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Spring Bingo Challenge: Highlighting the Heroes

The amount of technology available to teachers can feel overwhelming. It seems like a new tool is released each week, making it hard for anyone -- let alone the busy teacher -- to keep up. But when it boils down, we know that technology itself isn’t necessarily innovative or meaningful on its own. Rather, we need teachers who intentionally implement that technology in their lessons and classrooms for the most impactful learning to happen. It's also true that teachers need time with tech tools to explore and implement, to try and try again.

In an effort to help teachers sift through the barrage of technology tools and templates available to them, NISD's Instructional Technology team hosts an annual Spring Bingo Challenge (happening in 2021 from April 1-30). Throughout this time teachers, K-12 and throughout the district are challenged with a fun way to explore instructional technology tools (new and old) at their own pace and when it makes sense for them.

A major benefit to this challenge happening during the Spring semester is that school is still in session. Meaning, instead of bookmarking a bunch of exciting ideas during a Summer PD that we someday hope to use (we’ve all been this person), educators are able to implement their ideas with students in the moment, as they learn, and when they have the support of their team and instructional technologist should they need it. After all, there is research enough to support the fact that effective job-embedded professional development can have a positive impact on teacher practice. However, between breaks, benchmarks, standardized tests, and end-of-year celebrations it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Spring semester is also a wildly busy time of year for teachers.

And yet...

At the time of writing this, we are already halfway through this year's challenge and well into the Spring semester. Teachers are asked, as a part of the challenge, to share their learning on Twitter using the hashtag #NISDITBingo.

Teachers have too much on their plates.

They are teaching in a pandemic.

They are tripping over their to-do lists.

And yet, that hashtag is filled with teacher heroes.

#NISDITBingo is filled with dedicated educators who are committed to prioritizing their professional growth for the sake of their students. It's filled with those who are courageous enough to try something new, and who are determined enough to try it now -- today -- when it will impact these learners. That hashtag is filled with teachers who are learning by doing and who are sharing their successes.

The thing is -- change is hard. Pushing yourself to learn something new, especially while those around you talk about things coming to an end, is hard. So, yes. These teachers are heroes who deserve to be celebrated.

Highlighting the Heroes

Below are only a few "hero highlights" from the Spring Bingo Challenge. See all of the shared successes at #NISDITBingo.

Engaging Hooks with "Mystery Reveals" 

As educators, we know the importance of grasping our learners early on in a lesson or unit. Creating a little mystery around a topic is a great way to get hook students and get them excited about their learning. When teaching her students how to compare fractions, Mrs. Kemper used a “Mystery Reveal” activity in Seesaw where students used a magnifying glass to reveal the fractions as they learn and work to solve the problems.

Thanks #nisditbingo! I would have never known that you can use this cute magnifying tool in seesaw! My kiddos loved comparing fractions with it 🔍 @Kel_Sanders @BeckElem pic.twitter.com/7TsBqhbCho

— Gabby Kemper (@MrsKemper3rd) April 7, 2021

If you don’t use Seesaw, don’t sweat it! Mrs. Herrera used a similar Jamboard template to engage her students in problem-solving and to review the math concepts they were working on.

Found this neat scratch off @JamboardEDU template through our #NISDITBingo today! Set it up for some division review! @Brit_Horn_IT pic.twitter.com/iKEfsU8fCG

— Alexandra Herrera (@Herrera_Class) April 6, 2021

Problem-Solving and Communication: Flipgrid

Mrs. Robbins creatively combined a Google document and QR codes with Flipgrid, a platform for video responses complete with a whiteboard. She cleverly created a problem-solving “flip escape”. For this task, students had to solve each math problem, scan the cooresponding QR code, and then entering a code word so they could share how they solved each problem in Flipgrid before they could unlock the next one.

Not only did she design an engaging, gamified learning experience for her students, but by integrating Flipgrid at each step, students were empowered with a voice and recognized for their success in learning, where they could both showcase and share their learning to an authentic audience of their classmates. Even better, because of her intentional planning students could collaboratively learn from one another along the way. 

@Flipgrid is so great for learning from others. We loved doing this “flip escape” with proportions. Students had to solve, scan the code, and type the right answer in order to unlock the next problem and explain how they solved it. #NISDITBingo @ReneEgle @JNeiswender_TMS pic.twitter.com/Kx66hobStF

— Hillary Robbins (@1HillaryRobbins) April 6, 2021

In Mrs. Waddell's class, students were given the chance to lead a discussion through Doceri, an app for mobile educators. Not only did Mrs. Waddell's intentional use of this tool foster classroom communication and individual reflection, but it gave students a chance to practice leadership while learning.

Student led discussion on Doceri during Math today!! The kids think it is sooo cool when they get to use my iPad!!! #nisditbingo @Brit_Horn_IT pic.twitter.com/7fBzOx98RE

— Amanda Waddell (@AmandaW72515014) April 19, 2021

Assessment: Jamboard

Mrs. Mogg wisely tweaked a pre-made KWL template from Canva to use as the background in an interactive Google Jamboard. By moving the KWL graphic from a static Canva to the interactive Jamboard, she elevated the task. Students were engaged on a platform that let them collaboratively share their thinking. 

I edited an Online Whiteboard Template on @canva to use as a background on @JamboardM. Students then filled out the KWL chart full of sticky notes about Insects. @BeckElem @NISDScience @Kel_Sanders #NISDItBingo pic.twitter.com/rrT5ROgZN7

— Paige Mogg (@MrsMoggsClass) April 20, 2021

Feedback: Bitmoji, Canva, Seesaw, & Autocrat

Feedback is a critical part of learning and should be timely, relevant, and specific. In a creative twist, Mrs. Weiss designed her own “digital stickers” in Canva using her Bitmoji. She then used her digital stickers to provide her learners with visual feedback in Seesaw. Similarly, Mrs. Washam took that idea a step further, using the audio tool to provide her students with verbal feedback that accompanied the sticker.  

SeeSaw makes it easy to give feedback to each of your students by recording yourself on each of their slides. You can insert stickers as well! #NISDITBingo @Brit_Horn_IT pic.twitter.com/s4fLCZcLLr

— Mrs.Weiss (@mrs_weiss3) April 14, 2021

 

I LOVE @CanvaEdu, but had no idea it was so easy to make cute stickers! I just added this to a student’s @Seesaw activity to recognize their hard work! @Kel_Sanders #NISDITBingo Thanks @candytechideas for sharing great ideas! pic.twitter.com/h26dHm2oQn

— Jenn Washam (@Jenn_Washam) April 19, 2021

Critical feedback is important to learning, but positive feedback can go a long way in building relationships with students and parents. Using a Google Sheets Add-on called Autocrat, Mrs. Moggs was able to quickly and efficiently send home personalized, positive notes for each of her students. This is such a powerful way to easily celebrate students and communicate with parents while saving on time.

Using Autocrat in @googlesheets to send home a positive note for every student. It is delivered through their parents email as a pdf. It is an easy way to send a personalized notes home quickly! #NISDITBingo @BeckElem @Kel_Sanders pic.twitter.com/mHO5E2QNUL

— Paige Mogg (@MrsMoggsClass) April 14, 2021

Review: Flippity!

Mrs. Janese created an interactive game to help her students review their sight words using one of the templates provided on Flippity, which offers a variety of templates to easily turn a Google Spreadsheet into engaging activities. Then, she was able to easily and seamlessly link to the game through a Seesaw Activity so that her little learners could easily navigate to and participate in their learning task. 

I’m like 🤩 and 😻 with ⁦@flippitynet⁩ and app smashed with ⁦@Seesaw⁩ using tiered sight words for different reading groups ⁦@Kel_Sanders⁩ ⁦@LakeviewBobcats⁩ #nisditbingo 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z8I5VMhLxd

— Laura Janese (@lkjanese) April 8, 2021

 

Interested in exploring more? Want to put these ideas to use in your own classroom? 

Northwest ISD’s BINGO Challenge is running from April 1-30, 2021. Anyone can play and participants can start learning at any time during the challenge. Get your own BINGO board here! 

Philanthropy Partners: A Collaboration Between Elementary Schools

The spring semester brings about a lot of change. One of the biggest changes is the anticipation for current fifth graders, as they begin to think about and prepare for middle school. The transition into middle school can be challenging. To help ease that transition, the GATES teachers at Lakeview Elementary (Mrs. Andrews & Mrs. Blake) and Beck Elementary (Mrs. Moses & Mrs. Pickett) teamed up for a dual campus philanthropy project. 

By definition, a philanthropy project promotes the welfare of others, expressed especially by the donation of money and goods. Students were tasked with choosing a nonprofit organization within the community that aligned with their own unique passions and interests. For Ella, having a voice and choice was very important. “I like that we got to pick our own interests and that we didn’t have to do one thing and one thing only.” A variety of organizations were researched, with the primary focus being children, women, senior citizens, the homeless, veterans, animals (domestic and wild), literacy, environmental issues, and sports. Once students had a general idea on the type of organization they wanted to pursue, they completed a Google Form which helped teachers group them with peers. 

The groups were made up of students from both campuses. This meant some of their group members would not be available for face to face collaboration on a daily basis because they were at another school. Nakkitha was especially excited about the cross-campus collaboration. “I loved how we got to collaborate with people outside of our school because we got to meet new people and make new friends”. As group members dove into more specific research on their common interests, they utilized Flipgrid and Google Slides to communicate. These platforms allowed group members to continue the “conversation” even after their scheduled GATES time was over. Check out this Mixtape to hear a sampling of the group interactions. A walking field trip from Lakeview to Beck was also planned into their work time to allow groups face to face interaction.

Click the image above to view Shark Tank presentation

Groups were tasked with creating a digital presentation and pitch to be presented Shark Tank style. Their presentation would introduce the organization, explain why that organization was selected, and share how the community could get involved. They would also have an opportunity to present their marketing plan, which would include plans for advertising their project at both campuses. Groups created mockup flyers, commercials, scripts for announcements, dress up day calendars, bulletin board plans, and social media posts for the panel of “sharks” to consider. 

Click image to view the student created commercial

Both campuses came together for pitch day. Groups were able to share their presentation with the panel and their peers. The shark vote, coupled with the student vote, determined which project would be selected and rolled out at both campuses. The group representing the organization Sixty and Better was selected. At that point, the marketing plan from the student presentation began coming to life at Beck and Lakeview through campus-wide dress up days and a donation drive. Students in the GATES classes were each assigned a role in ensuring the logistics for the project were handled appropriately on their campus. Shashwat was one of the project managers. “I was in charge of keeping everything organized and well managed. This has taught me how to be a good leader and that as a good leader, patience is important”. It did not take long for all students involved to get plugged in. They were eager to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Check out what some of these students at Lakeview had to say. They made their podcast debut with an episode dedicated to the work being done for Sixty and Better.

Service learning projects are powerful learning experiences for all students. As Social Emotional Learning becomes a bigger focus throughout the district, these types of projects help students become responsible decision makers. They build social awareness, self-awareness, and relationship skills. They foster one’s personal well-being and the importance of self-management. They impact the whole child. For more information on other service learning projects happening at Beck Elementary, take a listen to the latest episode of the Bulldog Bulletin.

Final numbers from the campus donations will be posted to the blog upon the project’s completion. Please check back soon!

Students Teaching Students

Many students in Northwest ISD have the opportunity to take part in accelerated math courses. In some case this may mean the student is taking a course one grade level higher than the one they are actually enrolled in. For Steven, a fifth grader at Lakeview Elementary, it actually means more. As a third grader he took fifth grade math. As a fourth grader he took sixth grade Pre-AP Math. His knowledge and passion for math have been evident for a few years now. He is currently taking seventh grade Pre-AP/GT Math, receiving his daily instruction from Mrs. Horeftis at Medlin Middle School. 

Being aware of his giftedness in math, Steven was self motivated to support his peers as they work through their math curriculum. Creating instructional videos to reinforce concepts being taught in fifth grade seemed like the perfect solution. He was certainly up for all the challenges that he might face along the way. With the support of his teacher, Mrs. Bingham and his GATES teacher, Mrs. Andrews, a plan was established and Steven got straight to work. 

Currently, a handful of instructional videos have been created by Steven. He uses an app called Doceri that allows him the ability to introduce or review a concept all while annotating the screen to show work and explain his thinking. Creating instructional videos for your peers takes a lot of problem solving and preparation. It’s important to know exactly what you want to say and how you’ll say it, so others can learn from you. Steven expressed how challenging that could be at times by stating, “The most challenging part was making sure I didn't stumble or say the wrong words when I was recording. That was difficult because I had to know exactly what I was going to say and if I messed up a few times, it might take me thirty minutes to make a one minute video.”

As it is commonly heard, we know we fully understand something when we can effectively teach others. And teaching others, especially your peers, is so empowering for young learners. When asked what he has enjoyed most about this process, Steven said, “I like being the “teacher” when I created the videos. The best part about being the teacher is that you can use a lot of resources to help student learn quicker and understand it better”.

Once the video has been created, it’s uploaded to YouTube, it will be assigned to students via EdPuzzle. EdPuzzle allows videos from YouTube to become a formative assessment that is fully interactive. The teacher, or Steven in this case, can designate stopping points throughout the video to check for understanding and measure engagement. These stopping points can be a quick multiple choice question or a short answer typed response.

Steven and his classmate, Haley, will be presenting this project at Expo 2018. Together they will share about the impact these instructional videos have had in the classroom. As the year progresses, it is Mrs. Bingham’s hope that the videos will become a station students can rotate through when they are needing support

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

Byron Nelson 9th Grader Zooming with Lakeview 2nd Graders

Second through Fifth Grade students at Lakeview Elementary began setting up their ePortfolios and requested "experts in the field" to showcase its capabilities and uses. Who better to ask than our very own high school students! iSchool Advocates and student leaders from Byron Nelson High School and Eaton High School had the opportunity to discuss their own ePortfolio in 20 minute segments with a designated grade level using Zoom, a free video conferencing tool. During each presentation time, the HS students were asked to discuss their ePortfolio as a whole, explain the importance of having an ePortfolio, and share a specific piece of work in the ePortfolio that makes them most proud. Each segment concluded with a Q&A session in which Lakeview students were able to ask questions to the high school students regarding creation and design of the ePortfolio.


During each video conference, students utilized the "Share Screen" feature of Zoom which enabled the Lakeview students to see how their ePortfolio may be organized and designed once content was added over the years. It was especially helpful that many HS students discussed things that they wanted to add or change in their ePortolios which models self-reflection and evaluation of content since ePortfolios are constant work in progress rather than a finished product.

Utilizing Share Screen feature to discuss exemplar work

This Zoom experience supported students' growth towards being a global collaborator in the expectation that students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning. Additionally, the high school students gained insight as an empowered learner in which they used technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and [demonstrated] their learning in a variety of ways. (ISTE Student Standards 7a and 1c)