HyperDoc Handbook

Here's to the last day of the first semester!! I can't believe how quickly the year goes by. This will more than likely be my last post of the year. See you in 2017!

Over the break, I plan on reading the HyperDoc Handbook. It's a way to design lessons using Google Apps by doing the following:

1) Determine your objectives.
2) Select which learning cycle you will use.
3) Select your packaging.
4) Build the workflow.
5) Design the HyperDoc.

From what I can tell, a HyperDoc allows teachers to build in Differentiation, Personalization, and other Scaffolds to support students while providing rigor. It's supposed to go beyond a webquest but look more like a full lesson.

Learn more:
-TeacherCast episode with the authors: http://www.teachercast.net/2016/11/15/hyperdocs-handbook/
-HyperDoc website: http://hyperdocs.co/

Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! I'm so excited to have my students creating, making, designing, and building this year.

With that being said, I thought an appropriate post for the beginning of the year would include an article/podcast on how our (and our students') brains want to learn. The ideas behind John Medina's, neuroscientist, research is we can reach students by doing these 2 things:

-Exercise -- the brain works better after it.

-Sleep -- the developing brain has to have a ton of it to function.

Something to think about as we begin this new school year!

Shake Up Learning

After wandering through the Poster sessions in Lobby D (highly recommend), I'm ready for my 2nd full session of the day:

Digital Differentiation with Google Apps in Meeting Room 710: Shake up Learning

Every student learns in different ways and speeds, so we need to create different paths to learning:

1) Choice boards/Menus -- students have a wide array of choices in how to reach the learning goal
     -use google docs to make a TIC-TAC-TOE board -- students choose how to meet the daily goal
     -it works for any subject area/grade level
     -make sure to include different intelligences in each space of the board

2) Chrome Apps:
    -tackkedu
    -pixton -- comic book creator
    -wevideo -- web based video editor
    -canva -- design tool

3) Differentiating by Reading level:
    -Newsela -- current events/non-fiction based on lexile levels (login w/ Google accts)
    -Books that Grow -- novels/fiction at different reading levels (NOT FREE but worth it)

4) Differentiating w/ Google Contact Groups:
    -group students by interests, readiness, levels, etc.
    -need to setup groups prior but can easily share out to each group
    -groups.google.com

5) Differentiating w/ Google Forms
    -exit tickets, surveys, polls -- allows to know where students are
    -"go to page based on answer" -- if you answered C, you go to another page from someone who answered B -- this called Conditional Branching

6) Google Classroom
    -Parent portal is coming!!!
    -create groups within GC
    -each leveled group could have their own Google Classroom -- send assignments, templates, docs through each classroom

Whew!!! That was a whirlwind sessions. So many slides to go back through and review!

Literacy for ELL's

It's a challenge to teach the writing process to students who's primary language isn't English. Many of them struggle just to access the content. EdSurge has some excellent ideas of how to scaffold the writing process for ELL's. I particulary like the tools they provide to "develop, implement, and evaluate" they're learning as they move through the process.

School Reform

Here's an intersting read from EdSurge: From Industrial Models and 'Factory Schools' to....What, Exactly? It discusses the possible avenues schools could reform through personalized learning, flipped classrooms, technology, differentiation, etc. It really leaves it open-ended and wants to start a discussion. It even challenges readers to share their ideas on social media using the hashtag #NextEdStory.  What ideas do you have?

Differentiated Instruction

As a building this year, we've concentrated heavily on improving our differentiated instruction. We're looking into differentiating the content, process, and product in our classrooms. I found this interested article from Maryland Learning, and it gives some helpful hints on how to pull off the difficult task of reaching each student.

Checks for Understanding

I've recently been searching for resources on how to improve my "checks for understanding" with students. I stumbled upon an article (actually an excerpt from a book) from ASCD where a chapter was dedicated to Checks for Understanding. The chapter describes the process of checking for understanding:

1) "Feed-up" -- clarify the purpose, learning goals
2) "Feedback" -- respond to student work
3) "Feed-forward" -- modify your instruction where needed

Also, I found a great collection of ways to Check for Understanding from Edutopia.

Differentiation Podcast

Here's a podcast I recently listened to (mostly, it's a little long): http://inservice.ascd.org/differentiated-instruction-works-how-and-why-to-do-di/
Key points: You need the right environment (growth mindset, supports, access, etc.), quality curriculum (clear learning goals), and formative assessments to establish a starting point to differentiate your lessons.

Creating Screenshots Videos

I've documented my recent experimentation with screenshot videos for my elementary tech class. I'll get them started with some quick modeling but then I have the students watch videos of the lesson while I work with smaller groups. It's a great way to push students who understand the concepts and to work one-on-one with students who need the extra help.  Edudemic outlines exactly how to do this in an article titled, "How Teachers can use Quicktime Video Screenshots to Help Students Learn." I use a product called Snagit to create my videos but Quicktime is another great option.

Personalized Learning

Here's an interesting read about the role of the teacher in the personalized learning environment. With "81% of college students using a mobile device, technology has played an integral role in allowing students to learn in and out of the classroom. Teachers can use these tools to create a personal learning plan for each student. The article breaks down the teachers role in this personal learning environment into separate sections including student cohorts, teaching methods, parent engagement, testing/evaluation, and lesson plan/teaching cadence. It's definitely an interesting read from TeachThought.

Memrise

I stumbled upon a new site for online learning called Memrise. It's a free service allowing the user to choose from an array of courses including foreign languages, sciences, history, and math. The lessons are a blend of flash cards and quizzes.  Read Richard Byrne's full review of Memrise on Free Technology for Teachers.

Edutopia's Top 10

Edutopia released their Top 10 most visited posts from 2014.  Edutpoia usually posts articles and resources around assessments, integrated studies, project-based learning, social/emotional learning, teacher development, and tech integration. These are the top posts from these areas and can be extremely helpful for any teacher.

News in Levels

Here's an incredible site: News in Levels.  According to Richard Byrnes' blog, Free Technology for Teachers, News in Levels includes a story "available in three versions so that you can choose the version that is appropriate for your students. The stories include a list of potentially difficult words along with definitions of those words. Each story is also accompanied by a video."  I've used a feww different sites to match students reading levels to text but this site is the first I've seen to level the same article.  Are there anymore sites like News in Levels?