https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa Responses for section 1 of Matt Miller's, "Ditch that Textbook"-- North Royalton teachers en-us 2017-04-18 23:24:17 UTC 2017-05-30 00:33:14 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png leigh_johnson https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167623460 This phrase speaks to me because as a 5th grade teacher working with all levels of students, I think at times I give my students too much guidance/direct instruction.  I need to work on allowing my students to explore and learn by using digital resources instead of always giving them the information they need initially.  I loved the quote from the book, "To an extent, our role in education has shifted from teacher to virtual-learning, travel guides." I am currently teaching poetry and have given my students a list of poems to choose from to write. I am thinking to allow them more freedom, I should allow them to discover a new type of poem they would like to try to write.  I will provide the attached weblink for guidance , but I could also let them search the internet (with my support) to find a new type of poem they would like to write that is not on "my list."     ]]> 2017-04-22 13:28:06 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167623460 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167715655 "Maybe we need to focus less on asking the right questions and start asking the relevant questions (44)." I loved this section of the reading that talked about connecting with questions.  Getting kids to see themselves in the subject matter is key to getting kids to learn. If we want kids to be as excited to learn as we are to teach them, then we need to make connections. By asking the right questions, we are connecting and gaining important background information to drive future instruction.  Kids are making connections globally and across social media ALL THE TIME.  Why not reach out and make better connections as their teacher.  Building rapport with students is the biggest defense we have as teachers in getting kids to want to learn. Asking the right questions at the right time can be a powerful tool for learning.

]]> 2017-04-23 22:55:20 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167715655 lauri_scott https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167721086 "Empower students to find their passions." I find this idea to be very motivating. I realize that I need to take more time in the day to find out exactly what each of my students' passions might be, and then tailor some lessons using that information. I work with small groups of students throughout the day, so I feel like I know each of them well. I know their likes and dislikes, work habits, and personalities, but do I really know all of their passions? I'm not 100% sure. Perhaps they don't yet even know what their passions are. Matt Miller suggests that helping students find their true passions is actually empowering them to explore what drives them and opens their minds to new possibilities. The attached video describes the experience one teacher had in his classroom after he surveyed his students on their passions and posted it on the wall. He found that it not only strengthened his students' learning, but also led to stronger relationships between the students. I plan to try this! ]]> 2017-04-24 00:21:53 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/167721086 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168266502
 “Expand Your Students’ Worlds”
I am drawn to the idea of expanding my students' worlds because of the novel we are in the middle of reading right now. It is called "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George. While this is a very old book, I feel I can help expose my students to a world not all of them think about or have exposure to and that is the woods.

I am in the process of creating a "Tic Tac Toe" board of independent culminating activities for my students to choose from. I have a few really good ones but I thought it might be nice to give some choices that are more technically inclined. I came across a webquest that took the student on a journey through some creative activities related to the book. I also found a website with an assignment that had students make a glogster which sounds like it's an interactive digital cross between a poster and and a blog.  I'm thinking of using both ideas as choices for my "Tic Tac Toe". 

So it looks like by having the intention to expand my students' worlds both digitally and naturally, I also am expanding mine. How cool is that?

• My Tic Tac Toe in the works -- all of the boxes in red are in the undecided stages
• Zunal for making webquests
• My Side of the Mountain scavenger hunt
• My Side of the Mountain Webquest

]]> 2017-04-26 02:14:17 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168266502 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168484188 USE TECHNOLOGY TO DEFEAT INSECURITY
When I was a student, I did not like to participate in class discussions. I always thought what if I am wrong? Or what if my idea is different from everyone else? I always had an answer/thought in my mind, but was too quiet to say it out loud. Backchannels would have been the perfect outlet for me. Now that I have chromebooks in my classroom, this is a perfect outlet for my students. I like the idea that everyone participates and no one is singled out. I also like the idea that students can respond back to get instant answers. Students can feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with out having to feel like everyone is staring at them. This is a great way to engage the students. It also allows students to work at their pace. If a student has a difficult time processing information, they may not be able to keep up with a class discussion. Now they have an opportunity to work at their pace.
Chapter 3 mentions using TodaysMeet.com as a very easy-to-use backchannel. I also found other free platforms that can be used for backchannel chats such as chatzy, edmodo, and Present.ly. I also found a cool graphic organizer to help you plan out your backchannel discussion.]]> 2017-04-26 19:24:44 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168484188 cindy_richards https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168491930 "Be a Guide, Not a Gatekeeper"
I was struck by this section the most. When Matt Miller said that "The education of our students' dreams- no and education beyond their wildest dreams - awaits them online", it spoke volumes to me. Now that I have the ability to let students use their Chromebooks exclusively I have had to change my mindset about them entirely. I started with Google Classroom, TenMarks and Edcite but now more often than not, the students are often using them to find things out that they are curious about and need to know more about. I have had to adjust to the fact that I am not delivering the information as fast as the internet can. These Chromebooks are the gate to so much more and I need to focus on helping them through it into a new land. 
I have been starting Book Clubs in ELA where students are in groups of 4-5 students reading a chapter book and engaging in discussion and response journals. I thought after reading this section, we could have our discussions online! I want to try TodaysMeet.com to allow them to post their response logs and also comment on the contributions of their group members.  This may help those students who have a more difficult time expressing thoughts or opinions "live,  get the wait time they need to thoughtfully engage.  I also want to try Google Forms for all my students to use in place of the "fish bowl rating sheet" that we currently fill out when we observe one groups discussions. This way we get live discussions and virtual ones to meet the diverse needs of my co-teaching classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7abqnDEKFmw is also a resource video kids could watch in class on their own time to see what a book club discussion looks like as an introduction

]]> 2017-04-26 20:01:21 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168491930 lesley_smith1 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168497057 “Empower Students to Find Their Passions”
This is a phrase that I say to myself everyday! How can I empower my students? How can I find what each of my students is passionate about? If you get to know your students and learn their passions, then I truly feel you can help them learn to the best of their ability. There are so many resources out there, but if you don't know your students and don't know what drives them, then how are you going to find out the best way to teach them. 
I found the article, "Empower Students: 5 Powerful Strategies" Each step is so simple, but you just have to apply it. The first step she talks about is, choices. Do we give our students enough freedom or do we consistently tell them what to do? This is one area where I need to improve. I want to give my students the option to choose, but giving up that control can be difficult. 
She also talks about letting students be teachers. I love this! There are times, (I should say many times) where the students have amazing ideas! We go with it and I let the student "teach" the class. I would like to give my students more of these opportunities, because with all the technology out there. There is so much information and they know so much. We just have to find the right way to let them share it. ]]> 2017-04-26 20:30:19 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168497057 sarah_burrows https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168676543 As a music teacher I alway try to apply my lessons to something the students can use later in life. That might mean getting ready for a concert, or middle school band, or maybe preparing that student with a solid foundation of music who will go on a perform music in a band, choir, or other career. Chapter seven says 65% of todays schoolchildren eventually will be emplyed in jobs that have yet to be created. The chapter gives skills that will help students as they enter the real world. One is glamorizing hard work and another is listening and watching for new ideas. My third and fourth graders have been studying the ukulele. I used the video of Grace Vanderwaal performing on America's Got Talent (I had to edit the video deleting the scenes with the judge's poor wardrobe choice if you watch the video, before showing to students).  In class we're focusing on careers or in this case a contest that led to a career and how those people got there. In this case Grace learned how to play her instruments off YouTube videos. Students are learning to play the ukuleles through classroom time, videos, ipad apps and each other. My favorite time as a teacher is when the kids come in and share something new they found online and demonstrate the skill for the class. ]]> 2017-04-27 15:54:04 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168676543 heidi_balicki https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168746910 2017-04-27 19:50:03 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168746910 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168859526 "Spark a fire." Fire is, itself, oxymoronic. It is both good and bad, positive and negative, at the same time. It is vital for life---to stay warm, to properly cook food to nourish our bodies, to provide the ability to see at night, etc. On the other hand, fire is devastating and deadly (or at least has the potential to be so). Fire has been revered as Godly but has also been feared as wicked. Fire has been used for good (as is seen at cookouts and bonfires) and for evil (as was seen in the Holocaust). In the above passage, the spark is most important---or, at least what is done with it once it is created. If left unattended or misused, the spark has the potential to be fatal; if guided and used well, the spark has the potential to be empowering. In this way, I see the passage "spark a fire" connecting quite nicely to two others on the list:  "be a guide, not a gatekeeper" and "empower students to find their passions." 

How can I live out this idea in my high school ELA classroom? How can I spark a fire? Well, I could assign 30+ pages of reading per night, along with corresponding study guide questions to be answered, and I could administer multiple choice reading quizzes at the beginning of each class period to ensure my students read (questions developed after reading Cliffs Notes myself to be sure they did not skip reading the actual text). I could give vocabulary quizzes each Friday, requiring students to memorize terms from the 6-8 novels they read per year. BUT---that would only spark the wrong kind of fire...one which turns kids off from reading and dies out rather than ignites a passion. Instead, I could allow students to select their own books to read---based on their personal interests. I could ask students to develop their own questions as they read their self-selected books and to develop their own vocabulary lists, based on words they personally struggled with during reading. Instead of teacher-directed lectures, I could have students participate in literature circles or in Socratic seminars. And, at the end of the unit, instead of having students complete a scantron-type test with text-specific questions on it, again, to determine whether or not they read the book and how well they ingested the information I spat at them during lectures, I could have students complete a creative project which reveals what they learned FROM reading the book---not what they learned ABOUT the book. One resource which empowers students to independently document their learning and which provides an audience for their work is the following: web.seesaw.me. I have used it with sophomores in the past and it was excellent!]]> 2017-04-28 12:39:22 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/168859526 soo_henry https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169036672 This statement really speaks to me. My sister, brother, and I were always reminded to choose a profession we truly loved. My dad gave us this advice on a regular basis because he wanted us to be happy in our adult lives. This link http://www.teachhub.com/empower-student-to-take-ownership-of-learning shares the various options teachers can provide for students. The 8th-grade ELA teachers have provided students with the element of choice with reading. However, the article connected to the link provides choice for homework and assessments as well. The element of choice relates to the chapter. Providing students with choices helps them make meaningful connections.]]> 2017-04-30 02:21:18 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169036672 julie_caputo https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169080021 2017-04-30 21:03:57 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169080021 judy_sholtis https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169300100 "Expand Your Students' Worlds"
The following quote by Alvin Toffler speaks of the necessity to change our teaching, " The Illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write. The illiterate will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." Just the other day I was talking to my colleagues during lunch, and I was explaining how I taught vocabulary by acting it out. Catapulting threw the air, leaping over garbage cans, suspending from the tree, etc. One of my colleagues asked, "Aren't you afraid someone might get hurt?" My simple answer was, "No!" Those students learned the vocabulary because they experiences and lived it!
This section of Part 1 explained how easily we can learn by using digital resources.  Last week I tried to repair a leaky faucet.  This ended very badly as I did not turn off the main water supply.  Hence, water sprung everywhere and leaked through the floor vents into the basement.  When I told my son about this, he said, "Mom, you should always Youtube it first.  That would not have happened if you only did the research!"  Sure could have used this video.
http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Leaky-Shower-Faucet
Lastly, as the elementary district media specialist I utilize digital resources to expand my students' worlds daily.  We research various settings and places of interests when reading novels.  It is amazing how engaged the kids become.  It is also perfect for comparing written text with those available on-line. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28BwwIsUj9M]]> 2017-05-01 22:41:40 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/169300100 https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/174313913 "Defeat Insecurity"
I feel that this statement bests describes my everyday efforts when I teach math. Many of my students come in to my class with a low self esteem regarding their level of understanding of math. It has been my job and passion to change how those students feel about the subject. I don't want my students to move on from my class feeling like they hate the subject and do not have any confidence in themselves whatsoever. So I am willing to do whatever it takes to enhance their confidence and teach them that math is not so bad.
What I love to do before a test or  a review is show movie clips, inspirational videos, classic songs, etc. One of my favorite is from the Rocky movies!!! This is the music video of "Eye of the Tiger"!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPJPFnesV4
A lot of my kids get excited to see what I am going to play before the next test!!! ]]> 2017-05-30 00:13:10 UTC https://padlet.com/leigh_johnson/ucjch7j364fa/wish/174313913