Twitter Resources for Educators

I have said over and over again that Twitter has revolutionized my professional development and learning.  Twitter is a tech tool that I use everyday professionally and, I have even started to use it with my students.  This past spring my eighth grade students initiated three different Twitter discussions about To Kill a Mockingbird.  Twitter allowed students to extend classroom conversations and collaborate outside of the classroom.

Last week I taught a workshop to teachers in my school district on Twitter for Educators.  Whether you are new to Twitter or have started to get your feet wet with this social media, check out the resources below to help you utilize and learn about the potential Twitter has to offer.

Twitter in Plain English [Video] by Common Craft

Twitter Cheat Sheet from Dr. Kimberly Tyson @tysonkimberly

Rules of Twitter Etiquette from Educational Technology & Mobile Learning

100 Ways to Use Twitter in Education, By Degree of Difficulty @Edudemic

Educators Guide to Twitter LIVEBINDER curated by Steven W. Anderson @Web20classroom

Examples of Using Twitter for Education from the Innovative Educator @InnovativeEdu

60 Inspiring Examples of Twitter in the Classroom from 21^st Century Fluency Project

Twitter Spectrum for Educators Infographic from Teachthought.com

Tech-erentiated Assessment Projects for To Kill a Mockingbird

This spring my eighth grade students read To Kill a Mockingbird.  As an assessment of their reading and understanding I gave my students a Think Tac Toe board with nine different technology based, differentiated project choices.  Hence the word “tech-erentiated.”  The idea behind the assignment is that students complete any three assessment projects as long as  they make a tic-tac-toe on the board.

Below is the assignment and rubric.  Also included is a blog post written by one of my students on the relevance of reading To Kill a Mockingbird today.

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an old story that relates to modern times in many ways. In the story, Scout is a growing child who is finding her place in the world. She is constantly reminded that she is a “lady” and that women don’t wear overalls or play football. She is also scolded by her Aunt Alexandra for not acting like a women. Her role as a Finch in the town of Maycomb is to become married to a respectable man and to raise children to be kind and polite people. In modern times, many of these expectations still apply. Most fathers and mothers want their daughter to grow up, marry, and have children so that they can carry on the family name. The parents also want to make sure that their child is appealing to others in the community, even if the child doesn’t want wear skirts and dresses. The expectation of girls has declined from the 1930s, but it is still there. Most families simply want their daughter be a mother when they are older.

Racism of African Americans is another example of how the novel relates to real life. In the 1930s, blacks were treated with extreme disrespect and hatred. Like in the story, blacks were blamed for crimes that they didn’t commit, and also scolded for actions they didn’t do. Many African American women were nannies or housekeepers, while the men were hard laborers who worked out on the fields. After the government put an end to discrimination, segregation, and hatred towards blacks, most of the racism and cruelty died down. But even today, with a black president in office, white Americans still treat African Americans in ways they shouldn’t be treated. One example would include stereotyping, where a white person judges a black person just by the color of their skin. Another would include bullying in schools for being different than the majority of the students.

In the novel, Dill is ignored by his parents. Even though Dill is given the toys that he desires, his parents never want to spend time with him. Because of this, Dill runs away to the Finches, where he knows he can find a friend. In present times, this actually occurs quite frequently. Today, people would call Dill a spoiled brat. Kids his age would envy him for the toys he possesses, but what they don’t understand is that Dill is all alone. Many modern day children also run away from their homes, because they have know one to play with. Even if a child receives all the toys in the world, he would still not have a friend to enjoy his toys with. This happens mostly to children with no brothers or sisters, but it can happen to anyone.

Jem faces the challenges of being an adolescent as he grows older. During the novel, Jem starts to play football, read magazines, and stay away from Scout more and more often. Jem starts to show more appreciation for becoming a lawyer and analyzes the Tom Robinson rape case with intensive concentration. In modern times, boys go through the same kinds of phases; they become more mature and look to their future more than when they were children. Jem and boys of the 21st century would agree that hanging out with your little sister is embarrassing and that football is the best sport to ever be invented. They also both look to their future careers, be it a lawyer, doctor, or even scientist. Jem and modern day boys are more similar than most would imagine.

Summer Reading Recommendations for Middle School

This upcoming fall I plan to teach eighth grade English and summer reading requirements have sent me researching book titles for my incoming students.

All students entering Grade 8 at the schools where I teach are required to read: Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. In 1957, Melba Pattillo turned sixteen. Little did she know that same year she would become a warrior at the core of the fight for civil rights. Following the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education, Melba was one of nine teenagers chosen to integrate Little Rock’s Central High School. Warriors Don’t Cry is her story.

My students will be required to read another book, plus a third for extra credit.  Here are some recommended titles:

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Equally detested and revered–often by the same people–Steve Jobs, the man who operated from his own “reality distortion field,” moved beyond the visionary to perfect the simple and transform the world as we know it. Blumenthal’s accessible biography presents an intimate and well-rounded portrait of a complex American icon and the technological contributions that define his enduring legacy.

Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary; he has special electric powers. Michael thinks he’s unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of another, they investigate their conditions. Their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Growing up in Texas in 1899, Calpurnia is more interested in science than cooking and needlepoint. Her grandfather, a naturalist, sparks Calpurnia’s curiosity and they explore the rivers, observe animals, and possibly discover a new species of plant. Conflicted by societal expectations for girls in the 1900s, Callie desires to be a scientist rather than a mother and a wife.

Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of WWII by Robert Kurson

John Chatterton and Rich Kohler, two divers, take on a wreck, a WWII U-boat, at 230 feet, off the coast of New Jersey. The two divers embark on a seven-year search for the U-boat’s identity, jarring people’s memories and researching archives. Along the way, Chatterton’s diving had serious repercussions for his personal life, while Kohler’s commitment to the cause resulted in his becoming a U-boat scholar. The completion of their quest answers one of the few remaining questions about WWII. Adventure enthusiasts will love the story of these divers and history buffs will revel in the descriptions of WWII and the Third Reich.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Sixteen-year-old Jacob receives a letter that sends him on a journey to a remote island, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar, possibly dangerous. The story includes vintage photographs that help unravel the plot and Jacob’s findings on the island. Read the story to find out why these children were quarantined on this island long ago.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This book comes recommended to me by one of my students.  Sixteen year old Hazel is living with cancer and clinically depressed.  She is sent my her doctor to a support group where she meets Augustus, a fellow cancer survivor.  They fall in love and so the novel continues.  If you have read Wonder, by RJ Palacio, this might be a book you would like.

If you have a great recommended read for middle school students, please share book titles in the comment section below.  Happy reading!

Choose Your Own Adventure Video Project: Deconstructing Disney Princess Films

Do you remember the choose your own adventure books when you were back in elementary school? The reader gets to choose what will happen next.  The CYOA video project is the same idea, the viewer gets to choose what he or she would like to view next by clicking on a link embedded on the video.

In my media literacy elective, Media Savvy Kids, I have my students watch Disney animated films to learn and understand critical theories of gender, race, class, and age.  As a culminating project I decided to have my students create a Choose Your Own Adventure video project to highlight their understanding of critical theory by applying one of the critical theories to Disney’s princess films.  The idea of a Choose Your Own Adventure Project was inspired by  Greg Kulowiec’s high school social studies CYOA video project  that was shared with me at a recent ed tech conference.

First, we watched Tangled in class. Afterwards, I presented my reading of the movie introducing and applying each critical theory to the film.  I defined the critical theories for my students and showed examples how the critical theories can be applied to the movie.  The following week, we watched Brave together in class.  The idea behind these two movies was that they are the most recent Disney princess films and are suppose to present a more updated and feminist princess.  But is she really?  That was one of the guiding questions for this unit of study.  Students had to apply the critical theories and pull put specific examples in the movie Brave.  For the assessment project I selected the student partnerships and each group chose the critical theory they would present in the video.  Students were required to offer three to four specific examples from the movie to support their claim and critical reading of the movies.  Students were also allowed to bring in additional examples from other Disney princess films.  Students collaborated writing their scripts and then we went into production filming the videos.

Here is what the project looked like on paper in the planning stage:

 

Media Savvy Kids CYOA Video Project from theteachingfactor

Here is the rubric I created for the project:

Media Savvy Kids Choose Your Own Adventure Video Project Rubric from theteachingfactor

Here is the final project:

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Reflections of a Flatclassroom Global Collaborative Project

This spring I had the opportunity to participate in one of the Flat Classroom global projects designed and facilitated by Flat Classroom co-founders, Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis.  The project that my students and I participated in was the NetGenEd Project.  The idea behind the project was for students to work collaboratively researching and contributing to the NetGenEd Wiki  about one of the 2013 Horizon Report Tech Trends through the critical perspective of Don Tapscott’s Net Generation Norms.  In addition, students created a video about the tech trend they researched to be judged by a set of external judges.  The project encompassed about ten weeks from February up until the end of April.  My students worked on the project everyday in class researching, adding information to the Wiki and Ning, communicating with their global partners from other schools, and creating their videos.  This being the first year that my students and I participated in the project, I asked my students to reflect on their learning and participation in this project.

My students gave me some insight in how I might do the project differently if I were to participate in this project again and confirmed for me some of my own thoughts post-project.

As a new teacher to this project there were meetings online every week or two to help set up the project but as one of the organizers said, “it is sink or swim.” I kept abreast of everything but a mentor assigned to work with me would have been beneficial.  I read Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time (2012) by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis beforehand.  I read Grown Up Digital (2009) by Don Tapscott after being informed I was invited to participate in the project.  I read as much as I could so that I could manage the project effectively and successfully.

One thing I would recommend changing is streamline the websites.  It was overwhelming and confusing between the Ning and the Wiki.  As a Wiki user and advocate, I was comfortable and confident collaborating on a Wiki.  The Ning — think of a social networking sight like Facebook specifically for the project participants — I felt, was not necessary; and many of my students confirmed the same in their reflection.   Asking students to contribute to a Wiki and contribute to the Ning was tedious and confusing.  There was a handshake on the Ning, but project reports on the Wiki, discussions on the Wiki and on the Ning.  Why not have a page on the wiki to share handshake blog posts and keep everything on one website.

Returning teachers shared their project checklists online and this was tremendously helpful.  I used these as models to create daily checklists to help my students move through each element of the project requirements.  I wish I had gotten this information right at the beginning of the project.  In addition, I felt I needed to evaluate my students at every checklist to make sure that each piece of the desired outcomes was met.  I created my own rubrics, and would have loved other teacher participants to share their own.

I realize now, after reading student reflections, I need to better articulate the guidelines and desired outcomes for my students.  I thought that I was clear but found many of my students confused.  I need to create templates to support student research and offer models of solid final products to help my students understand the project requirements.

Here are some highlights of what my students said in their reflections:

“I found it interesting to work with students in other countries and see their point of view.”

“I learned that the future of technology has so much to offer.”

“If you were to do the project again, there should be less work.  It was too much and were graded too harshly seeing as we were learning as we were completing the project requirements.”

“I learned how to collaborate with other people through technology.”

“I think you don’t need to do the Wiki, students should just make a movie and the other people collaborating were useless.”

Now, you might be wondering, would I do another global collaborative project?

Absolutely, in fact I am working on another one right now connecting my students with students at a school in Japan.

To see my students’ Flat Classroom research, Wiki reports,  and videos CLICK HERE.

Nerdy Book Club Post: Middle School Readers are Rock Stars for Young Readers

This past week I wrote a blog post for one of my favorite blogs, The Nerdy Book Club. This fantastic blog is a community of bloggers who share book reviews, reading projects, and support reading culture. Below is a copy of the post that I wrote for The Nerdy Book Club. If you would like to see the actual post or read other awesome posts from their blog, click here.

Each spring my middle school students and I visit our local elementary school to read aloud our favorite children’s picture books to kindergarten, first, and second grade students. When my middle school students enter the elementary school and see their teachers from years past, they are giddy with excitement. They coo over how small and cute the kindergarteners and first graders are, and they are enamored by the size of the furniture as if they have taken the same potion that Alice in Wonderland did to grow bigger. They are excited for circle time and the opportunity to read their favorite children’s books aloud to the younger students.

My students take this journey as part of an authentic assessment in my Speech and Debate class, an elective available to seventh and eighth grade students. The first few weeks of class address the question, “What makes an effective speaking voice?” We cover all aspects of voice: volume, tone, pitch, pace, body language, eye contact, pause, and articulation. Students examine a dozen models from Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy to Randy Pausch and President Obama. Before my students launch into writing and presenting informative or persuasive speeches, they must showcase their awareness and control of the workings of their own voice. This is where our trip to the elementary school fits in.

If I asked my students to read aloud a speech or a children’s book within the confines of our classroom, it wouldn’t be the same. Asking students to present for a real audience is more meaningful. Their read aloud must be dramatic and enthusiastic to maintain the interests of their young audience and convey an important message. Here, the early elementary school students are the real audience. Before my students even begin reading, they are seen by the younger children as rock stars. This perception gives my students an advantage in confidence and undivided attention.

Everyone sits “criss cross applesauce” with their mouths open to gobble up a good book. I have taught my students that punctuation offers guided directions for the reader. Periods and commas tell them to pause, while exclamation points and question marks direct their tone. The way the words lay on the page can also guide the rate of their read aloud. Eye contact helps them gauge their audience and their listeners’ interest and attention. If the young children laugh in all the right places, my students know they are successful in their read aloud. I know the project is successful when my students ask me if we can return each week to read to the elementary students. Not a bad idea, I think, too.

As much as we are sharing books, we are sharing smiles, laughter, and time together. When we read aloud a story, especially one that we have picked out, or one that is filled with childhood memories, there is a deeper connection between the book, the reader, and the audience. Unspoken between the students young and old is that books are still fun to read and bring people together. Even in this digital age, a good book is priceless.

How to Integrate Technology into the Classroom & Meet Common Core Learning Standards

For the past two weeks I have been teaching a professional development workshop for teachers in my school district titled, “Implementing Technology in the Classroom to Meet Common Core Learning Standards.”  Below are two Prezis I made for the teaching portion of the workshop and a Livebinder that I created for the workshop with additional resources and information. My advice to anyone looking to enhance teaching with technology is lurk online for fifteen minutes a week. Read other blogs to get ideas, get inspired, and starting thinking, “How can I adapt this for my content and students?”

CCLS & Technology

Tackling Bullying: Spring Debates

For two weeks my middle school students have been learning about and engaging in heated discussions debates on all different controversial topics. For our first formal debate students will tackle bullying.

Bullying is an epidemic in many schools and with the documentary Bully, many schools are holding a mirror to their policies and procedures address bullying, bystanders, and victims and focusing on how to teach students to be upstanders and compassionate.  The tragic events in South Hadley, Massachusetts and at Rutgers University in New Jersey that led to Phoebe Prince and Tyler Clementi taking their own lives (among the countless others) have only brought the issue of bullying to the forefront of education.

Why not have my students research and discuss the politics around bullying, figure possible solutions for schools and communities, and engage in intellectual conversations as cyber bullying seems to be on the rise.  Below is the actual assignment and rubrics that will be used to evaluate my students’ debates and evidence files.  If you are looking for resources or lesson ideas on bullying, The New York Time’s The Learning Network has great information for teachers and students.

This Thinglink gives my students a jump start finding information on bullying for their evidence files.

Children’s Books that Help Manage Anxiety & Anger and Promote Calm

As a parent and a teacher I am aware of the varying levels of stress and anxiety among young people today. Sometimes, I have even been caught in the storm of anger and anxiety over a homework assignment or things not going your way. Helping young people calm down when they are having a melt down can be challenging. I have to remind myself during these times, “Be the calm, not the storm.”

For my son and daughter, books have become a great tool to help teach and communicate all different messages from making friends to showing compassion. As a gift this past holiday season my sister, a yoga enthusiast, thoughtfully gave us three books about yoga and meditation which have become family favorites. All of the books compiled below have taught us to stay calm, and breathe. Some of these books offer addition strategies to help us during stressful moments.

Below is a list of the top ten children’s books that have helped our family manage anxiety and anger, and at the same time, promote peace.

 

 

 

 

Peaceful Piggy Mediation by Kerry Lee MacClean is a book for young people about meditation. The pictures and words teach readers the beginnings of meditation. The book offers meditation as a vehicle to have a positive outlook on life, even when things aren’t going your way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who doesn’t love Babar? This books tells the story of a yogi visiting Babar and teaching yoga to all the elephants in Celesteville. The books offers an illustrated step-by-step guide of fifteen different yoga poses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taeeun Yoo writes and illustrates this fun book showing young people how to mimic animals in all different yoga poses from snakes to butterflies. A good introduction to yoga for young ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Sophie’s sister grabs her stuffed gorilla and Sophie accidently knocks over her blocks, she get really, really angry. Molly Bang’s story acknowledges feelings of anger with vivid pictures and thoughtful text to help young people work through angry thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheri Meiners has created a great series of books for pre-school age children (we have them all). This book in particular focuses on using our words to talk through our feelings when we are frustrated or angry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anger is personified in Gail Silver’s book as a red, hairy creature. This book teaches about not getting carried away by our feelings of anger and strong emotions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kali’s Song celebrates differences in all of us and the power of music and art over violence. This books celebrates the natural world and honors art as an amazing form of expression.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think that most elementary schools use How Full is Your Bucket and Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? to promote positive behavior and kindness. A great book that teaches character education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zen Ties plays on words. The main story is about compassion and friendship. Stillwater, a panda bear and main character, teaches children to be kind to others and has a calming presence throughout the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Todd Parr is a wonderful author and illustrator with direct stories and every one can relate to. In The Peace Book offers a simple message for readers young and old.

Building Learning Pathways: Collaboration & The Common Core #SLS13

For the full recording of this session with an abundance of project ideas in action, listen here.