Took a break from the frustrations of report card writing this afternoon to meet my girlfriend in the east end and do a little geocaching.  Some sort of geocaching "event" was taking place, which is basically a meet-up organized by a geocacher responsible for a specific group of caches.

In this case, the caches had to do with "Orphan Black",  a clone-themed sci-fi series, filmed in Toronto,  that Tats and I have recently begun watching.

The event began at "Jim's restaurant", an establishment near Queen and Logan, which is featured in a scene from Season Two of the series, and which is slated to be torn down and replaced by condos in the near future.

I'm not sure what was more mesmerizing to me, the locale or the event participants:  The diner was some sort of greasy spoon with hilarious signs posted all around -- we were informed that Helen Waite was the new person in charge of rush orders, for example, and that if we were in a hurry, we should go to Helen Waite.  

Then there was the money jar at the cash, with a hand made sign requesting donations to a local, generic charity,  imploring the reader to consider what it was like to be poor and starving, and assuring the reader that God, who "is watching us" would "reward you greater than what you donate".  (Oh, and they "also support African Orphans". ) 

Well!

The actual geocachers attending the event were no less intriguing...  The roughly 12 people in attendance came in all shapes and sizes. Most of them had "real" GPS units (as opposed to the more ubiquitous smartphone versions), and they were very proud to show and share with this muggle!!!

At some point someone pulled out a travel bug, and suddenly, there was a pile of them sitting on the table in front of me:

These people were very serious cachers, and most of them had been to several events before.  

​I was taken with how much protocol there seemed to be with the whole thing... everyone referred to one another by their caching handles rather than their actual names (made for a little confusion for me and the one other muggle in the group!), and everyone had a million interesting stories to share about the time they got stopped by the marine unit while trying to find a terrain 5, or the fact that they no longer tried to find difficulty 1s, because they were trying to up their average...  the geekiness of it all was kind of fun, and I found myself really drawn into their stories.

yes, but also the actual report card system, which hails from over a decade ago, and is painfully out of date, technologically speaking, making it exceedingly frustrating for any teacher attempting to use it!!)

I was glad to have attended this geocaching event -- even though I've often hunted for treasures with Tats, I had never actually gone to a meet-up like this with her.  I feel like I have a better appreciation now for my partner's hobby, and for some of the people who engage in it.

As y'all may know, Thinglink is my new favourite digital learning tool... but I also have been enjoying Padlet as an online class chart board.  Soooo.... how about THIS for an appsmash?

Students took photos of their paper airplanes, and created a Thinglink that included time and distance from our paper airplane contest, as well as reflections on a few other pieces as well.  Then they posted said Thinglinks to our class Flight Padlet.  (There are a few other flight assignments posted there as well.)

Such fun ways to share our learning!  And for me, hey! A wee little Science mark and two Language marks (writing and media), ha!!

Just before the bell rang, I added the latest topic to our "parking lot" (alongside "Abortion" and "Did we evolve from fish?", among other things!!!), where we "park" questions that arise that are not necessarily directly related to the curriculum, but which students are genuinely interested in learning more about, and which Ms. Teschow feels need more than three minutes at the end of class to unpack appropriately!

Fortuitously, the following weekend, my partner and kids (who are also in Grade 6) and I happened to have tickets to see Hana's Suitcase at the YPT, and -- in a marvelous act of serendipity -- George Brady came to the show and took the stage for a few minutes afterwards to speak with the many children in attendance.

I was inspired!

The rest of the weekend was a flurry of preparation, as I posted the following text online in our Edmodo classroom, and invited students to join me on a journey of research to discover more about this troubling time in European and world history:

Then, I waited for the learning to unfold.

The first step of the assignment was for students to reach into their schema and make note of what they thought they already knew about the Holocaust.  They recorded their notes here on this padlet.

As students continued the learning journey, I and other teachers involved (for example, the computer lab teacher), checked in with students online and in person to monitor misconceptions as well as mental and emotional health; the commonly held belief is that "at some point, it is best that children be told the truth".  However, that doesn't mean they don't need support in coming to terms with that truth.  Throughout the assignment, students were invited to monitor and share their feelings, which ranged from "intrigued and curious" to "sorrowful, sad and scared".

As the class visited various online resources, they were invited to share their emerging understanding on another class padlet like the one below:

At the end of the assignment, students were directed to various sites that discussed legacy.  As they considered "now that we know, what next?", students posted comments and replied to others' postings in our online classroom on Edmodo.  This was an excellent opportunity for my highly divergent class to not only practise their reading and "listening to understand" skills, but also to develop their conflict resolution skills, as some students had different understandings and perspectives on the various aspects of the assignment, or did not express themselves as articulately as they might have online.

It is often said that the Holocaust during World War II was not the only ethnic cleansing that took place in the world, and that it is unfair to the many other people groups who have suffered at the hands of tyrants to focus only on the Jewish story.  

My feeling is that in order to begin to unpack other acts of atrocity in the world, and ensure they they don't happen in the future, students need to find a common starting point to learn about humanity's difficult history lessons.  The Jewish Holocaust is a well-researched time in history with many accessible, child-appropriate resources.  Learning about this aspect of World War II is an important foundational building block for students to learn about other important parts of world history so that they can more consciously direct its future.

I'm pleased that my students asked -- and that I was able to provide some guidance in learning in learning -- about this important albeit difficult topic.

When is it okay to fold and fly paper airplanes in class?  Well, when you're working on a flight unit, of course! :)

After lots of reading and research, one of our first experiments has been to use our flight knowledge to design a paper airplane that: a) stays in the air the longest, and b) that travels the farthest distance (a little math link there, to measurement!!)

During the brainstorming session, students talked about streamlined design (to reduce drag) and considerations for aerofoil design (to increase lift).  Then they built and tested their paper airplanes, and we had a little in class contest, complete with second timer and trundle wheel to measure distance.  (The farthest distance hit the back wall of the classroom; approximately four of the 25 paper aircraft achieved that dubious accomplishment.)  

While experimenting, we also discovered that some aircraft did not stay in the air as long as other, not because they were poorly designed, but because they were so fast, they crashed into the back wall before breaking any time records!!

During the contest, one plane got stuck in the light and had to be rescued. Although, as one student noted, "hey, it's still technically in the air!"

Afterwards, I posted a not-so-little follow up assignment, using my new favourite media app, "thinglink":

I am excited to see students' follow up assignments, and will post some of them here soon.

Ahhh, the joys of retirement on the horizon! 

One of the advantages of being a little older is that one can REALLY say what one thinks, with considerably less concern for the professional consequences than one might have had in ones youth.... We got quite a tongue-lashing at church today from our pastor, who is a short time from retirement. 

His beef today was with the response of Canadians--including some from within our congregation--to Muslims in general and Muslim refugees in particular, many of them co-victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. 

Our discussions about  "those" people -- both online and IRL--were often fear based and disrespectful, he pointed out, as he recounted some of the embarrassingly negative commentary he'd been hearing through the rumour mill and reading online in social media across Canada. 

"We should not be slowing down our welcome to refugees in this country because of our fear of the people whom they, too, are fleeing." He admonished us.   After all, one would surmise that the thousands of Syrians currently on the move are at least as traumatized by terrorism as is the west.  They are coming to us for help, not to be feared and discriminated against!

In particular, Rev. Hawkes (who recently published a Ted Talk) admonished those in the congregation who have historically been biased against refugees because they only come once a month and do not "stay" with our church after they gain official refugee status.  "Some will choose to stay and become bridge builders with us", noted Hawkes, "Others will simply cross the bridge here and move on in their journey." 

He encouraged us to take up the challenge of offering a warm, welcoming place of peace and recovery to those who need it, whether they originate here or come from away. Whether people come sometimes or often, whether they stay for a short time or join the community on a more long term basis, "all are welcome" means, just that.  And, we ought to remember that moto of our church as we think carefully what we write in social media. 

Hawkes' message was well-received by many in the congregation. Hopefully his admonishment will encourage those of us who needed it to work towards overcoming our fears, and return to modeling the welcoming ways that attracted us to the community when we needed a warm, non-judgmental welcome!

Something many teachers moving from beginner to novice with digital technology struggle with is curriculum content.  There is SOOOOOOOO much to "cover", as it were, and so little time.  Using technology is great, many argue, but I have to finish my science/math/social studies/etc. unit and collect marks for report cards!

And then there is the concern with classroom management:  How do you deal with a class full of students surfing the 'net when you your own school schema stems from a time before the Internet even existed?!

Well Planned is Well Managed

I myself have been learning again the value of a well-planned lessons.  As I wrestle with the logistics of addressing curriculum while developing digital literacy in a classroom with wildly diverse learning needs and emotional profiles, and too few devices, I recognize that I don't always take the time anymore to think through each step of a lesson.  

Because I myself am still learning many of the apps and software tools, I often find myself losing control of classroom management as a result in the learning mess, yes, even after nearly two decades of classroom teaching and workshop facilitation on classroom management!!!

Step-by-Step Helps the Lesson Flow Smoothly

So, last night I decided to work late and spent my time meticulously preparing a single lesson that would take the whole morning.  I spent nearly three hours* putting together a  two-hour "Science" lesson (we've just started Flight) that integrated Reading, Science, Social Skills/Learning Skills and Media Literacy.  

I had been wanting to use mind mapping with students both as an organizational, note-taking tool when they were conducting research, as well as a visual opportunity to present learning at the end of a unit.  One problem I'd been noticing, however, was that few students had actually experimented with digital options for mind mapping, and many hadn't even used mind maps at all, even in hard copy, and were struggling with effectively recording notes on paper as they read an informational text.

I had my work cut out for me!

I put together a "gradual release", full morning lesson with clear scripting about what I was going to do and say to students at each step along the way, and how they were going to distribute and share materials, as well as how they were going to turn in their work.  

First, Learning Goals, Then,  Explicit Teaching

After a quick review of our unit goals, we zeroed in on two that would become the focus of this lesson, as I told students that we would be reading a non-fiction text to find out more about how flight works.  I noted that we would specifically be observing how headings and subheadings were used in the text to organize ideas and facts, and that we would use these headings to present the information graphically.

As we read together and I modeled turning the jot not information into a mind map, students copied said graphic organizer into their notebooks.  All soon recognized that this could be done much more effectively in a digital manner -- it would look good, and errors could more efficiently be edited than they could on paper.  

Modeled, then Guided Practice

I showed them a sample mind mapping software online (Popplet) and demonstrated a quick paper-to-digital sample, using the mind map we had just created.  I then invited them to play around with the software, or to use another option, such as coggle.it, mindmeister or Ideament.  

Students worked alone or with a partner to turn their Flight Mind Map from Paper to Digital versions.

After taking a walk to investigate others' work and see how various peers had used the tools available to them, students met me in a corner of the room to co-construct a list of criteria for what makes an "effective" mind map.  Students were asked to think back to the mind map they had just put together, and consider one or two things they would "fix up" if they had the time.

We posted our list, and then I sent the class off for a quick drink/washroom break.  After all, it had been a long, intensive morning, it was only half over!

When they returned, students set off around the classroom to read another selection about Flight (this time on how Airplanes and Helicopters Fly), and create a new digital mind map to organize their notes as they read.  

Their final product was to be posted ("turned in") on Edmodo.

I had scripted every single step of the lesson, and was now able to enjoy the fruits of my labours:  Students were fully engaged in the lesson, reading to and discussing the material with one another.  Most were sharing resources respectfully, some were even policing each other ("Hey! Pay attention, turn your head here!" demanded one student of his partner!)  

Several students were checking the success criteria list to discern what would make their work better before submitting it, and for those who forgot, I was still able to direct them to the chart we had posted when they came to me to ask the inevitable, "Is this good, Ms. Teschow?"

Criteria + Digital Tech = Success

The results were stupendous:  Even students who struggled with reading at Grade level were able to make smart choices about who to work with, and were able to create a good-looking product, which significantly boosted their confidence.  It was quite amazing to behold.

So, I've been taking this online class for teachers, "Designing Digital Media for Teaching and Learning", designed my a group of college students as a project for their class, as I understand it.  It's been quite a rich learning experience, and my only complaint is that I don't have more time to explore it fully and be more attuned.  Today, however, I am positively GIDDY about the latest thing I've learned about in the course!!!  It's all I can do to keep from jumping up and down as my brain races away with the classroom learning possibilities -- My students are going to LOSE. THEIR. MINDS. when I show them this!!!!

I signed up for the course, because I was hoping it would be practical as well as theoretical, and that it would help me to pull myself up out of the quagmire of mediocrity that we can often become stuck in if we get sucked into using digital technology as substitution and augmentation rather than transformation.  Well, is it ever working!!!

Our latest assignment had us working with a tool I'd never heard of before -- Thinglink -- to apply our understanding of Mayer's Multimedia Learning Principles, and evaluate an image according to a few of said principles.

I chose a Biodiversity image that I found online, since we're just finishing up that unit in Science, andhere is what I came up with as a first go. (Clicking on the image below will take you to the  interactive version I hastily created of the image in an attempt to muck about with Thinglink.)

I am blown away by the possibilities I can imagine for students to explore a concept and also to demonstrate their learning using this tool!!!    ​Here, for example, are two projects done by students,

​​I cannot wait to use Thinglink in my classroom, and am even thinking of paying for a pro account so that I can have students collaborate on assignments (each student in a group adds a link button to the same image, for example).

One idea I have in in health, where we are talking about "Healthy Eating" currently (contrary to popular belief, the revised health curriculum in Ontario is not all about sex!!!) is that after we look at a poster about healthy foods and discuss a variety of healthy food choices from different cultural backgrounds, students can take a photo of a meal in their home, and create a Thinglink telling 2 links (in green) about what makes it healthy, and one link in red telling what would make the meal even healthier.

Another thing I am thinking of is having them take a photo of our classroom, and creating a thinglink that outlines their favourite areas in the classroom as well as highlighting some of the learning tools in our room that they find most useful.  These can then be shared with family so that parents can see our classroom.

​I am SOOOOO excited about this tool!!! : - D