Having a shared space library presents some interesting challenges. As our school has 'rented' out part of the media center to the town public library, our school access is somewhat controlled for safety reasons. This means students are not always free to enter their school library and simply check out a book. We do offer some ebooks, but honestly student feedback tells me that they prefer print books.
To offset this I have created a Google form for students (and staff!) to use for book requests. If students can't get to the library- perhaps I can bring a bit of the school library to them!
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Using SOLE in the Classroom
SOLE: Self Organized Learning Environment.
When teaching research skills I would create what I called scavenger hunts or trivia challenges. Students went through the questions and used that week's database or Google to locate and cite the answer. Q&A. They even wrote their answers on paper! Worksheets. I was creating worksheets. I didn't want to do that. Students didn't want to fill out worksheets. There had to be a way to teach research skills in a way that would allow students to be in control.
When we research we aren't simply finding an answer. A real world question doesn't have a simple answer. I don't want students to ask me if their answer is correct, I want students to feel confident that they can address real world concerns. I want students to understand that tackling these issues will take research, communication, collaboration, and time. There will be dead-ends and wrong ways. There will be disagreements.
So this year I changed things up. Students began collaborating in small groups to question, research, and brainstorm solutions to open-ended issues and concerns. And I stayed out of their way. This is the purpose of SOLE: Self Organized Learning Environment--to empower students to direct their own learning.
For each class I would propose an open-ended question. The question had global implications, multiple paths in which the research could go and did not have an easy answer. Or any answer, really. Some of the questions this year were:
How can we empower communities living in food deserts?
Should schools go paperless?
Is social media bringing us closer together or pushing us further apart?
We would watch a short video for background information, then began.
Students collaborated in small groups to brainstorm questions and considerations, then researched. Only one laptop per group was allowed. Information was hand-written or sketched out on poster-sized paper. Disagreements were referred by a student "peace maker."
At first we simply shared our results within our class. Then we went global- 7th graders created short videos that we swapped with a class in Sweden. 6th graders blogged and created Google slides. These were shared with a class in Canada, and then a class in Australia. 5th graders also blogged, sharing their ideas with students in Australia as well. This global sharing is when learning became real- by pushing out our classroom walls we allowed multiple views and perspectives in.
When teaching research skills I would create what I called scavenger hunts or trivia challenges. Students went through the questions and used that week's database or Google to locate and cite the answer. Q&A. They even wrote their answers on paper! Worksheets. I was creating worksheets. I didn't want to do that. Students didn't want to fill out worksheets. There had to be a way to teach research skills in a way that would allow students to be in control.
When we research we aren't simply finding an answer. A real world question doesn't have a simple answer. I don't want students to ask me if their answer is correct, I want students to feel confident that they can address real world concerns. I want students to understand that tackling these issues will take research, communication, collaboration, and time. There will be dead-ends and wrong ways. There will be disagreements.
So this year I changed things up. Students began collaborating in small groups to question, research, and brainstorm solutions to open-ended issues and concerns. And I stayed out of their way. This is the purpose of SOLE: Self Organized Learning Environment--to empower students to direct their own learning.
For each class I would propose an open-ended question. The question had global implications, multiple paths in which the research could go and did not have an easy answer. Or any answer, really. Some of the questions this year were:
How can we empower communities living in food deserts?
Should schools go paperless?
Is social media bringing us closer together or pushing us further apart?
We would watch a short video for background information, then began.
Students collaborated in small groups to brainstorm questions and considerations, then researched. Only one laptop per group was allowed. Information was hand-written or sketched out on poster-sized paper. Disagreements were referred by a student "peace maker."
At first we simply shared our results within our class. Then we went global- 7th graders created short videos that we swapped with a class in Sweden. 6th graders blogged and created Google slides. These were shared with a class in Canada, and then a class in Australia. 5th graders also blogged, sharing their ideas with students in Australia as well. This global sharing is when learning became real- by pushing out our classroom walls we allowed multiple views and perspectives in.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Infographics
7th graders began a new unit this week with Infographics. Infographics, and their amazing visual displays of data, are a fantastic way to really get students thinking about how they share information. Ultimately students will create their own info graphic after gathering data on a selected topic. Before that, we need to take apart an Infographic to see how it works!
This week students worked in groups with an assigned Infographic. We wanted to compare an Infographic with a traditional written article, so we pulled every fact from an Infographic we could during class, then compared the two.
A simple, yet effective way to begin a conversation about comparing and contrasting pieces of information. During this activity, students recognized not only that the data was being presented in an easily accessible way via images, but that much of the text had been replaced by color or placement.
We followed up the comparison with a small critique of the Infographic. Each group made an OREO for the Infographic. An OREO sandwiches (see what I did there?!?) two positive critiques with one piece of constructive criticism.
In the next few weeks we're going to brainstorm surveys to give using Google forms, then take the data and create an Infographic. I'm looking forward to seeing how students will visual their data sets!
This is another time that Google Classroom has been so helpful for our class. Having links to every Infographic, the activity and OREO instructions, feedback form, and finally a discussion at the close of class is fantastic.
This week students worked in groups with an assigned Infographic. We wanted to compare an Infographic with a traditional written article, so we pulled every fact from an Infographic we could during class, then compared the two.
We followed up the comparison with a small critique of the Infographic. Each group made an OREO for the Infographic. An OREO sandwiches (see what I did there?!?) two positive critiques with one piece of constructive criticism.
In the next few weeks we're going to brainstorm surveys to give using Google forms, then take the data and create an Infographic. I'm looking forward to seeing how students will visual their data sets!
This is another time that Google Classroom has been so helpful for our class. Having links to every Infographic, the activity and OREO instructions, feedback form, and finally a discussion at the close of class is fantastic.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Google Classroom
Our 7th grade students have been using Google Classroom this year.
Each week students sit down together in a classroom, login to google classroom, and the room goes silent. We've learned to use the new SIRS Discoverer research database, reviewed another database called Culture Grams, and curated several lists of articles related to technology. Each class we close out our activity with a discussion about the day's lesson. The discussion is online, with each student responding via google classroom. Here students can reflect and debate the day's question. Every student voice is heard because every student posts a response. And this is when the class gets loud again- for every comment posted students find it beyond difficult to not turn and blurt out "I sent a response to you!" Then a student discovered how to insert an emoji….But loud can be good when students are engaged, discussing, debating, and thinking about what they just learned. The best part is that we are becoming an active, supportive online community of learners- the cornerstone of digital citizenship.
That's close to 60 comments- not bad for a quick 5 minute discussion!
Each week students sit down together in a classroom, login to google classroom, and the room goes silent. We've learned to use the new SIRS Discoverer research database, reviewed another database called Culture Grams, and curated several lists of articles related to technology. Each class we close out our activity with a discussion about the day's lesson. The discussion is online, with each student responding via google classroom. Here students can reflect and debate the day's question. Every student voice is heard because every student posts a response. And this is when the class gets loud again- for every comment posted students find it beyond difficult to not turn and blurt out "I sent a response to you!" Then a student discovered how to insert an emoji….But loud can be good when students are engaged, discussing, debating, and thinking about what they just learned. The best part is that we are becoming an active, supportive online community of learners- the cornerstone of digital citizenship.
That's close to 60 comments- not bad for a quick 5 minute discussion!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Countdown to school...
With school beginning in a little over a week, I have been busy preparing the Media Center classroom and website. Be sure to check out some of the new links!
My first book order should be arriving soon as well. Luckily we share a collection with the Cranbury Public Library-- seriously check out the new titles...and the cool new chairs!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
February 11-14, 2013
This week our 4th graders are beginning to record their group poetry performances. Each group has chosen a poem by Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky and working together has created an awesome performance! Students recorded themselves using Photobooth. Three videos are up on my video link.
This week in...
Our kindergartners are having fun with rhymes. Our book share this week was Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson. A popular series with all ages, Bear really connects with kids.
1st grade has been comparing and contrasting fiction and factual books. We compared Pierre the Penguin and Tacky. It was fun coming up with lists comparing what makes one book fiction an another factual. Finding that both Pierre and Tacky wore clothing made for interesting conversation! We closed the class by watching the live cam of Pierre and his friends at the California Academy of Sciences.
2nd graders are finishing up their mission with Jack and Annie in The Magic Treehouse: Carnival at Candlelight. Students created posters of carnival imagery and events to help them experience Jack and Annie's adventure! The Magic Treehouse series is a perfect gateway into teaching research.
3rd graders performed Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin in Readers Theater. This is a fun group, and they loved performing.
4th grade is performing poetry as seen above.
5th grade does not meet this week....and 6th grade Research Tech is beginning to put together their Infographics. See the Research Tech tab on my webpage for more information and a link to my livebinder on Infographics!
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