Lights, Kami, Action!

The Pike Panther Band is Hitting All the Right Notes with Technology

Like most teachers at the start of the pandemic, Jack Forbis and Jennifer Haden, the band directors at Gene Pike Middle School, found themselves wondering how they were going to engage students remotely and transition their skills-based content to an online environment.  When teaching over Zoom, according to Haden, they quickly ran into several unexpected hurdles including a lag time that wouldn’t allow the whole group to play together effectively, and unreliable sound where “kids would play and there was no sound coming back, so the only way to tell if they were playing right was by watching their faces and fingers.”  Desperate for better ways to engage their learners, Forbis and Haden scoured posts made by other band directors in online forums and on social media.  Eventually they came across a post touting the benefits of EdPuzzle, which allows teachers to add questions throughout videos to gauge student learning.  They decided to dive in, recording videos that covered everything from an introduction to the staff and how to read music, to videos fully differentiated for each instrument demonstrating finger positions for notes and what they should sound like when played.  They then uploaded these videos to EdPuzzle where they added questions to aid and reinforce student understanding. 

When the district transitioned back to in-person learning, Forbis and Haden decided to continue incorporating EdPuzzle videos in their curriculum, finding innumerable benefits including differentiated instruction, increased student accountability, and greater consistency in the way that content is delivered.  As Haden explains, “they’re getting the same content delivered the same way every time without us having to repeat it five times every period … and if a student misses class or there’s a substitute, those students are going to get the same level of instruction as everyone else.” 

Recording and uploading EdPuzzles has not only allowed the band directors to differentiate instruction by instrument group, it has also allowed them to accommodate the diverse needs of their learners.  Forbis points out that not every student has the same access to transportation for before and after school tutorials, and these EdPuzzles are “like an extra tutorial the kids can have at home.”  If students are struggling with a particular skill and need additional support, they can pause, rewind, and rewatch the EdPuzzle as many times as they need to since, Forbis says, “the first part of learning is often modeling and mimicking, and that’s what this allowed us to do.”  Before EdPuzzle, Forbis and Haden would go over the lesson in class and students would practice together, but at home they were practicing on their own.  This meant, explains Haden, that “even if they were diligently practicing, if they were diligently practicing wrong, it wasn’t helping them.”  The EdPuzzles give students something they can go back to and practice with over and over.  Eduardo, a 6th grade clarinet player, finds value in this because he can rewatch the video at home before he records an assignment “and then try to match the same as Miss Haden.”

This ability to watch and rewatch is a key component in what Forbis and Haden say is perhaps the biggest benefit of using EdPuzzle in band -- increased student accountability.  They can easily see whether or not a student has accessed a video, their current progress, and how long they interacted with the content.  It’s also helpful for parents who often want to provide support by reinforcing practice at home, but, points out Haden, if they’re not familiar with the content “it can just sound like their kid is making sound at the house.”  The EdPuzzles help parents see exactly what Forbis and Haden are asking their students to do.  This has been further underscored by the move to Canvas, where Forbis and Haden embed the EdPuzzles directly in the instructions for their Media Recording assignments where students record and upload videos of themselves playing.  With Observer access, parents can see the expectations set in the EdPuzzle and compare them with the video their student has submitted.  This provides a clear picture of how well their student is performing, in terms of grades as well as ability.

While the benefits of transitioning to guided practice through EdPuzzle have been myriad, Forbis and Haden are the first to admit it took a lot of time and effort to set up.  When asked what advice they’d have for teachers considering bringing in new tools, Forbis and Haden recommend adding things in a little at a time to give teacher and students time to adjust, and to keep in mind that while it may feel like a lot of work up front, it pays off when that content is ready to go the next year.  The band directors are embodying this philosophy themselves, growing their EdPuzzle libraries as needed while also exploring new ways to boost student engagement and learning.  This year they’ve incorporated Ningenius to transform learning notes and finger positions into a game, building a reward system where students compete to earn belts that earn them access to parties and other fun activities.  Kelcie, another 6th grade clarinetist, appreciates how her teachers make learning and reviewing information fun using exciting online tools, adding that “people really want to get those belts!”

To get started with EdPuzzle in your own classroom, go to edpuzzle.com!

Pro Tip: Sharing content with another teacher on your campus?  Bookmark their content page so you can find all of their videos easily!  

My Network → Select School → Select Teacher → Bookmark in your browser!

Define > Dissect > Design = 3D Print Using MinecraftEDU

Students at Adams Middle School were given a life-like challenge to modify various puzzles with very small pieces for a child with a visual impairment. CTE Teacher, Mrs. Sheila Greene, wanted her students to practice an engineering skill called mechanical dissection of an object to understand an object's detailed design.

To modify the puzzle, you first have to mechanically dissect the layers of the puzzle. The first step into dissection is to isometrically draw all of the pieces of the puzzle on graph paper for accuracy to get an understanding of the 2D layers.  Jeremy F. said, “I like how I can see my mistakes, not to mention how this helps me in robotics and computer science.” 

 

Students documented the following in their journal during the investigation:

• Steps for how you assemble and disassemble the toy.
• Multiview sketch of each puzzle piece.
• Fully dimensioned sketch of the puzzle pieces

“This type of learning is preparing me to become a mechanical engineer,” said Jonathan F. 

This 2021-2022 school year NISD purchased Minecraft Education Edition for teachers and students to integrate into any content area.  Minecraft Education Edition is a game-based learning platform that promotes creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in a digital environment.  Common Sense Media states about Minecraft EDU, “Minecraft EDU is an excellent tool to engage students in learning, collaboration, and critical thinking and is now more accessible than ever to teachers.” 

To bring real world connections to the project, Mrs. Greene challenged her students to use digital tools to design larger puzzle pieces that will be printed on the 3D printer. Students needed to use their math and thinking skills to tinker with the X, Y, and Z axes to get the model placed into the build area

Being that Minecraft is new to NISD, Mrs. Greene did not know how to execute the program, but after a conversation with one of her expert students, Ayden, he volunteered to create a video tutorial and teach the class.  

 Click Image Above for Ayden’s Tutorial

As Ayden showed students how to print their work, Evan T. circulated among students helping them with Minecraft settings and block placement.  Now students in Robotics 1 are also using what they learned from Ayden and Evan and other student experts to create Minecraft-themed decorations to 3D print for their pull-toy mechanism.  Mrs. Greene said, “it is so cool to see students teaching each other and figuring out solutions together -- that’s real world collaboration and skill-building that increases their confidence and their trust in each other at the same time.”

 At the end of the experience, students will print their images on the Dremel 3D Printer. Check out some of their work below:

All of the NISD Minecraft for Education resources can be found here.  Feel free to contact your campus Instructional Technologist to answer any questions you might have. 

Elevating Student Learning with Technology Integration Academy

Goodbye one-size-fits-all lesson! See ya to an old mindset of technology use automatically equaling a higher level learning experience! 

HELLO personalized, needs-based & interests-based, choice-filled, differentiated, self-paced instruction! Technology Integration Academy meets teachers, administrators, and librarians where they are with technology integration and provides tangible resources and intentional modeling to elevate experiences for their unique learners. 

"But I'm already using technology in my classroom. Can I be exempt?" One of the best parts of TIA is that it is structured to grow EVERY learner from their current experience as choice is embedded in every module to provide a meaningful and tailored PD. Rather than providing a skills-based checklist where everyone meets the same end-goal, in this growth-mindset course, there is no technology proficiency ceiling, so the sky is the limit with possibilities that meet individual comfort levels. 

A primary goal of TIA is to highlight that technology usage itself does not elevate the learning experience; rather, it focuses on what students are being asked to do with the technology. Listing ideas on a Google Doc might have it's place in the lesson cycle, but are there also opportunities to publish to a larger audience, digitally collaborate outside the walls of the classroom, choose a personalized path or product, or create using higher level thinking? Focusing on the cognitive demand of the task helps to shift the focus from "Does this lesson have an element of technology" to "How can I pick the right technology platform to meet the intended learning goal?" 

The course content is structured around digital learning platforms we support in Northwest ISD, such as Learning Management Systems by grade level and the suite of apps in Google Workspace, accompanied by high impact instructional practices, like collaboration, creation, critical thinking, choice, reflection, and goal setting which are modeled in the course design and supported by participation requirements.

Take a look at some examples to explore the original prompt for various modules paired with unique creations and perspectives that develop as a result of choice, ownership, and collaboration.

 

To solidify new learning and identify actions steps moving forward, participants have a variety reflection opportunities in final module. Here are a few takeaways from the Spring 2021 TIA Cohort:

• I have really liked exploring the different opportunities for choice and differentiation throughout this course. It has been nice to be able to pick according to my learning level and not have to be able to review things I have already learned. Another aspect I have enjoyed from this course is being able to be reflective and set goals on how I want to grow in the future. I want to try to incorporate more technology especially with goal setting and student choice. - Elementary Interventionist
• Opportunities for Choice and Differentiation - I've come to realize that technology can play a significant role in the efficiency of differentiation. Meaningful Technology Integration - Technology is more than just assigning a google doc for the students to complete and submit. It can be collaborative and used to help students connect and enhance their learning. -7th Grade Science Teacher
• I thought it was important to review SAMR and take a reflective look at the technology integration that I currently use in the classroom. I noticed that most technology I use is on the lower end of SAMR, so I've set a goal of looking at the technology use that allows for even more learning involvement for the students. My goals for moving forward also include being more productive with technology use in the classroom (like using the iPad to be more mobile and keep track of student progress), and for parent communication. -5th Grade ELA/SS Teacher
• I will say that there are SO many options when it comes to technology use in the classroom. I was amazed at how many choices we have as teachers that are made available to us. My biggest plan is to use the technology to engage my students with presentations. I also want to really start using the IPAD for Doceri so I can walk around my room more. - High School CTE Teacher

Ready to take your technology integration to the next level? 

Enroll in the Summer 2021 TIA cohort today! The course content is available June 1st - August 8th, 2021.

For more information, visit these Technology Proficiency FAQs.

At Northwest ISD, we believe technology enables us to extend our reach and become more effective, relevant, and connected educators. We strive to use technology as a tool that engages our students at high cognitive levels, and this course is designed to reflect that philosophy in every way. This is important because NISD educators are expected to design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and prepare them to be competitive and successful in a global marketplace.

Breakout: It's a Celebration!

As semester exams draw nearer, students in Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Harris, and Coach Smith’s 6th/7th Compacted Advanced Math classes at Medlin Middle School have been hard at work. Over the last week they have worked together to create an epic digital breakout experience to review all content from the semester. The idea of using a breakout to review or interact with math concepts is not new. In fact, these students have experienced the use of digital breakout type activities created by their teachers all semester.

Throughout the fall semester, students have had the opportunity to participate in several digital breakout experiences. Similar to an escape room, a variety of puzzles and scenarios lead students through an engaging interaction with content. Along the way codes are revealed that, in the end, unlock the “locks”. Digital breakouts can be used across content areas and grade levels. When asked about learning through breakouts, Gage was excited to share. “I like the technology experience. It's a new way to look at math and it makes it more fun. It’s definitely more interesting because it makes math a part of our real world." 

And now the tables have turned. The secrets to creating an engaging digital breakout have been revealed and students have been equipped with the tools to create. Ify has enjoyed the process because she says it’s given her a “behind the scenes look" at creating activities like her teacher. It has also inspired her to explore career paths that may involve coding or creating digital materials for others. After being given the content to be used, Google Forms, Google Slides, and Flippity were the platforms selected by most students. Their teachers helped organize all created breakouts on a Google Site that was then shared with students as their semester review. 

Click HERE to access the student created breakouts

So, why use digital breakouts? The better question may be, why not? Digital breakouts...

• Promote collaboration and communication within the classroom
• Enhance problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Reinforce grade appropriate Technology Application TEKS and Digital Citizenship curriculum
• Motivate and spark new learning opportunities
• Empower students to own and apply their learning

Mrs. Butler also gives a compelling testimony for the integration of Digital Breakouts in the classroom. “There is a special energy that fills the room when students are completing a breakout session. Students are engaged and eager to advance through the activities. Students enjoy taking on a challenge and competing to be the first group done. Best of all, students receive immediate feedback on their content knowledge which is huge for a learner's success.”

If you are considering the use of digital breakouts with your students, reach out to your campus Instructional Technology or Library Media Specialist for help. There are many resources available to help make your breakout dreams a reality. 

This project will be submitted as an interactive presentation and considered by the campus committee to represent Medlin at Expo 2020. For more information about Northwest ISD Expo event, please visit expo.nisdtx.org.

Let's Be (proportionally) Reasonable

When was the last time you stopped to think about ratios and proportions? It’s a strong possibility that you’re reading this and are actually questioning yourself. You probably haven’t consciously thought about these two math terms since you were introduced to them in one of your math classes. The reality is, knowledge of proportions can play a bigger role in your daily life than you even realize. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Butler at Medlin Middle School are on a mission to find real world application for these standards. 

So, naturally, the most commonly asked question by students in a math class gets asked: “When will I ever use this in the real world”? In an attempt to begin answering that question, let’s think about a recent Target run or trip to Costco. Knowledge of ratios and proportions likely played a role in some of the decisions made. Even the car being driven down the highway to these two stores is being driven a certain number of miles per hour. Think about the ads seen online or in store. Many things are advertised as 2 for $5. Or the consumer doing math to figure out the better deal on paper towels and toilet paper. Maybe it’s a recipe that needs to be doubled. These are all just a sampling of the unit rate proportions one might encounter on any given day.

(Click to view project)

Knowing this math standard follows students throughout their math career, into the courses they’ll take in high school, a solid understanding of proportional reasoning is important. This unit also happened to fall at the beginning of the year, a time when all teachers are still getting to know their students. This project really opened the doors for students to share unique information about their daily lives with their teacher and classmates. Conveniently enough, teachers were also able to learn a lot about each student’s math knowledge through their work. 

Students were challenged to apply their learning about proportions from their 6th/7th grade compacted math class to real life. This meant it was time to identify which routines and decisions throughout their day involved proportions. From the time they woke up until it was time to go to bed, where could they apply this mathematical skill to real life? It was their teacher’s hope that it wouldn’t take long for students to come to the understanding that proportional reasoning is not just stuck in their math book. It is literally playing a part in many areas of their everyday life. The better question just might be, “When will I NOT use in the real world”?

(Click to view project)

Projects would need to include six examples of real world proportional situations presented in the form of a question for their peers to work out. Their work would also need to include a fully worked out answer key for their proportional situation examples. It was up to the students to determine how they would present their work. Many chose to create an interactive presentation using hyperlinked Google Slides and some even decided to bring theirs to life through video. Others created a Google Site. Some chose a more traditional style route and created a poster board that represented their proportional reasoning. Harrison and his partner, Drew created a video. He said, “We used my editing software and green screen from home. We enjoyed this project because we were able to show everything we know about proportions and ratios while also showing the things we enjoy doing”.

(Click image to view project)

At the end of the unit, students were equipped to recognize ratios and proportions all around them. They’re more prepared for the real world because they understand the importance of being a smart consumer and how simply paying attention to advertisements and unit ratios can influence purchasing decisions. There was definitely buy in for the importance of math outside the classroom. The habit of proportional reasoning was there all along, they just simply needed to see it applied and made personal to them. “I enjoy using technology because it gives you more options on projects, and allows you to be more creative with how you do things”. The added layer of integrating technology was definitely a highlight for Drew. 

Some of the projects created during this unit will be showcased at the district’s Expo event on the evening of February 28th. Students are eager to share their “math in the real world” experience with an authentic audience.

"R"edefining Review

"R"edefining Review

          

          When creating another semester exam review seems like a daunting task, why not flip the script and allow for creativity and innovation to take over.  At least that is what Mrs. Ashley Anthony decided to try in her class at the end of the Fall Semester.  "I just want to try something different for this time around," Mrs. Anthony explained.  "My goal is to challenge my students to think out of the box to create a resource for all of my other students to be able to use to study for their semester exam."  Naturally, she knew that if students could explain a concept thoroughly, they had a true and deep level of understanding for that topic.

          Collaboration and communication were instrumental at getting this project off the ground.  From its inception, Mrs. Anthony knew that she wanted this project to be completely student-driven, even from the very beginning.  Any teacher would simply give their students a project description and a rubric to follow.  However, as an exemplary teacher, Mrs. Anthony had her students define the rubric themselves, rooting this project in a rich research-based best practice.  Giving them the basic expectations in the middle column of the rubric, students then were tasked, through small-group and whole-group discussion, to create their own exemplary and needs-improvement criteria to demonstrate success.          

          The time came for the students to begin creating their collaborative Google Site.  Students partnered together and self-selected the math topic that they felt most comfortable with explaining.  The directions were clear.  Keeping in mind the Math Workshop Model, students had to create a lesson that taught the concept in an opening, ask higher-level questions through a work period, and finally allow for students to reflect on what they learned through a student-created formative assessment.  The only parameters students were given were the project description and the rubric they created.  Then they were off.  Immediately there was a buzz about the classroom about which platform to use.  Rylan suggested, "We should make a self-paced Peardeck presentation because it is interactive, so students will be engaged, and they can continually review their work."  Kate's enthusiasm with embedding a Google Site in the review site was exemplified when she said, "This is the best way we thought to organize our topic of ordering fractions, decimals, and percentages."  Will quickly got busy combing videos into WeVideo to teach his topic.  He shared, "I loved this project so much because we each got to find our own way of sharing our learning through teaching others."  Other preferred methods of delivery were Google Slides, Powtoon, and Google Docs.

          The aspect of this project that stands out most is that Mrs. Anthony knew what her students were capable of and knew that she needed to differentiate for this class.  In having her students create this resource for all of the other students at Chisholm Trail Middle School, she exemplified the "R" in the SAMR model.  SAMR is an acronym standing for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.  This model is a way for educators to assess how effectively they are using technology in their classroom.  Redefinition is in the transformation range, and it is quite clear that this entire project, from beginning to end, screams just that.  A transformation of a tried and true method of reviewing for a semester exam to one that is student-led, student-created, and serves as a method of instruction that reaches beyond their own classroom.  When asking Mrs. Anthony what her thoughts were on the entire process, she said, "I can't believe that it has taken me this long to try this with my students.  Every class is different and you have to know what they are capable of, but when you let them take the lead, they can produce great things.  This entire project seemed to transform the process of review and was an exciting way to do it."

Check out the 6th-Grade Compacted Math student-led semester review from Chisholm Trail Middle School by clicking the link below.

Supporting the #Wildcatway Reading Initiative

The Wildcat Way is more than just a motto at Wilson Middle School.  Over the summer, teachers put down their beach reads and picked up Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by G. Kylene Beers and Robert E Probst in an effort to better understand ways to foster a culture of  reading across campus and provided opportunities for collaboration through ways to disrupt our thinking about reading.  

It was from this book study, teachers Helen Read, 7th grade ELA, and Matt Norris, 7th grade Math, crafted “The Wilson Review.”   The Wilson Review is a process of creating and posting digital video reviews for students and staff. The goal of the showcase board is to get students interested in books as well as to share the books they love so that they can get inspired to read. Students can access the reviews via teacher Moodle pages and Google Classroom courses. The Reviews are also on display outside Ms. Read’s and Mr. Norris’ classrooms on a large bulletin board where students and teachers can use their mobile device to scan the QR codes.  

While the activity of having students submit book reviews might seem somewhat mundane,

these two teachers took it up a notch by allowing students to use FlipGrid as a tool for recording
their review.  In the world of Instagram and SnapChat selfies, what a better way to relate to
students than asking them to record their book review. 

Flipgrid is place where you can verbalize your learning.  Flipgrid was purchased by Microsoft and provides a moderated and easy to use platform to create up to 5 minute videos and showcase the videos for only NISD users to view.  Flipgrid along with the cameras on student’s Chromebooks were a great pair for this project. “With the integration of Flipgrid students get excited about sharing their books using the Book, Head, and Heart Model.  As they are creating they can investigate what others have said about books they might be interested to read.  Find a review you enjoy, students can leave a thumbs up to the creator and check out the book in the library.” This type of interaction motivates students to continue reading so they can make additional post.  WOW,  so far The Review board has 26 hours of engagement time and growing. 

Student Raul shared, “Flipgrid allows you to express what you think about a book, you can
say what you want.”  Students enjoy the freedom and creativity this outlet offers.  The ability to
record something for others to watch later is also an aspect of the tool students appreciate.
Gracie Clair reflects, “My flip grid experience has really put it in a way for me that I can speak
up and prove my thinking, with people watching it after I film it, not while I film it.”

Staff have already seen an increase in student engagement during daily reading and this is
only the beginning!  Ms. Read and Mr. Norris hope to continue utilizing Flipgrid throughout
the year for book reviews.  Even teachers have benefited from the program!  As Ms. Read
reflected on her experience she shared, “Making my own Flipgrid video was an interesting
experience because it put me in the shoes of my students. I was a bit nervous recording myself.
It also solidified what I wanted my students to be able to share about their reading. I’ve learned
about some books I have definitely added to my own TO BE READ list.”  Mr. Norris has also
enjoyed the experience and was pleased to see, “With showcasing of teacher examples and as
more students recorded their reviews, students overcome their hesitations.”

In today’s schools, technology can be seen as an enemy of reading, however these two innovative teachers have uncovered a strong ally in growing passionate readers.  The Wildcat Way Reading Initiative is off to a strong start. 

There are Actually Three Sides to Every Story!

6th grade students at Tidwell MS will not forget this year's triangle unit! This unit was not only informative, but also hands on and  engaging. Students started the unit by learning how to use Geogebra to create triangles. Then, students created a product of their choice (book, comic strip, brochure, etc.) that would allow them to share their learning of triangles with others. Another neat aspect of this project was that students learned how to construct and build triangles from other students. Students in the 6th GT math class created video screencasts showing how to use Geogera and how to create triangles with the correct angles. They compiled their videos on a Padlet wall that was shared with the rest of the 6th grade math classes.

Taidghen, Taylor, Elijah, and Yaleiza from Mrs. Lahit's class got a lot out of this project. "I really enjoyed creating the triangles on Geogebra," said Yaleiza. "I learned that triangles are more than just a shape with three sides. There are many different types of triangles, but you only know the type based on the angle sizes. I also learned that you can not have two obtuse angles within a triangle, or two right angles." This project made students think about triangle properties during creation. Elijah points out, "The most difficult part of the project was making the equilateral triangle in Geogebra because you had to make sure to get all of the sides the same."

Creating Specific Triangles in Geogebra

Taylor and Taidghen loved the choice and creation aspect of the project. Taidghen comments, "I liked making my project stand out. I came up with statements for my book that would help others understand triangles in kid friendly words." Taidghen enjoyed Book Creator as his creation platform because it gave him plenty of options such as inserting images and shapes, as well as choosing specific fonts, backgrounds, and colors. Taidghen even utilized the drawing feature to point out matching and opposing angles within his book.

Projects were turned in on a Padlet wall, which allowed students to see each other's work. "I enjoyed seeing how other students used Book Creator differently than I did," said Taidghen. Yaleiza added, "I enjoyed looking at the Powtoons that some of my other classmates created. The Padlet helped us see all of the ways that we could have shared our knowledge."

All four of these students agreed that next year's 6th graders should complete this project. Taylor mentions, "Next year's class should do this project because it's a chance to be creative while learning." Elijah concludes,"This is a great project because you really learn about all of the triangles and the theorems."

• Taidghen's Project Link
• Yaleiza's Project Link
• Elijah's Project Link
• Taylor's Project Link

Student Created Tutorials for Using Geogebra:

Student ISTE Standards:

Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

• 6a:Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
• 6c: Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
• 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

• 1c: Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

Teaching Your Future Forgetful Self

From homework, to extra-curriculars, lunch, friendships/other relationships, as well as chores and other duties at home, so much "life" happens in between today's class period and tomorrow's. Units of study are typically scheduled to end on Fridays so that students can cultivate skills throughout the week and test on Friday with the weekend being a mental break and a new unit/topic starting the following Monday. As much as a week-long Thanksgiving Break is desired, it occurred in the middle of a 7th Grade Math Unit causing Medlin Middle School teachers, N. James and B. Salazar, to get creative in overcoming this potential forgetfulness.

Following a rigorous Scope-and-Sequence, students began studying TEKS 11A (model and solve one-variable, two-step equations and inequalities) and 11B (determine if the given value(s) make(s) one-variable, two-step equations and inequalities true) with only three days remaining before Break. In having this unit resume upon return, James and Salazar wanted to find a way for students to not only learn the foundational skills within the limited time, but also retain the information post-break to maximize instructional time focused on next-steps with minimal review.

What better way to remember content than become your own future self's tutor! To do so, students were tasked with creating a video tutorial utilizing Sketch IO and Screencastify that included the following requirements.

Multiple scaffolds were put in place to ensure students were reinforcing correct information. To start, these on-level students were allowed to be in groups no larger than 3 so peer-teaching could be utilized to support and clarify learning. Additionally, students were tasked with prewriting a script which encouraged planning and preparation instead of an on-the-fly performance; furthermore, this script had to include a few Key Terms in order to provide structure to the video whose remaining components were largely decided by student-choice.

Upon return from the week-long Thanksgiving Break, students had access to their own tutorial as well as a shared Google Folder containing their classmate's videos. This repository was valuable because students could hear and see explanations in student-friendly language from multiple viewpoints and problem sets. Creation of this video is at the highest level of Blooms Taxonomy in which students must synthesize information to create their own original work. Through creating a tutorial to teach yourself and others, students not only had to remember, understand, and apply these math concepts, but then use this to analyze the required steps and evaluate their order and purpose so that they could formulate this video. Applying higher level thinking commonly solidifies the learning to long-term memory so that instruction could resume right where they left off before Break with the tutorial videos available for memory jogging and review.

This activity meets ISTE's standard of being a 'Knowledge Constructor' in which "Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions." (3c)

Don't Put Away Your Fidget Spinner Just Yet

Fidgets spinners are supposed to help students sit still and focus. On the contrary, many teachers are saying, it's having the exact opposite effect which causes students to loose focus.  But, students in Mrs. Fryar’s, 6th grade Tech Apps course at Wilson Middle School, are not losing focus.  They were challenged to create digital spinners all while strengthening critical thinking and problem solving skills.

So many spinners! pic.twitter.com/OleRynuEq9

— Karen Fryar (@KarenFryarArt) May 12, 2017

Students went right to work discovering how coding on Scratch worked.  They were able to question their understanding and take it deeper, by helping others find answers to the questions they still had. With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.  

Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century

 

ISTE Standards

4. Innovative Designer - Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

4a Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

4b Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

4c Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

4d Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.

ZOOMing in on the 4C's!

ZOOM: Student View

5th grade students in Mrs. Chamberlain’s 6th Grade Pre-AP Math class collaborate and learn together every day! The unique aspect of this class is that none of these students are physically in the same classroom as Mrs. Chamberlain. Northwest ISD’s 1:1 environment, along with a variety of digital tools allow students from across the district to interact, give and receive feedback, collaborate, create, and even work in groups. Every morning, students remote into Mrs. Chamberlain’s class via ZOOM. Students all have a Microsoft OneNote journal in which they share a collaborative whiteboard and have individual pages to solve their work. The students are enjoying the class, the challenge, and the ability to learn from anywhere. In Zachary's words,"What I love about the remote class is that I can see other students from different schools without having to get out of my seat." Kash adds, "I like that we can share thoughts across the district" and Holden comments, "I feel challenged in math this year and the problems are fun because they seem like puzzles."

OneNote: Collaborative Whiteboard

ZOOM allows students to communicate with each other in a variety of ways. "I like how you can mute and un-mute yourself, and how you can raise your hand, because it makes you feel like you're in an actual classroom with the teacher. I would say the most difficult part so far has been my Unit 2 homework," said Matthew. 

Group 3: Google Draw Work and Collaboration

Google Slides: Turning in Posters

Recently, students were put into groups of two to create a visual math poster on fractions. Students used Google Draw to collaborate and show their thinking visually. Once visuals were created, students uploaded their drawings to a collaborative class Google Slide so that they could give and receive feedback as well as learn from other groups. According to Blane, "the group poster was exciting because I got to work with someone I have never worked with before."

Students in this class are learning to communicate and explain their thinking across a variety of platforms. They are learning how to interact via audio conference, text chat, visual graphics, etc. This class truly represents 21st century learning and encourages students to take ownership of their learning. They are encouraged to take risks as they work with students from other campuses. This class is just getting started and these students have a lot to accomplish before the end of the year!

Student ISTE Standards:

• COMMUNICATION (1C): Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

• CREATIVITY (4A): Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

• CRITICAL THINKING (5C): Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.

• COLLABORATION (7C): Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.