May 1

Making Learning Accessible and Interactive

Interactive Read Aloud during eLearning

In this time of eLearning we are all attempting to do our best to use best practices in our instruction while being distant from students.  We want to engage students’ thinking and keep them in an instructional rhythm they have come to expect. Students need us to recognize their variablity and instructional needs, which brings in UDL guidelines.  We also need to be able to utilize our Learning Managment Systems, like Canvas, so students can get to assignments with ease.

One of my favorite components of language arts instruction is the interactive read aloud.  There is nothing better than when a group of students is into a book with you and responding with their thinking, connections, and inferences on what will happen next.  In my twenty years of education, the groan when you close the book has made my heart burst with joy.  You have them hooked. You are making books one of the best choices they can desire.  We build lifelong readers one page, one book, one reading experience at a time.

How can I make this happen during this time?  I mean…really make it happen!  I started off the time by just creating YouTube videos of our read aloud. However, it just did not give me the response back from kids that I am accustomed to receiving.  A next step was to add in Flipgrid, which allowed me to gain a verbal response and did help. Could there be an even better way? Then it occurred to me that I might be able to make Nearpods for each interactive read aloud.

Nearpod Features that Improved my eLearning Sessions:

  • polls: Example-Would you make the same choice as the character? Yes or No. (DOK 1)
  • YouTube Video Embeded: allowed for fewer links that need to be shared.
  • Open-Ended Questions: students could respond with audio or typed response to a higher level question. (DOK 2/3)
  • Collaboration: students could respond and see their classmates responses (DOK 2/3)
  • Matching: students could match characters to their traits; vary by direct traits or inferencial traits (DOK 1/2)
  • Flipgrid: is embeded into the Nearpod so students can have videos for shared thinking and collaboration. Higher level (DOK 3) questions can be debated in this forum.

Adding Nearpod to Canvas Integration

Nearpod can be integrated into many learning management systems.  Since my district is using Canvas the remainder of my blog will feature Canvas.

 Guide for Adding the Nearpod App to your Canvas Course. You will get a unique app code to add to your settings for external tools.  The guide is clear and easy to follow.

Features in My Interactive Nearpod & Canvas Integration

Setting Expectations

Students will have the Nearpod open right in their assignment on Canvas.

A teacher can create Nearpods or use a presentation from the Nearpod library. For my sessions, I created slides on Google Slides or Power Point and added the visuals into the Nearpod session.

This slide shows that I am establishing the tone and objective of the lesson.

Providing Video/Audio of Text

My strategy was to read a chapter and record a video of that chapter for students to be able to listen to me read. Then Nearpod allows you to add the web url for your YouTube video right into your Nearpod.  The video plays right within the session and student stay on the same Canvas assignment page.

Virtual Turn and Talk or Thinking Spots

After students listened to a chapter, I was able to give them thinking space just like we did with our reader’s notebooks or a turn and talk to a partner moment. On Nearpod students may choose whether they want to respond by typing their response or they may respond orally.  Students are able to decide which action and expression fits them best.

Accessibilty

Some students with an IEP need questions read to them. However, all students have the option of using Immersive Reader if they need to have the question read in order to process what it is requiring them to do. This is option is especially important during this time of eLearning so our students can meet their needs and feel independent.

Collaboration

Nearpod has a new feature that allows students to have a virtual bulletin board.  You can pose a question and students can see how their classmates respond.  Students are craving typical connections to each other.  This feature allows a bond between students to continue.  We do not want our learners to feel isolated in their thinking.

We love for students to answer open ended questions and debate.  Adding Flipgrid to the Nearpod allowed for virtual turn and talk discussions.

(It also allowed me to hear and see my students.  I could listen in and give them feedback.)

Adding in a poll allows for “Would you rather..” type thinking.  Also, you can reveal yesterday’s poll results in next session on Canvas. Later, students can see if they agreed.  We must look for ways to keep kids engaged.

 

Settings Necessary in Your Nearpod Account

Please use the visual below to make sure you have all of the settings turned on in your Nearpod Account.  To do this go to your settings and switch the buttons on that you see below.

Grading & Assessing

When you integrade Nearpod into your Canvas assignment, it allows you to use Speed Grader for assessing your individual student’s reports.  This process is much faster than having to go back to your Nearpod account and access a report.  Plus, you can offer specific feedback to each student within the LMS and keep students in one location.  Parents will also be able to see the feedback in their observers view.  Often apps that we use are difficult to go back to for record keeping and completion details.  We are all on our screens a lot right now!  Make it easy for yourself too!

Video Support

To help you in your own development, please use my video to help you with this process.  Reach out if you have any questions.

 

 

March 26

Writer’s Workshop & e-Learning

During this time of e-Learning, teachers have had to do what we do best.  We rise to the occasion and make situations the best we can for students.  In the classroom, conducting a Writer’s Workshop requires modeling and works well when there is choice to engage a reluctant writer. Keeping UDL in mind, I knew that kids would need to direct their learning, but also need complete support. I was rattling my brain trying to figure out how I would accomplish this while the students were not with me.  Then it came to me.  I would make a menu of prompt ideas, offer different genres, and model each prompt for students to see a process they could follow.

W

R

I

T

E

Opinion

Narrative

Informational

Opinion

Narrative

Cats and dogs are
just fine pets for
most people. If you
ask me, ______________
would be the best
pet ever. I know
what you are
thinking, but let me
explain.
Whizzz! The ball
barely avoided
hitting me in the
head. As I looked
around, I noticed
no one was around.
“Congratulations!
You have just won a dream trip of a
lifetime!’ the
announcer said
after calling me to
the stage.
If given the choice,
I would definitely
choose
________________ as the
grossest food ever.
By the time I am
finished explaining
why, I bet you will
agree.
I couldn’t believe
when I saw my
teacher
transformed into an Egyptian mummy princess. What was going on?





Students will be able to have a writer’s conference with me through Zoom.  Also, we will continue to publish our work on Kidblogs.  The students will be able to read a variety of genres from each other and leave classmates feedback, which we have done when we were together in the classroom.

Tips:

  • Model
  • Choice
  • Interactive Conference
  • Interactive Publishing
January 26

Responsive to Student Needs

A responsive teacher listens to the needs of students. With the work I have been doing with the UDL guidelines, I had the vision of helping students make meaningful goals. However, in the process we built community and helped with engagement too. When you begin working on one area of the guidelines, it truly leads to developing others.

When we returned from winter break, we wrote goals. Then I wanted the students to be able to share their goals with each other. Bringing an audience to a goal, can help you achieve it. Also, I wanted students to be able to express how their classmates could aid in new growth as they worked on the goal. However, what we noticed was there were several students with the same goal, “I want to be able to focus better.”

Once I noticed a theme, I asked the kids if they wanted to create a committee during our Passion Time to see if we could develop new strategies together and meet the need to improve attention together.  Our first few meetings were just talking about what happens when you feel like you lose attention.  I coached with three questions: “What is it like for you to lose attention? Do we have a common experience? What do you notice?”

Our next few meetings were talking about strategies they have tried or want to try. My goal was to help the kids options for self-regulation and brain breaks. Many talked about the use of fidget items, which are helpful and welcome. However, we also got into the emotions of frustration that come when you have lost attention. Some students recognized that a change in attention needed movement to improve.  Also, it became clear that sometimes to lack of focus was due to what feelings they were carrying about themselves or tensions in their lives.  Then we moved to the conversation of what we could create as a hallway refocusing station.  In contrast to some of the early childhood designs, the kids wanted something that looked appropriate for 5th grade.  We did a lot of searching together for a process that would fit their age.

Here was the plan:

  • Wall sits
  • Wall push ups or just pushing on the wall to get rid of stress
  • High five, low five
  • Refocusing tracing
  • Breathing strategies


Once the hallway refocusing station was developed, we made a teaching video to share with the rest of the kids. Now all students have to do is recognize when they are loosing focus and use the hallway for a short break.  Our committee will need to revisit how students like the station.  Reflection will be necessary on how it is working or if there are any further adjustments.  Collecting data and thinking about how they are doing on focus will be important in approving their attention.  Responsive work with students means that you are prepared for changes with flexibility.

My goal as a future building leader is to use this same listening and sharing to help staff and improve a school.  When a building leader is responsive, classroom teachers can meet students needs and collaboration helps staff feel supported. Flexibility is part of leadership.  We grow together and respond with a collection of ideas.

May 27

Creating Community Conditions

Over the summer last year, I asked myself, “How do I make each school day the best 7 hours for kids each day?”

Community Circle daily in the morning builds the environment conditions to allow kids to feel safe. When you feel safe, you branch out in new ways and into new challenges.

Community circle benefits all students because we learn that as humans we are all connected.

  • Someone else has a pet
  • Someone has a favorite sport in common
  • Someone has a sibling
  • Someone has the same favorite candy
  • Someone likes the same music
  • Someone has a similar fear
  • Someone else has divorced parents
  • Someone else has lost someone

As soon as we learn in the classroom that we have things in common with each other the bonds are free to grow. Some bonds are immediate and others take time to invest. However, the classroom becomes a more welcoming place for passion too.

May 27

Cheers to Summer

Passions Continue into Summer

Friday was the last day of school, I could not believe the day had arrived when we were doing our last Community Circle in the morning.  Our topic around the circle was “What student in this room supported you and how?” They went around thanking each other for being there and also for supporting their passions.  It was a beautiful moment.

Most of the day, was spent participating in the field day or team building activities in the classroom.  I loved the teamwork and bonding observed all day from this group.  Over the course of the year, I tirelessly learned about each one of my students and I love each of them for who they are right now.

Many years in my teaching career, I labored for hours putting together a slide show or end of the year video for the students. Not this year.  When you empower kids, they blow you away with their own versions of celebrating the end of an amazing learning year.

Two of my students, Nina and Neela, took on the end of the year video to close our year. They had told me that it was going to be a collection of pictures from our Seesaw photo library.  It was, but it was so much more!  They conducted interviews and focused on Passion Time.  Yes, that is how much it meant to them.  On their own, they collected qualitative research reflections.  Their gift brought me to tears.

At the conclusion of the day, one my boys, Terry, decided the team needed to make “Water Bottle Toasts” to each other.  Students made specific toasts about what they loved about the year, especially being able to grow in their passions. Many were toasting to the happiness summer break brings. Others blew me away. Students talked about how they felt supported and safe. One student shared, “I have had some hard things going on in my life. You listened and supported me.  This is the safest place I have ever found.” Yes, that was a tearful comment to hear. They owned their choices. Another student said, “I get mad sometimes.  I am working on my anger.  I want you to know that if I have hurt you this year, I did not mean to. I appreciate you all a lot more than you know.”

What made the school year this way? Two things:

  1. Community Circle
  2. Passion Time

We plan on staying connected during the summer through Flipgrid.  I set up a page for them to check in with me and each other.  Some kids will need it.  However, this teacher will need it too.  I am not ready to let them go.  Thank you to my students on team 5-4 for teaching me so many lessons. You have a big piece of my heart as you go on to 6th grade. Water Bottle Cheers to you!

May 21

Summer Action is Reflection

Action Research Leads to Change, well, After Mistakes

As we get ready for summer, sometimes we look for the next big thing to try.  It can be wonderful to dream big the next ways you are going to improve your classroom.  However, may it is just reflection that we need.

One of my favorite ideas about action research is that it is a cycle of inquiry.  For example, I started a few years ago wanting to know more about how to increase engagement for kids in school.  I desired to see kids love learning and want to be at school.  I also wanted to see kids increasingly more committed to research that was authentic and meaningful.  An opportunity to attend professional development offered over the summer aligned with my schedule.  The training seemed to match a quest of improvement running in my mind. However, it was new to me, Genius Hour.  The question prompted the desire, which led to an answer, but one I needed to read and explore before attempting.  Summer provided the space to think, plan, and dialogue with my teammate how to make it happen.

When the school year began, we had to implement the plan.  In attempting it, we were messy.  It lacked the clarity it does now. We did not have experience of allowing students to each choose topics and head in different directions academically.  The learning space was new.  Our ability ask kids deep, probing questions into their work was much shallower. We directed excessively in comparison to now. It was much more difficult to give over control to the students.  We needed to get out of their way more.

We saw problems with the student outcomes.  Some students were struggling to develop a project.  Kids were not finishing their work.  The quality of work was not what we desired.  There were new problems to solve and fine tune.  It became a labor of love for the kids in the first year and has continued. Even though the first year lacked polish and craft, it was still appreciated by kids.  We were taking action for them.  We were learning how to let go and let them.

Action research is a cycle.  What teachers can do with summer break is reflect on what steps are working and decide how to fine tune.  Too often, we forget to evaluate and see our own professional growth.

May 15

Hello! Small Moves for BIG Change Begins!

Welcome to my brand new blog at Edublogs!

Teaching is about making small shifts for BIG change. As teachers we make small adjustments in our craft and over time see change that impacts instruction and empowers students. Teaching is an act of wonder, patience, creativity, and exploring. Plus, you get new students yearly with a wide variety of personalities, skills, passions, and it keeps you flexible.

I am a lifelong learner!

Each year, in my career, I have been on a mission for improvement.  When I was first teaching, I had the burning question, How do I make kids fall in love with reading? What does research say? Does it work? What does the role of teacher do in hooking kids?  Each question pushed me to read, study, try a strategy, reflect, and repeat.  It got to the point where one of the observations I made was that kids want a teacher who reads and knows the books that are out there. So, I started reading 35 or more children’s novels a year. In my passion, I can find a book for any kid now.  Kids know I am a reader and have amazing conversations with me about books.  It takes action on the teacher’s part to shift. You can provide me with data and send me to professional development, yet true growth is when I dive in and make it my mission.  Kids know authentic desire to make the classroom the most engaging place for them.

My goal is to use this blog to reflect, grow, and share in meaningful work with other educators. Together we make the shift for learning!

Laura Christie