A Class Full of Bloggers

Like years past attending the Illinois Computing Educators Conference (ICE) has inspired me in many ways.  The last day of this year’s ICE conference brought George Couros.  His words like other great keynotes did just what they were meant to do,  they made me want to change and they pushed the limits of my thinking.  By the time that George was done speaking  I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

It was finally time to do what I had toyed with doing for several years…it was time to start a classroom blog and not one written by me, one written by my students.

Ideas filled my head.  I talked the ear off of my friend Jen (note to anyone attending a conference with me or who sits next to me during a conference…I try really hard to be quiet and not talk but I can’t help it.  When someone/something inspires me… oh lawrdy watch out!  The ideas come flowing out of like the waters of niagara falls).  I was excited to revamp the class landing page and turn it into an active blog.  I was excited to write a list of ideas my students could write about.  I was excited to pool the resources and tools that my students could use to create and write blog posts with.  I was excited to create the templates and forms that would guide blog post writing… and Jen got to hear all about it (WHAT?! I told you I got excited).

“No”, Jen said,  “Let them write about, create, share about whatever they want!”

“Whatever they want?  No list of topics?” I looked at her with an are you kidding me look (you know the one…the and your the expert, really, are you sure you know what you are talking about look)

“Yes, whatever they want,” she smiled with a trust me I know what I’m talking about look,  “Let it be their idea!  Whatever moves them!” she added with certainty.

“Really?” I asked again

“Yes, REALLY!” she smiled again with an I know about this stuff look.

After an hour of changing the landing page into a blog…we had an active blog.

With George’s inspiration and Jen’s guidance,  I was able to structure our blog post writing process so that my students had enough structure to complete posts and publish them consistently and enough freedom to feel inspired and hungry to create…Student Blog Writing Process

1) BLOG POST Wall Banner

2)  TO DO List / Steps and Timeline for Publishing a Blog Post

3) Our Blog Post Wall where Blog Post Proposals are held and neon cards are used to indicate by students if Blog Posts are in progress or published

4) Blog Post Proposal Worksheet (Link to Download)

So this week when my students told me…

“I want to write a movie review post!  I think others would like reading it!!”

“I want to write about the Blood Moon.  There is one coming this month!”

My morning greetings went from simply hello or good morning to a spew of ideas and I want to write abouts.  I can’t help but smile (ok so I waited until they left the classroom and  squealed and danced a little).   I have a classroom full of bloggers, with their own hashtags and all!

IntroducingMy#Ninjas
‘CLICK’ to Visit My Student’s Blog

 

A Moment In My Classroom: It’s Magic!

A Moment In The ClassHe had been working on a project for weeks in my classroom.  It was time to get back into our usual Social Studies routine.  I knew that the shift and transition back to this routine would take a couple of days for my student to re-adjust to the expectations of participating in class, listening to group instructions and taking notes on the topic were learning about.

He was taking the break he earned from the class before mine and I knew he would be a little late getting to my class.  He usually took notes using Microsoft word.  It worked ok for him but he still needed a lot of adult prompting and additional interventions to type his notes from the board and stay on task.  All of my older students used Google Drive docs to take all their notes on.

I wondered….

Do you think he could?

What if I??? Continue reading “A Moment In My Classroom: It’s Magic!”

A Moment In My Class #1: Today It Rained

A Moment In The Class

Every Friday in my Math class is a Snow Day.

Every Friday it snows when white pieces of paper are throw randomly on the floor around the room.

Students pick up one piece of paper from the floor and I write a math problem on the board (usually a problem from a concept we worked on during the week or a problem from past lessons)

Students solve the problem, make a snowball and toss it to a peer to get it checked

I circulate the room to ensure students are grading each others work correctly.

If a student needs to make a correction on their work, the student who graded the problem walks over to the student who solved it and explains/reteaches that student what need to correct.  If the student who solved the problem  is correct their snowball gets tossed back to them (when deciding what problems to give to students I do use this activity as an opportunity to review mastered concepts.  This keeps corrections at a minimum and allows for a lot of review, practice and positive feedback)

(Added by my students….) Then the snowball gets tossed into (or at least they try to toss it into it) the recycling bin they have set up in the front of the room to act as a basketball hoop…hand drawn back board and all.

Every week we all look forward to this class period.  It is full of movement, fun, increased interaction with their peers, great skill review and who doesn’t love to throw paper in class!

SOOOOOO today when I said to the class we are having a Snow Day I suddenly heard…

“UUUgggggggg!!!”

“NO!!!!”

“No more snow!”

“No snow days!”

“It is SPRING!!! We have to have a RAINY DAY!!!”

As soon as the words left their mouths I couldn’t help but smile as I changed gears and sent two students to the supply cabinet to get blue notecards.

Today were were going to make it rain in in our classroom!

The Day It Rained in My Math Class

And as they crumpled up the a blue notecard after solving their math problem on it and getingt it checked, they threw it at the recycling bin and realized… even though they didn’t want a Snow Day…snow balls are easier to throw then rain!!!!

I just sat and smiled!  It was a really fun moment in my classroom!