVOLVE the students. In every video I have a joke of the day. My students and I share a document where they add jokes. I know it sounds silly but it helps them take ownership of the videos.

Have a plan for your flipped videos. I like doing my videos in a series. At the beginning I can recap quickly what was taught in the previous video and at the end I can mention what is to come! I use a chart similar to the one below to help me organize my thinking:

	In Class Lesson Focus	Flipped Video Focus
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

MAKE FLIPPING WORK FOR YOU:

Flipping is just another way of instructing. Each of us has a unique set of circumstances that we deal with. Figure out how to make it work for you and don’t feel bad if your original plan has to be

adjusted!

One Video A Week Flipped Classroom:

Although I flip 4 days a week, some teachers provide one video a week and have great success (ex. spelling rule.) The students can refer to this video multiple times during the week to help complete activities.

I hope these tips help you. If you have others please add your suggestions to the comments below! In the next two posts you can learn about:

In Class Time

Flipped Platform Comparison

Thanks for reading!
Arin
(@ArinKress)

So...you're READY to flip?

In my previous post, I brainstormed questions that teachers could ask when they are beginning to set up a flipped classroom. Below are some questions to brainstorm when you are ready to take the leap!

Questions:

Which students have access at home? Which students do NOT have access at home?

(Students will need a working device and working internet)

Do you have students with special circumstances? (Shared Parenting, etc.)

How will students watch the video if they do not have access at home?

What will the students who watched the video do while the other students ‘make up’ the missed video?

What do students need to have with them while the watch the video? (pencil, notebook, guided notes, etc.)

Now that some of your instruction is online, how will your class time change?

Here are some suggestions when you're ready to implement flipped instruction:

Suggestions:

Talk to your principal and explain your plan. Explain how your instruction, formative assessment and student communication will all change.

Send home a letter to the parents explaining the benefits of flipped instruction. Examples:

Parents can watch the flipped videos with their child.

Students can watch videos even when they are absent.

Students can watch archived videos for review.

Students get immediate feedback.

In the letter, explain your expectation for students who have a working device and internet at home. (Ex. students complete the approximate __ (ex. ten) minute homework assignment ____ (ex. Monday- Thursday). If the device/internet is not working, please write a note in the agenda.

For students who do not have a device or access, students will complete review math homework nightly and watch the videos in class. The nightly review homework should take approximately __ (ex. ten) minutes and will be assigned ____ (ex. Monday- Thursday).

Be sure to have the parents sign the letter and mark if they have or do not have a working device and internet students can use at home.

Introduce the idea of the flipped classroom to the students. Explain the benefits to them. In future years, bring previous students back to give a student perspective.

ASK THE STUDENTS FOR INPUT AND FEEDBACK: Tell them that you’re taking a risk and you would love THEIR feedback. Make them feel a part of the learning process too. Once a week I try to assign a 'student created flipped video' and the kids are constantly begging to be the featured teacher!

I hope these questions and suggestions help you if you're considering flipping. In the next three posts you can find information on:

Video Instruction

In Class Time

Flipped Platform Comparison

Thanks for reading!
Arin
(@ArinKress)