Take a day off! 20% time

As I wrap up this year and begin to reflect on some of the things I've tried in my classroom.  My ultimate goal was to reach 100% of students scoring proficient on our common assessments.


I didn't reach my goal.  I was able to increase student performance to reach 84% however I still have work to do.


Throughout the year I was also able to utilize 20% time to increase student engagement.  I was motivated by Greg Miller to reflect on my students work on their 20% projects and share some of them.


I've been working on this concept all year thanks to the efforts of not only Dan Pink but also Josh Stumpenhorst.  Dan's book Drive gave me tremendous starting points when thinking about giving kids autonomy.


I started the year showing students his TED talk:

I followed up the TED talk with creating class rules.  Any time we got into a difficult situation in the class or with a group of students working on a project I always came back to this video:

My classroom had two rules:
1.  Accept any offer (for help, advice, constructive critisim, anything)
2.  Always make your partner look good.  (by partner I explained that could be me, your classmate, your parents, etc.)


This video and these rules were the backbone of our class.  Sure, every once and a while a group or individual was off-task, it was an easy conversation that they were not making me look good.  When they were behind on due dates, they were not making me look good, so when I adjusted their project, I encouraged them once again to accept any offer.


Student made some EPIC projects and below are some of my favorites.  I asked students to not only share their work but also explain why they chose to dive into that project.  It was very eye opening.


Below is the topic students chose, a link or picture of their project, and why they chose their project.   Here they are:


_____________________________________________________________________
"6th Grade for Dummies"
Search 6th Grade for Dummies on Google and click the first link or click this link    http://sites.google.com/site/6thgradefordummies/
I chose my project because I wanted to make it easier for 5th graders coming into 6th grade.  I have made a site that talks about all the key elements of 6th grade at our school.


"The Binder"
sites.google.com/site/nipherbinder/
i chose this because i wanted to do something to do with a website and to also tell about our fair school, and henceforth, the binder was born.


GarageBand Tutorial
https://sites.google.com/site/garagebandtutor/
"I chose to make a website about GarageBand to teach people how to use the differing versions for iPad and Computer.  Some people don't know how to use it so I show them how."


Why the world won't end in 2012
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AbqRfbMjFr10ZGZmeDVzamJfMTdkYjI2MjNmZg
I'm tired of everyone saying the world will end on December 21, 2012, so I proved it wrong with some facts and some of my opinions


Written in Red movie
(Have to ask the girls permission to post the video)
i chose this movie because I wanted to try and see what being a director was like. I thought it would be cool to find out what goes on behind the scenes of a movie by making one myself with my friends.
Hannah, Hanna, Bridget, and I chose this because we really wanted to "produce" our own movie. We had some awesome ideas for the movie. It took a lot of time but it was really cool!


CHESS!
https://sites.google.com/site/chesschesschess100/
Because I really like chess and I wanted other people to like chess too.


I choose this project because I love chess and I like it when other people start to play chess. This website can teach you a lot about chess


Hockey
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ATFJ_0cyBuyPZGRoNGtzZzNfMGhodmR4a2Q2
because i like hockey


Piccolo
(Student memorized and played a song on his piccolo, THIS WAS AMAZING!)
I am interested in music and pianos are heavy.  That's why played a nice march on the piccolo


iPad
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aecObwGPW2NhzD7065s3Na5wcqmI3AbNrQNEDFlIg1o/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p
Because my dad got the new iPad when it came out in March, and at the time he had the two so I decided to make a presentation on the differences and similarities between them.


Basketball
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AcDV__0QiqSJZGdnc2ZyM3FfMGR2NHpuc2ho
I chose this project because I speed my free time playing basketball, but I didn't know how it started or who created it or practically anything about its history.


Drawings

Because i wanted to get better @ drawing!! :)














http://www.wix.com/josh4robertso7/howtodraw_beginner-expert
I like to draw anything and everything


Bullying
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15s1Ta9Zah0Y1YTWAttMJAbSOl0jgu7iLTmY7fO4wsMY/edit#slide=id.g2192016_0_0
Just some things that can be led to because of bullying. Though It's not complete.


Candy
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12lMfShrQtleXFPSvuzXb8qGfjSuYop179h0Ugxrb_gc/edit
I hose this prodject because I love candy and I thought that it would be an intresting project to other people!


LOL CaTz Game

I liked lolcats over the summer and started creating a card game that was just right; not too hard or to easy. That was postponed due to school, but when Dr.Mcgee told us about 20%, i restarted the project and finished 2 decks and a playing mat, and i am working on decks ""ancient meowmix"" and ""popular pistachio"" and i will continue to work on them over the summer.




NOTE:  This product is Patent Pending thanks to amazing parents that see the excitement in students that love playing this game.  We are also hoping that a game company will take the idea and actually create the game.




Homemade LOL CaTz
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Jz3ICiRYpPiKwhZS-2oC3hoUWQRBOkU7B66wEMxhGno/edit#slide=id.p
I was thinking about Beckets project and i wanted to sort of do the same but not in card format.


Players on Steroids
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bz1rfquAZZZeVYBomXeEBQw9FVVdWreJqRqSiMp5zXg/edit#slide=id.p
I was curious about baseball players who took steroids and wondered who was caught and who was thought.


Duct Tape Flowers
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=df6d6m7g_72fc6k2qcn&revision=_latest&start=0&theme=pinknpretty&cwj=true
I like making duct tape items so I decided to learn how to make duct tape flowers for my 20%, instead of purses or wallets


Baritone
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=df6d6m7g_72fc6k2qcn&revision=_latest&start=0&theme=pinknpretty&cwj=true
because I am interested in the baritone, I play it.


10000 Jakes
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Imz0ktxz_R6ytTYD3hpgB_V4sE_PHNbqubD0X6T2OkI/edit
because I like typing my name and I was bored


Cat Video Game
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/bhcseri/2385354
i like video games.


Fish Game
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/paylow03/2541680
This is a game created on the scratch software and I wanted to create it my self.


Best Baseball Moments
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eDrn0NBoLLTDUSH_cJgdjEESHIGn0N4BDUCTSu6oH74/edit#slide=id.p
Because baseball is my favorite sport and I wanted to learn more about the greatest plays ever.


Trumpet
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YwGiS8XewMTR-ioDZZlnKLincWHfokgrHQFQ7GKgbaI/edit#slide=id.p
Because I play the trumpet and I like it.


Statutes at Night Book

I love to write so I made a story on a website from a previous story I had wrote.  I basically made a remix or new version of it.


Bar Mitzvah
Because my family is mostly Jewish, and I thought it would be interesting 2 make a collage for preparation for my Batmitzvah a year bfore my actual ceremony.


_____________________________________________________________________


Motto of our class and of every project we had:

It's About Error Recovery 

NOT 

Failure Avoidance.

I used the following scoring guide to assess and give feedback to students.

Other resources on 20% projects in schools:
http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2011/03/innovation-day-2011.html


http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2012/03/innovation-daythe-sequel.html


http://www.convergemag.com/training/Googles-8020-Principle-New-Jersey-School.html


http://lifehacker.com/5497057/set-up-your-own-google+style-20+percent-time-to-try-new-projects


http://www.edtechteam.com/workshops/2012-03-15


http://www.ictsteps.com/2011/08/20-time-your-own-learning-time/


http://educationismylife.com/the-20-project-like-google-in-my-class/

Personalized Learning for Every Student - What I'm learning...

I'm learning a TON about personalizing learning for every student as my classroom begins to be more and more personalized for each student's individual needs, interests and readiness.


Where I'm working from:

• Utilizing backwards design,
• Having rubrics for each objective,
• Understanding differentiation,
• Understanding growth mindset (more on that later),
• In a standards-based graded classroom,
• In 6th grade science.

What I'm learning:

• Using the phrase: "Acquiring new knowledge" for things like notes and readings makes that process less painful for students
• Using the phrase: "Practicing" for labs, worksheets, and activities makes them more intriguing for students.
• Being able to ask the students: "Are you ready to assess?" and being okay if they say no, is powerful.
• Being able to prescribe specific lessons, notes, readings, activities to improve student performance on specific topics is POWERFUL!
• Hearing my students talk about Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose and understand my role in this process is enlightening for all of us.
• The phrase: "You just need more practice" is a lot less threatening than a poor grade and a you don't know this.
• Without trying, I've set up a growth midset where my students all believe they can achieve the objective and don't stop practicing until they do.
• There are some students that need to sit near me to stay focused.
• Size of the room makes a HUGE difference in the ability to do this style of classroom management.
• Asking students to check in with me, or show me an assignment or quiz after it's complete cuts down on my grading and increases my feedback.
• There are some times lines that students have to wait in while I help another students that needs my attention. (Gotta work around this).
• Students work independently much faster, get more opportunities and are more accurate than when working with me.  At times not to the depth I'm able to take it to though.

What my students are saying:

• I think it was awesome because we could do experiments for making a poster
• I think it was fun that we get to pick our own practice, partners, and what we get to do.
• I liked it, because we had more freedom to do what we needed to do in our own way
• I liked it because we worked at our own pace.
• I liked doing what I want to do when I want do it.
• I liked how we could watch video, practice, and take the test...
• I liked how you could work ahead easier.
• I liked going at your own pace.
• I didn’t like it, partners who said they were going to work go ahead. (Sometimes students want to work with someone without the realization that every student works at their own pace).
• I still kinda needed you to tell me what to do...
• I liked it, but its harder... we really had to read the procedure for the lab instead of you telling us what to do.
• It was harder, I felt off schedule.
• I didn't like it, too easy to get distracted.
• I liked it because with the group i could focus more.
• I liked that I got a lot more stuff done.
• I like getting to choose when we take our tests.
• I liked being able to figure out how much practice we needed.
• I liked how we worked at our own pace.
• I liked how we got to work in groups.
• I liked the schedule.
• I didn’t like having to turn the quiz in to you. (No place to hide!!)
• I didn’t like the organization of the room. ( I need to think about ways to roganize the room.)
• If someone is doing something more interesting it might be distracting. (We had laser pointers out that distracted many 11 year olds.)
• I didn't like people around you distracting you
• I think it's hectic because people were doing different things
• I didn't like how loud the room gets.
• I didn't like how some students were not focused on what they needed to do.
• I liked how everyone was so relaxed and doing what they wanted.
• I got a lot done
• I liked not having to wait for the other person to finish, I could move at my pace.

What's next?

• Students are finishing my curriculum early with classes left to work on a topic of their choice.  Remembering to focus on "Recovering" topics they weren't totally understanding or "Discovering" a new topic that interests them.
• I will post student work created from their personalized learning plans on my Student tech blog located here.
• Collect summative assessment data and compare to a non-personalized environment.
• Continue to develop new activities and lessons to support each learning objective.
• Continue to "flipteach" and record my lectures and labs for students to work at their own pace.
• I'm presenting on this topic with hard data and results at METC in St. Louis.  You should join me!
• E-mail @stumpteacher to see how I'm doing.  Everyone needs a mentor!

Want to read more? Read about how Personalized learning got started in my classroom here!

Top 10 List for week of 3/25/11

Here are the TOP 10 topics, thoughts, links and blog posts I found this past week (during spring break) ENJOY!




10. I posted this list for my students, some really great free resources here: Free resources for the 2.0 student

http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/archives/239

9.  Need a web 2.0 tool but can't sem to find the one you want, here's a great resource for choosing: Web 2.0 for the classroom teacher

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listweb20s.html

or this one

Cool web 2.0 portal organized for you!

https://sites.google.com/site/jeffthomastechsite/web-links

8. Livebinders are cool, here's some tips and tricks for organizing yours: Livebinders tips and tricks
http://livebinders.com/play/present?id=3342




7. Box of tricks, easy explanations of web 2.0 tools.

http://www.boxoftricks.net/?page_id=29

6.  I gave a quiz, I graded it, gave t back to the student....Now what? The importance of Formative assessments

http://www.21stcenturyfluency.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=1777

5.  21st century learners need 21st century teachers.  I accept the challenge

http://www.maggiehosmcgrane.com/2011/03/21st-century-learners-need-21st-century.html

4.  Have you ever wondered how you could use Evernote in your classroom.  Now here’s a great resource to tell you how.  Perfect!

http://www.21stcenturyfluency.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=1798

3.  Merit pay, assessment improvement here's a white paper on Teacher incentives and student achievement evidence from New York city public schools...huh, makes you think.

http://www.economics.harvard.edu/faculty/fryer/files/teacher%2Bincentives.pdf

2.  Get to the point: Teaching to the TEXT message

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/opinion/20selsberg.html?_r=1

1.  Most RTs this week: 5 reasons to integrate technology into your classroom.  Typical argument and even better reasons for it...

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ed-technology-benefits-heather-wolpert-gawron

Top Videos of the Week




Sir Ken Robinson on Learning without frontiers.

“I am” a new exciting documentary that is going to cause the SHIFT to hit the fan
http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-shift-is-about-to-hit-the-fan-611.php

Integrating Online resources into your teaching

Education is changing to world of work

Two questions that will change your life

Great video and Post based on Daniel Pink's new book called Drive.

I don't need to ask a question here. But I'd love to hear what is your sentence?

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.