Integrating Piktochart, Smore and Tackk for Research Purposes

AP Language students are currently reading Barbara Ehrenreich's in depth study of the minimum wage called Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. The book has traditionally been one that I have enjoyed teaching, but this year it has been a real struggle. When I read this with my students last year, they were really fascinated by some of the details they learned about. For example, many of the students didn't understand how the tipping system worked. They genuinely didn't know that you had to tip because the waitress didn't earn minimum wage. They also didn't know that you had to have a full month's rent ahead of moving in to an apartment (or even more depending on circumstances). My students last year also seemed to be more in tune with Ehrenreich's point of view--that minimum wage does not enable one to move up in American society. This year students have all but revolted against the book. They don't perceive an injustice based on the class system and fundamentally disagree with each premise of the text. This would be okay, if they could counter her arguments with their own AND if they could clearly define her argument.

I have found that some students dislike her position so much, they won't even acknowledge the research. For example, Ehrenreich includes a person in her book who lived the life that she is "pretending"to live. This person (Caroline) reinforces what Ehrenreich has said throughout the entire book. I had some students who explained that Caroline's mention in the book just shows how Ehrenreich is wrong. This is troubling because it is a blatant misread AND they weren't able to articulate why Ehrenreich would include Caroline as a rhetorical strategy. They also overlooked many of Ehrenreich's footnotes, dismissing them as bias but they weren't able to explain why they were bias. I realized the discussion I used last year would probably be useless this year and that I would have to get students to analyze research, synthesizing and arguing a point.

With this goal in mind, I decided to move away from the book itself and think about what thoughts the book inspired. I had students choose an issue that Ehrenreich talks about (and there are a lot) and do some preliminary research. They read what they could find on google and wrote a brief blog about the topic they selected. Students selected a wide-range, which is a good thing. Afterwards, I instructed students to find as much research in terms of "hard" data regarding their topic and present their work on a visual medium: either Piktochart, Smore or Tackk. I have only used Piktochart in the past, but knew that students had experience working Tackk and Smore. Having options was great for students, especially since I hadn't put a lot of parameters on the task. Students conducted research and presented them in charts, videos and articles. I had a wide range of submissions, so I think next year I will add a few more parameters to push certain students who opt to take the road of least work.

Below are some steller examples:

Sample 1: Overprescription of Medication in Nursing Homes

Sample 2: Nutrition and the Workforce

Using this as a basis, students are moving towards writing a paper in which they talk about a social issues and create a podcast, discussing the issue with regards to the larger implications. Hopefully this will move students away from the idea that arguments are right/wrong and that to make a strong argument you have to recognize the complexities that may exist.

Blendspace in the Classroom

Having watched Mrs. Davala's class when she has had a technology visit has made me very interested in Blendspace. I love that her AP students could still engage in really rigorous activities while she was outside of the classroom and they could also work at their own pace. I liked that students were using various tools and were able to have reflection which could be used to measure progress, both by Mrs. Davala and the students. Knowing that I will be going out of the classroom for about 7 weeks, I wanted to learn how to adopt a tool like Blendspace so that my students could still get resources and engage with me, even while I am out.

It has been a goal of mine, then, to learn how to properly use Blendspace. During Summer Institute I tried making a Blendspace, but it seemed to be a resource hub, rather than a meaningful way to deliver instruction. With help from my husband (the Technology guru), I crafted a Blendspace for my teaching of "A Modest Proposal" for my Honors IV students. We started by mapping out the end goal of the day's lesson: an assessment. Students would have a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer. I didn't tell the students this, but all of the questions were slightly modified AP questions rhetoric and composition questions. By using this as a guide for my assessment, I knew it would be rigorous. From that point I worked on building small tasks that would get students to understand the context of Swift's "A Modest Proposal" while also engaging in the text.

Below is a breakdown of my rationale behind the construction of my blendspace

First task: Review of Satire--Students defined satire in their own words

Second Task: Tackk background of Swift and "A Modest Proposal"-- This would be new information. I debated on whether or not to tell them the content of "A Modest Proposal" because to tell them takes away some of the shock value...but I figured I really needed to stress the satirical element of the piece. I also built in 2 padlet questions that did a basic check for understanding.

Third Task: Reading "A Modest Proposal"--Students can struggle with this essay. It is an 18th century piece of British/Irish literature. Therefore, I incorporated an audio version for students to listen too. I also gave them instructions on how to annotate while listening. One thing my students are still struggling with is their vocabulary. As a result, part of their required annotations were to look at complex words. I found a quizlet with the most commonly misunderstood words of the essay and provided this as a guide.

Fourth: After reading, students were to post questions/responses to a Today's Meet. Most students posted questions. I took these questions and created a "FAQ" handout in the Blendspace that students could use to review PRIOR to taking the quiz. It was because of this activity I realized most students did NOT pick up the satirical nature of the essay...they believed that Swift was serious about eating the Irish babies.

The Final Activity was the quiz. This did require students to understand persona/writer and diction. Most students struggled with the persona question (understandable if they didn't pick up on the Satire element). As a result, I reviewed this with students the next day and gave them a writing assignment for them to create their own satirical work. I also showed them another (more modern) example of Satire. Next time, I think I will still use the Blendspace activities for "A Modest Proposal" but I may give them the writing task BEFORE our reading.

On a side note, I had every technology issue possible with this Blendspace, but the students stayed with me. We found ways to modify, but I know now to be more aware of the possibilities of what can go wrong. I am a little worried about what could go wrong if I wasn't present, but I think I can keep working to develop ways around those glitches and I am currently building a review Blendspace for my AP students to work on when they return (without me) from winter break.

Using Blogger in the Classroom

This post has been sitting in my drafts for sometime now. In October, around the time I started teaching the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I decided that I needed to incorporate a new piece of technology into my classroom. I thought that Blogger could be something really useful for my students, although I had mixed feelings about it.

As a teacher, I know it is important to have connections to professional teaching organizations. As a graduate student I was required to take one rhetoric course (looking back on it--I probably should have taken more). I was lucky that at UNC Charlotte, there is a rhetoric course for English Graduate students that is tailored for writing instruction. The class is led by the UNC Charlotte's chapter of the National Writing Project. This is a group that I am super familiar with, as 1 of my college professors and 2 of my high school teachers are now leads in the Charlotte program. My sophomore and junior years of high school English were molded by this program and I was eager to learn the pedagogy behind it so that I could better incorporate the tools in my own classroom. One of the biggest tools promoted by the National Writing project is the Daybook (not a journal or diary). The daybook is compared to the kitchen junk drawer--a place for all of your writing and ideas--no matter how good or bad. The idea is that students are building their own ideas and critical thinking skills by engaging directly with them in the daybook. The daybook is a messy place, full of random thoughts, drafts and other writings that provide inspiration. I love the daybook, and each year I keep my own where I write lesson plans, reflections on discussions, ideas that students share among other things.

Each student in my AP classes is required to have a daybook. They write in the daybook almost daily, although I realized that the daybook is coveted by them--they don't want people to look in it and when they share, students will opt to summarize their writing instead of actually sharing it. This is where I got the idea of blogger. With blogger, I could have students write in their own "digital" daybook and it would be shared with me. Students could also look at other student's writing after it was published.

When making this transition, I knew there would be some possible pitfalls. First, the daybook is a place for writing--both good and bad. I write really ridiculous things in my daybook, unconcerned about grammar structure, spelling or even if the idea fully makes sense. The idea is that the idea is there and I can revisit it and tweak it later (if it proves useful). When using blogger, the writing is public and published. That adds pressure for the the writing to be "good." I have tried to find ways around that, designating that some blog posts are purely for ideas and should be written as quickly as possible (so the ideas don't get lost). I have found that students have been receptive to this when they understand it is for a very specific purpose (like getting feedback on a potential essay topic).

As I reflect, I think next year I want to transition to a digital daybook exclusively. Students could maintain a blog for daily writing and for homework writing. I would like them to start embedding things into the blog as inspiration--something we haven't done yet. I am still trying to figure out how to integrate different types of writing, which will mean that tags may become useful. I am wondering too, if I could easily incorporate this for my 9th graders next semester? I would need to plan out the logistics of getting them to set up a blog but the more I think about it, the better it could be for my interaction with them while I'm gone.

Just thoughts here...no real purpose. I will need to revisit these ramblings :)

Collaborating with PTP Cohort (1st Meeting)

I feel like the PTP process has "officially" begun. The reflection time was definitely beneficial, but I felt like I was spinning my wheels. Sitting down with the other teachers in my cohort was really refreshing. It is really great that we're all AP teachers because I think we share a unique point of view. We're often working with students who are compliant--ready to work--but they need technology to increase the rigor. Lisa also noted that as AP teachers, we work with content that is very "teacher-driven" by design. Students are expected to listen to lectures, but we also know they need more than that, they have to interact with the material in a meaningful way. 

This is where I am really excited to work with my cohort. I know that together we can come up with some really innovative ideas. One thing we discussed is how to break up the traditional "direct instruction" and make it more student centered. I loved the idea of using polls and debate questions. I think this can be particularly useful as I begin teaching the non-fiction text, Nickel and Dimed. I think students are eager to share their opinion and I can use technology to have students debate in a meaningful way. I can also give them immediate feedback on how to better establish arguments and synthesize material.

I am sure the book will be somewhat controversial, but it brings up a lot of great social issues--from hiring practices to what is considered a 'livable' wage. I want students to appreciate the book for its rhetorical strategies, even if they disagree with the message. This will be particularly difficult with some students who have already voice their opinions about issues such as minimum wage. Technology will enable me to have students make concise arguments while also engaging using a piece of text that they may disagree with. My goal is for students to use resources, even if they appear on the surface to go against their arguments.

Upcoming Meeting and Data

I am really looking forward to the first cohort meeting that will happen this week. I am particularly excited because I really want to start collaborating about ways to increase technology and rigor in my AP classroom. As we get closer to December, I am starting to worry about how I can maintain a foot in the classroom, while also being at home with my newborn. Obviously, the little one gets the majority of my attention, but I don't want my classroom to suffer. I know that I have a substitute who is coming in and will continue to guide the students and keep them on track, but really I have to be sure that they have meaningful lessons that will help prepare them for their AP exam in May. I also have a goal of retaining students in the AP English program--which means I need to invest them enough to push them to take the next level of AP English.

As for my Seniors, I also want to collaborate with others about increasing the rigor and expectations of that class. In my one-on-one meetings with April, we've talked about how my senior class seems to want to take the road of least resistance. I can understand that mentality, but I can also see how devastating that will be for them next year. The option of having different types of assessment helped, but I need to figure out a way to make learning more individualized because they are relying on each other too much, and some are not putting in needed effort. I am worried that this is going to lead to me being even more frustrated and giving up on our path all together. This is not an option.

As I sit down to look at the data that I have collected in the past week (using Newsela--a current events site that measures for reading comprehension and inferencing), I realize that students still have a long way to go with their ability to read into a text. Students are so use to the surface level reading being sufficient that they struggle with the basic skill of drawing conclusions. I have got to continue to push them to grow in this area, otherwise they really won't have the basics to be critical thinkers in adulthood.

This is all for now, but I am hopeful that new ideas will be generating by Friday morning and I will see a clear path for investment, technology and rigor in the classroom!

Diversifying Assessment-Round 2

Students are sitting and writing (and explicating) all around me. When I described the quiz to students, they seemed a little more comfortable with the idea of looking at poetry. I imagine many will take my option of answering questions directly, rather than attempting their own explication at this point. As I sit here thinking about my to-do list, I realize I will have to grade these quizzes. I have notes that I've taken on the poem--significant lines, references and meaning--but I realize that may not be enough to effectively assess this work students are turning in. This is a problem. I should have figured out the assessment criteria before giving students the quiz. I am fearful that my expectations will waiver once I see their responses. I need to figure out the answer to the following questions as I continue to look at differentiated instruction:

1. How can I ensure that I am measuring the same skills with different types of assessment?
2. How do I measure those skills so that they can be adequately compiled for data purposes?
3. How do I deliver instruction so that all students get the background information, and practice the skills they need, for the assessment?
4. How do I use technology to effectively integrated differentiated instruction and assessment?

The last question is a question I will need to address with my cohort. I am really struggling with getting the skill and then using technology to apply it. Students have all of these great resources, but I'm not using them as effectively as I should. I feel like my differentiation is still revolving around strategies I used in my old position--when I didn't have any technology. 

As I continue to work through this process, I need to build a toolbox. I need to find resources and strategies that will help me develop assessment and instruction that meets all students needs while promoting growth. 

Diversifying Assessments-Round 1

Currently, the seniors are working on poetry--which many do not like (although they like it more than the looming Shakespeare--for some odd reason). Students have been practicing explication with a variety of poems. Not to put English on a pedestal, by explication is key to the discipline and it is also a really, really hard skill. Students sit down to a poem, for which they have no context and they attempt to find meaning. This requires that students use context clues, implication skills and critical thinking so that they can develop a conclusion about the poem. I started the unit by telling my students about how difficult this is, and how I even struggle with it. We did a "competition" in the class, where each group was given the same poem and they had to explicate it and justify their views. The poem was "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath (one of my favorites--and one that I had to explicate for a senior final in high school). Students grappled for 30 minutes with the poem as I walked around and asked them follow up questions to ensure their analysis worked for the entire poem. It seemed pretty effective, groups that were able to get the meaning were so excited, and even those who didn't catch the meaning were moving in the right track. Perhaps counter-intuative to this PTP group, the best thing about this task was that students couldn't use ANY technology. They put away phones and laptops and their only resource was a dictionary (which is evidently something they thought was extinct...). It was glorious! There was full participation and really close reading.

Part of my goal  this year is to reach my students more effectively through differentiated instruction and assessment. I've always had it engrained that assessment is key for backwards (and efficient/effective) planning, so I am starting with differentiated assessments. My first attempt will be next Monday with my Honors English IV class. I am hoping to offer them choice in their assessment and as a result see more investment and higher scores.

To continue building this skill, students were again divided into groups (this time it was their choice). Students were given different poems based on skill-level, with my two highest achieving groups getting two very difficult poems. Students are creating a presentation based on their explication of the poem and they will share with the class. They have a clear rubric and I've been assisting them. I'm excited to see what they come up with, though a little nervous with my small group that believes no explication can be wrong because it is their "opinion."

Anywho, these two tasks are building to an assessment. The assessment will be on Monday. Students will once again have no access to technology. I have defined some of the more difficult language and mythological/cultural references made in the poem to assist their reading. They will still be able to use a dictionary if they so choose. As I was observing their work, I noticed that some students are still struggling with this really difficult skill, so I wanted to modify the assessment. They still need the same skill, they still need to be able to demonstrate close reading, but I needed a way to scaffold their thinking. I have tweeked the assessment to give students choice. Students can write a traditional explication (mini-essay) or they can answer 5 questions, which forces students to look at very specific aspects of the text and figure out how they contribute to a larger meaning. I am hoping this will build student confidence because our next unit is Shakespeare.

The Big Goal

This week I had the opportunity to finally sit down with the PTP committee. It was great to get in a room full of people who want to enhance how we use technology here at MHS. As excited as I was to dive in, I also have some reservations. My biggest reservation comes with goals--which seems intuitive with what I do for a living. I understand that goals are important. Goals enable us to take meaningful action that will get us where we want to be. Without goals we would go into the classroom daily without a big picture in mind. We would aimlessly teach ideas and concepts that students may or may not need to know. We would also push for progress without actually knowing if we're on the right track.

When I was a first year teaching, I had to make "Big Goals" for my classroom. This was a big part of Teach For America (the program I was hired with). There were required components for a Big Goal. It had to be ambitious, but achievable. The goal was also something that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of students. After my two year commitment with Teach For America, Big Goals became less prominent for my classroom. I could talk about our goals and what we wanted to achieve, but it wasn't always highlighted. I found that I was invested in this magic number or idea, but students weren't. Here at Mooresville, I think I've continued that slip. Sure, my AP students all know that they want a 4 or a 5 on the AP exam, but I haven't engrained that as a class mantra that will dictated all of our behavior. I also haven't established how a 4 or 5 can really impact a student. They know about college credit, but I don't know if they truly appreciate how the understanding the concepts of Language and Composition can really enable them to be critical thinkers.

I'm thinking that I could really establish a goal in the second semester for my AP students and my 9th graders. But before I can do that, I have to reinvest myself in the concept of a goal. This PTP process gives me that opportunity. I need to claim my goals for my own and not lose sight of them over the course of the next two months. While I know these are year-long goals, I want to push myself to achieve some of the goals asap. This is achievable with assistance from my cohort (and my lovely husband who can always help with my technology needs). I also know that my goals are meaningful. If I can include technology that allows students to access meaningful activities that are differentiated, they can continue their instruction while I am away on maternity leave. This has to push me to try as hard as I can to achieve my goals asap.

Beginning the PTP Process

I'm really excited about this initiative and the opportunity to be a member of this group. When I first decided to leave my old school and come to Mooresville, I had a lot of apprehension--not because of the school itself--but, rather, because of the technology. Students have such a great opportunity here with the personal laptops, but that opportunity can be easily squandered. That's currently been all over the news; districts buy technology, but it is never put to good use. I didn't want to come to Mooresville and be that teacher who uses technology is a way that does nothing to promote student learning.

To be honest, my students use their laptops everyday but there isn't always that wow factor. Often times they are reading a text via Angel. While there is merit in this (students have access to a dictionary and online resources to look up references), it isn't the really enhancing their learning experience in a way that only technology could allow. Students could easily look up references elsewhere. This is why I'm so excited to embark on this pilot program. I want my students to really embrace the technology and learn things in a new way that will help them engage in critical thinking skills. I want to pull in meaningful projects so that students can reflect on their own reading and writing.

After completing the self-assessment, I recognize that I have some strengths but I also need to improve on a lot of things. I want to focus on differentiation to promote student learning. This is a weakness that I have had before, but now with technology I think I can greatly improve what individualized learning looks like in my classroom. I know about sources and platforms like Blendspace, but I do need to work on recognizing resources that are aligned and rigorous for students. I think this is a great opportunity to collaborate with peers who probably already have the resources!