Researching Biodiversity in 7th grade - Using Tech to Research & Collaborate

This week my students did a mini research project that was intended to be a hook for the biodiversity topic. They had 1 1/2 class periods for this assignment. Thankfully, my 7th graders really care about animals (and apparently they really care about koalas, I learned LOL). They already have an idea about how species can go extinct and that we are all connected in the food web. They eventually need to get to the idea that the higher biodiversity of an ecosystem, the more sustainable that ecosystem will be. Our kids know this...they just don’t realize they know this or they may not be able to say it with this exact verbiage...yet. I wanted to share this not-perfect lesson, compare it to Technology Integration Matrix, and accept any feedback anyone has to offer to make this lesson more student-led, preferably more “citizen science-y” and perhaps with a component with engineering. Oooh. That would be cool! Alright, let’s get to it. :)

Resources Used:

ItsLearning, Google Slides app, NewELA, YouTube

Students were 1:1 but students could have been paired if needed

Standards:

(NGSS) MS-LS2-4

(TEKS) 7.10B describe how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem

First, I created a page in ItsLearning. Each box is numbered in the order in which they need to complete each task.

I gave students two minutes to scan article titles and pictures in box one to get an idea of what article their group would like to read. After the two minutes was up, I let groups tell me which one they wanted to read (each group had to pick a different article). Once everyone knew what article they were going to read, I gave them 10 minutes to read the article independently, jotting down notes as they went. After reading the article, students assigned their own job roles. This is the job role choices I gave them.

After “the boss” of the group shared the google slides template with others in their work they had to answer these questions based on the article. 

• What problem did your article state?
• Does the article offer a solution? If so, what?
• How does this relate to biodiversity and the food web?

**Quick note, as a quick Do Now, my student broke down the word BIODIVERSITY

and we predicted its meaning. 

Many could say, “Why couldn’t you just use a poster board? Isn’t this the same thing?”.

Here is what I loved about using Google Slides instead of a poster board. I enjoyed

hearing the conversations of my students as they navigated the google apps. Some

students stepped up and helped others in their group find their “shared with me” folder.

Little opportunities like this can build confidence in our students little by little. This is their

chance to figure out something new without the step-by-step help of the teacher. Also,

the fact that students could tell who was doing what behind their screens in real-time

motivated them to pull more weight. At times, when students use posters, there is a lot of

wait time...waiting for other group members to complete their part so they can move in

closer to do their part. With google slides, everyone is able to contribute to their full

potential/ability the entire time. Using the technology allows them to add YouTube

videos to their presentations to get more, in-depth information that would almost be impossible

for me as a teacher to provide them. Using ItsLearning allowed me to give my students

choice in which topic they cared about most. Not using the technology would force me to

have to make copies which as we all know, is time consuming. 

The most rewarding part of the assignment for me was to listen to the conversations that

took place while using the computer. I overheard students talking about which pictures they

wanted to include and YouTube videos they found. Technology is the language of our

school’s generation. In my opinion, I think this lesson also builds a sense of empathy in our

students. I was shocked to see how invested our students were in discussing the danger

that many of our animal and plant species are in. One way I wish I could have capitalized

on this lesson was to end it with a task that had students find ways they can contribute

solutions to environmental issues in their own way. 

My Own TIM Analysis of My Lesson

Active Learning, Infusion

Ways I Could Improve: For this technology characteristic, the main way I could improve is

by letting them choose the technologies they use. This may be a little easier next year when

we get a technology teacher on campus. We should also have more computer access.

Whoo hoo!

Collaborative Learning, Adaptation

Ways I Could Improve: I could have students choose the technology that they use to display

their findings. I will say that for this particular assignment, it was simply to hook the students

and see the relevance in what they will be learning. I’m not sure I really want to provide the

extra time for them to choose their own technological modality.  Next year, I may slowly

introduce different tools that they can use over the year so that they can eventually be experts

in those tools. Maybe if they are already experts in various modalities by this point of the year,

it won’t take them as long to choose how they want to share their findings. For each article, I

could find experts that know information on that topic and have students send an email to

those experts for more information. This would make it more collaborative outside of the

classroom walls.

Constructive Learning, Adaptation

Ways I Could Improve: I could have had students use other platforms to get out their reports

to others. An idea I found from the TIM website was to have students share their reports via

a podcast. Again, this assignment was intended to be a short and sweet hook but using the

podcast gives me an idea for our next project. :)

Authentic Learning, Adaptation

Ways I Could Improve: I’m excited about this one. This mini research project is laying the

foundation for our next big project. If I can figure out time constraints, I could have them design

a solution that would improve biodiversity in different ecosystems and possibly create

prototypes using the engineering design process. This follows this NGSS standard. This would

also touch on the culturally responsive pedagogy that I’m aiming for also. Students will

address social issues and the repercussions of losing biodiversity in various parts of the

world.

Goal-Directed Learning, Adaptation

Ways I Could Improve: For this particular lesson, I would still continue to use the

teacher-provided rubric. They only had a day and a half to work on it. However, for our next

major project, to get to the transformational stage, I could have them spend their first 5 minutes

of class to plan their time using a online planner. Maybe I can find or create a planner that

breaks down the class period by the minute. Students would go in and plan how much time

they need for researching and creating. It would be great if I can create or find a generic one that

I can use for all future projects.

Sorting through so many technology choices

It seems like today we and our students are faced with SO many choices for technology. As teachers we must consider not only does the tool help us teach the concept, but we must also research if it is on an approved software list, affordable (usually meaning free), and is it worth the teacher's time learning how to use it for just one or two lessons before it will be put back on the "shelf" until that lesson rolls around next year. Is there one tool that you can use across many units for multiple classes? Of course there is. Unfortunately, that tool may not be the same one for each teacher.

The first consideration should always be if the technology can make your lesson more accessible, effective and help present the content in a way that makes it meaningful to your students. That is not something new, but it's very true. I love adding new technologies, but others may feel reluctant to jump in and swim in the deep end of the tech pool. I also have the advantage of tech being what I'm actually paid to teach.

If you have an idea of what you want to use but don't know if it actually exists, talk to your school librarian. They are always a good starting point because if they don't know, they will try to help you find out. Look for a colleague who seems pretty technologically connected. Ask them for some ideas. Have them show you what they are using. Never be afraid to ask questions about resources. They are constantly changing.

If you need a software, check the district approved software listing. Just browsing through you may see lots of things you didn't know existed and were readily available to you just for the asking.

If you are just beginning your journey into actually encouraging your students to investigate on their own and harness the power of having a computer in their hands, don't be afraid to let them take the lead sometimes. Our students aren't shy about jumping in and trying something new, usually much braver than their teachers.

Once you have a solid idea, actually take a few minutes and think about the possibilities that tool might provide for your students. Will they be more engaged in your Social Studies review if it is a Kahoot game where they compete against their classmates? Would a virtual field trip make a concept or connection seem more real?

Google has so many extensions that do so many things that you could spend a very long time just scratching the surface. Look at what interests you. Learn how to use it. The opportunities for integration will present themselves to you once you take the plunge for yourself.

Start simple. Pick one tool and try it out yourself. If you understand the basics, give it a shot with your students if it is appropriate. If you don't understand it, try a different tool. Once you begin to explore the freedom of breaking old habits and patterns of teaching and letting students take ownership of their own learning, you will find it addictive watching the light bulbs go off. You may just find you are way more experienced and knowledgeable than you ever thought you were.

Goal Setting for Students | 4 Key Steps

The G- Slides Trap

First, before you read any further, I am a Google fanatic. In my experience of teaching Google's tools have been my go-to. I have always been big on "student's creating" and collaborating but have recently found myself trying to escape the G-Slides trap.

The G- Slides Trap goes something like this: Students research information, slap their text on the slides with some pictures and say "all done". I have also caught students "researching" by typing a question into google, "What was the goal of Apollo 13" and then copying and pasting an image of a "slide" on to their own slide.

It has become really important to me to have students research and present information and while doing so push their efforts to design a final original product.

Connect this idea to Instagram. It's traditionally used by users posting a series of single, isolated posts disjointedly documenting their day to day on one profile. There are some creative users who are using this tool where posts are cleverly strung together to tell a story.

Take the example of Hannah Lehmann who created an original film series on her instagram, a series of 1 minute episodes you could see on TV- except accessible for free to the masses.

Consider the Netflix Series Ozark who for Season 1, turned their entire instagram profile into a map of the Ozarks with hidden eggs as clues from the dramatic story line. Netflix has since deleted the entire map and for Season 2 posted a new themed series of images and videos to engage and tease viewers. (I googled and could not find a visual of Season 1.)

Taylor Swift, the queen of hidden messages, foreshadowing and symbolism has figured this out a long time ago. In 2017, after hiatus from performing and social media Swift deleted every post on her Instagram to post three clips of a hissing snake which we now know was hinting at her and next album release, Reputation. Its 2019, and Swift has mastered the art of calculated posts, simple, creative, and delicately just puzzling enough to get her fans buzzing with the exciting drama and anticipation and for whatever she releases next.

I feel like all of these people have figured out that social media is the secret key to what will advance their careers and are marketings themselves effectively.  Any person, in any career, can market themselves professionally through social media networking but to be effective you have to stand out- take ordinary products and give it a twist.

This theme of creativity has been repeated over and over in the work of people like The Tech Rabbi and David Eagleman. I promise I'll connect all of the dots, just but hang with me a little longer.

Fun fact- I love to take children and family portraits. I have been a family photographer for almost seven years and have been able to photograph the real story of couples becoming engaged, sharing birth announcements, and taking their children's photos. I used Facebook as my main platform for sharing and business, Instagram was around but not really a thing yet. Most of my editing and posting I predominately did on my desktop. I even posted to Facebook directly from my desktop.

Inspired by these three creative Instagram profiles I decided I wanted to create a business profile on Instagram that was a portfolio and also artistically told the story of all of these families growing over the past seven years. My motive was not to gain customers but to satisfy a creative itch and try something new.

I quickly realized the tools I knew how to use on a desktop were null. I needed to figure out which apps would allow me to resize images so they would post correctly. I also needed access to a digital canvas with layering, for images, pngs, and videos to design. I wanted to figure out how to split images into a collage for posting, and I also needed an app that I could use for just video editing to create short gifs or animations. There were a lot of things I wanted to create but I didn't know which tools to use.

Experiencing that pain point and wanting original student products guided my pedagogy for our current 6th grade research project.

We have done a project several years in a row wheres students research a mission from NASA and then create a news report on video. In the past I would mandate which app or website students would have to use for the sake of keeping students work together, and consistency. Now that we use itslearning, there is an assignment feature where students (or groups) can submit their work to their teachers from anywhere. It doesn't matter where they make their product.

This year, I approached the assignment differently.  When it came to creating the final product, I told students it was simple. Whatever they made had to have be in a video format. They did not have to show their face but I there had to be audio of them speaking about their information.

Our classroom has a set of Chromebooks that all students use. We talked about their how their phones have apps for photos, editing, and then I showed students the "Chrome Web Store"  and explained what extensions were. We created an area in our class for students to post their ideas of Apps to use.

The response was bipolar. So many students were vocal, "Miss why can't we just do a Google Slide. I don't want to make a video," or "I hate how I sound, why do we have to record our voice," and "I don't want to do this." There were also many students jumped into the freedom and were really excited about all of their options.

There was also paralysis. Some students stared at me and their screens waiting to be told explicitly what to do. Luckily they had to gather research and complete and outline first so those students had a few days to digest and think about their product. Everyday I started class showing samples of what students had started working on and slowly their confidence gained some traction.

There also had to be compromise. The makeup of my classes are so different and unique, there needed to be accommodations. Some students needed a place to anchor their research and images. I allowed them to use Google Slides as a base and then use the extension Screencastify to record a voiceover of themselves narrating their videos.

Students created scripts, their own animated backgrounds out of custom gifs, they worked collaboratively, negotiated, found editing sites such as WeVideo and Pixlr. I set up a greenscreen in the classroom for students to use DoInk. Some students even made two different version of their videos.

Not only had they collected research, finally, FINALLY they were creating original products. I know I spent a lot of time talking about the product, and so frequently I am reminded it's not about the app but more about the learning, I am not trying to minimize the academic importance or content.

I love this project as a whole because students practiced many skills: reading expository text, gathering research, writing an outline and turning that into a product where they had to articulate what they learned. They had to problem solve on what tools they needed to use and were challenged on going beyond Slides.

All of those skills need to be practiced, and we're making progress together. I will write another post about how all of this was implemented in the classroom and share student samples. There are some really exciting and freeing features through the platform of itslearning and it's Google Integration that teachers NEED to know about! I have another project I have to finish first, more to come.

This is a Student Sample from an academic class. It is not perfect but I have never heard one of these students actually speak in class: Slides 1-4 are includes their base info, slide 5 has their screencast vide inserted.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1G2UHCC_G2YvValJMXvgv055taGDsjWJwstV92S6GSWc/edit#slide=id.p

Smiles,
Christine

 

Nearpod in the classroom

SO.... I am a little slow to blogging, however I would like to sing the praises of Youtube and Nearpod.  I have used nearpod religiously for test corrections and at least twice per unit for lessons and responses. What I have done is recorded my exampled on our document camera using a usb and then upload the video to youtube. Once I have the youtube video link, I can search for it on the nearpod and link it to the slide.  Our students are able to work on an assignment whole group or even at their own pace. Students can also use their own devices to participate.

The use of nearpod has been beneficial for our entire campus especially for our current 7th grade level. I have used this for our campus to survey our students on their 5 love languages. The data report that was produced was so insightful and useful for our teachers to better understand and connect with our students.

I am far from an expert, but I did want to share how grateful I am and how useful this tool is.

Spot Check using Google Form

I was having a nightmare. Literally. It was that I was doing a whole group review for an upcoming test with unruly students and an OF COURSE an unplanned observation happened.

 I woke up to this idea that students would "spot check" a test review sheet on their own using a Google Form, while I pulled a small group for review/interventions. Then some magic would happen at the end of class. (Keep reading for the magic.)

Also- I realize that this is a review sheet, but it had an intentional purpose and served it. 😏

Background: The review sheet was over "Speed and Motion." Students should have finished the review sheet before completing the "spot check". With their review sheet in hand they would access the "Spot Check Google Form." The form would ask students about some of the questions on the review sheet.

-If the answer is correct, no message will appear. Continue checking answers.

-If the answer is incorrect, an "error" message will appear. Read the hint, and try again.

How it works: Google Form's have a feature called, "response validate." When you make an open response question, click the ellipses in the bottom right corner, then set the desired response. If the student answers incorrectly the form will flash red. You can designate a "custom error text". (For example: "Reread the Y axis. Try again.")

Custom error text example:

But the BEST part! This is where things went right. The last question on the google from is open ended and reads:

Closure: Instead of tediously going through every single question on the review sheet the last ten minutes were reserved for specific questions asked through the google form. The magic was that students who usually DO NOT ask questions ASKED! They were able to talk to me privately through the google form and I could address their questions with some anonymity. 

My quiet babies used their voice & I was able to provide custom feedback specifically to what they wanted. Students were also more engaged at the end because I think they were partly a little excited to see if their question was chosen, but also they knew it was not going to be a long process. Short, sweet and to their chosen points.

The feedback from students was mixed. Most students liked that they were able to check their work on their own and then have the whole group closure at the end. Some students said that they preferred the traditional whole group review. I liked that it allowed me to reach mores students for intervention and I was able to put some ownership onto students.

Adding Choice of Product

Station rotation has been a great way for me to incorporate blended learning in my classroom ... but after listening to a fellow vanguard, I realized that I wasn't giving my students much of a choice when it came to the products that they were creating.

My students normally have a BrainPop station and I recently added these three product choices. I added the pictures to my itslearning class. I hope you can use them in your classroom.