Horror, Suspense and Edgar Allen Poe

This is one of my favorite times of the year to teach literature! We're starting our horror and suspense unit. The Tell Tale Heart is a traditional 8th grade story. It's creepy and weird, but in a very good way. However, it's also a challenging read with some very unusual vocabulary--partly because it was written 150 years ago and partly because the narrator is insane! We used Padlet to make a plot diagram of the story and we focused on find the tone and mood created by the author. We are also working to continue adding explanations to our answers and discussions. 

Non Fiction Biographies

Next week we will begin to focus on one of our compare and contrast standards while we watch a movie version of the story. We'll discuss how the story is similar to the movie, but we'll also focus on what changes the director made. Those changes are important because the impact how we feel tone and mood. We'll transition into a few non fiction pieces that focus on the life of Poe and we'll read at least one of his poems, Annabel Lee. We'll look for common themes between the two fiction pieces, and we'll also continue to focus on our two essential questions for this unit. 1. How do authors build suspense in their writing? 2. How does an author's experiences impact their writing? 

Reflection

We continued our weekly reflections, although we changed things up a little in week 3. We used Flipgrid to record our reflections instead of writing. This lets us practice organizing our thoughts before we speak, the same way we should organize our thoughts before we write. You can watch my intro video for the week below.

Back in the Swing of Things

New Starts

The start of the school year has once again been a whirlwind of activity. There's always a handful of urgent tech "fires" that need to be put out in those first few days. This year, we are also working with a new online reading series so we're all working to migrate what we've loved to use in the past with what we're really liking about this new program (namely the texts themselves). 

In 8th grade our first unit focused on the Essential Question "Does technology improve or control our lives?" They've varied the texts to demonstrate some pros and cons, although I think most of the work tips in favor of improves. Which let's be honest most of us agree with--even though the latter can also definitely be true.  

Balancing it all out: Incorporating the old with the new

I've been able to integrate some of our favorite standby resources into this unit as well. We've used a variety of articles from Newsela that relate to technology. It's shown us several concrete current examples of ways technology has both improved and controlled our lives in the past few years. We've looked at posts on social media, self-driving cars/trucks, robotics, health, and the environment. We used these articles to reinforce the main idea and supporting details skills focus in our first textbook unit and also to look for additional viewpoints on our Essential Question. We area also tying in an SEL lesson from Common Sense Media on dealing with digital drama and online behavior. I HIGHLY recommend the Common Sense Media website for so many things. They are a great parent resource.

We're wrapping up the unit this week with what I hope will be a quick, fun activity on Smart Appliances for the home. I shared an article with students about smart toasters that were automatically turning on in the middle of the night in people's homes. I also shared how in my house, we are constantly fighting our "smart" thermostat to keep the temperature where we want it. It's a nearly direct comparison to a story we read called "The Brave Little Toaster." I challenged students to find the most interesting smart appliance they would like to have. We're making a common Slides presentation to share our finds. My contribution was inspired my neighbor: a combo camera/treat feeder for your pets. Pet owners can log into the app, watch their pets remotely and feed them treats by pressing a button on the screen. You've got to love life in the 21st century!

picture from needpix.com

Sphero SPRK+

Sphero Robots Were Fun!

Earlier this year, our library instructor purchased two Sphero SPRK+ robots for our students to use. We brought them out last week to start using with students. We decided to start with our 5th grade classes since they had recently had some experience using Scratch to code their science projects. Sphero uses a similar block style coding, and we hoped their previous experience would transfer over. 

Marissa works to write code
that will drive her robot.

We started with a simple activity to teach students how to use and program Sphero. We designed two mazes for students to 'drive' the Sphero along. Using the Sphero App on an iPad, students figured out how to move forward and backward, make turns, and control speed and distance. Students worked in partners to program code. After writing a few lines they came to the test track in the back and tried their program to see how Sphero moved. Partners took notes on the Sphero's progress so they could go back and make changes to their code and improve their Sphero's performance. 

Students test their code
using the Sphero and an iPad.

After two class periods, we have one group that found success in the maze and several groups who need just a few final tweaks to get their Sphero following the maze. We'll be able to wrap up this introduction next week and work on ways to bring Sphero to some other classes, perhaps asking these experienced 5th graders to come in and work with our younger grade levels to complete the same project.  

Going Forward into the Classroom

At first, I wasn't exactly sure how to use Sphero to really help aid the standard curriculum. It was an interesting toy; it helps to teach logical thinking and problem solving via coding, but I wasn't sure how that translated to instructional content and standards exactly. But when I was the ICE IL conference the end of February, I attended a session on using Sphero and was impressed by how this presenter was able to use Sphero in his library/media classes with all his students to help support classroom curriculum. 

Garrett Gross (@ggtechteacher) had some amazing ideas on how to use Sphero in the content areas. He showed examples of review games, sight word games, and many applications for math practice. He also had some really practical tips for making the process run smoother. After our first day of practice, his suggestion to use pool noodles to create course boundaries made a ton of sense. I'm hoping to find ways to bring some of these ideas to our school and classrooms. 

Here's a video I took of our first two students to complete the maze.  

And a video from the day as a student explains to a parent volunteer what they are attempting to do. These same students then came to the back to test their code. You can see them in the video below taking notes on what didn't work and brainstorming ideas for how to improve it. 

Thank You

Finally, Mrs. Bednarek and I want to thank our PTA for providing the funds to purchase these devices. The money was raised by the PTA from our school book fair. They allocated the funds to the library and we were able to invest in some cool Maker Space or robotics devices and activities for the students.

We Made Projects in Scratch!

Science Learning with Scratch

Sample image of a project. 

Our 5th grade science classes used Scratch to complete a culminating science project for a unit on space. Students used Scratch to create a program that showed the relative size of the sun from various planets. They wrote code that moved a rocket around the solar system. When they landed on each planet, the view of the sun would change. On planets closer to the sun, students made the sun appear larger. On planets further from the sun, they programmed the sun to appear smaller. They also included text to explain the changes a user would see and an explanation of the science behind it. 

Students were provided the background, planet sprites, the rocket, and sun. They had to order to order the planets appropriately, and then write code to move the rocket and make it all work. I provided students with videos outlining the basic concepts they would need and provided sample code with annotations for the planet Venus. Students were able to use these directions to figure out how to make their project work. 

Students help each out
debugging their code. 

After they completed the basics of the project and demonstrated their mastery of the science content many of them continued exploring. They added sounds and changed to different backgrounds. It was pretty amazing to see students exploring all on their own and taking initiative to improve their projects beyond the basic requirements. 

While everyone worked on their own project, there was lots of collaboration among students. They were just as likely to find an answer from a classmate as they were from Mrs. Peroutka, Mrs. Delestowicz, or me. It's really exciting to watch students share their learning like this. 

Making Games to Demonstrate Knowledge

Student created True/False
game from using research on
Ellen DeGeneres 

Students in junior high classes have an opportunity to make a Scratch project in their REC class this year too. For their final research assignment, students have the option to make a True/False game instead of giving a third speech. They present the true/false game to the class and students get to play along. 

Students created a project based on a model I demonstrated. They added their own backgrounds, sprites, sounds, and other details. They presented their Scratch projects to the class.

A Thank You for My Comrades

Thank you so much to Mrs. Peroutka and Mrs. Delestowicz who were willing to step outside their comfort zone and work with students on this science assignment. We all learned together and had a great time. 

Going Forward with CS First

Shortly after finishing this science assignment, I attended a CS First workshop. This was a great experience and I learned a lot about how Google is working with MIT to make Scratch easier to manage in the classroom. They have many great lesson plans already created for students complete with sample projects for students to see. There's also an amazing dashboard that helps you manage student work. This was definitely the most difficult part of using Scratch in the classroom. The teacher management side is lacking and makes it difficult to organize and manage. The Google dashboard that comes with CS First is amazing and will go a long way toward eliminating problems such as forgotten usernames and passwords. The CS First dashboard also makes all students anonymous so there work can be shared without their identity being available on the internet (even if it is hidden behind a random username). I'm excited to start trying out the CS first plans and using Scratch a little more in the classroom. 

Computer Science, Hour of Code & More

Hour of Code

This year our school has registered to participate in Hour of Code. I have loved diving into all the materials code.org has provided to teachers and schools. It's truly an unbelievable resource. The materials are student friendly (Minecraft, Angry Birds, and Dance Parties just to name a few). But even more important the lessons are created so that ANYONE can teach kids an hour of code. The beginner lessons walk students through with video directions and then give plenty of opportunity for practice. They also show hints and solutions in case you get totally stuck. The videos and coding activities are also engaging and well done. Lots of tech people, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities make appearances to talk about coding in the "real world." 

Image from Google image search

Our kindergarten lessons today started with a Brainpop video that gave us information on giving directions to a computer. Then we did some real world practice in the classroom by walking across our tiled floor and rug area. Finally we plugged in to the Lightbot app and programmed our robots to follow the path and light up the tiles. 

I want to thank all our teachers who embraced Hour of Code and invited me into their classrooms teach kids coding. Thank you!

Kindergarten students worked with partners to
program using Lightbot.
photo credit: Mrs. Bednarek

Kindergarten students worked with partners to
program using Lightbot. 
photo credit: Mrs. Bednarek

Why Teach Computer Science?

This year my interest in Hour of Code was aided by a graduate school class I'm taking on Coding for Teachers. I had dabbled in a few websites related to computers and programming before, but I hadn't seriously looked into any of them or really thought about teaching them in a class. I offered some after school enrichment opportunities including an old pixel animator, GoAnimate, and even Codecademy (without a ton of success...animation is much more popular). But I had never really looked at Scratch. This class was great because after I spent a few weeks learning the program myself, I created a lesson plan that I could use with students in the classroom. I've already put that plan into use, although not in the class it was originally intended for, but that's okay. I spent three days working with students on some of the basic introductory lessons that Scratch provides, and then turned them loose with video explanation and some sample code. It's been amazing to watch these 6th, 7th, and 8th graders embrace the challenge and figure out how to program. 

Scratch and Scratch Jr. are great websites and programs to get students

started thinking about some of the concepts of computer science. They

allow students to creatively show knowledge while learning problem 

solving and other creative thinking skills.

image source

So why should teachers take three days of class time to teach Scratch and computer science? Well, those three days have resulted in increased student engagement. These students are working in class, talking with partners to problem solve, brainstorm, and help each other, and they are continuing to work at home on their own time. They are following other people's work, investigating and playing with their code, and learning from it. These lessons and this time has taught students how to teach themselves which is one of the primary goals of education--teach students how to continue learning on their own. In addition, they are learning problem-solving skills, how to collaborate with others, how to research and find information, and how to apply solutions to new problems.

This grad school class really showed me that I really can introduce a simple coding opportunities into the general classroom without giving up hugely significant amounts of time, and that they are relatively easy ways to tie a program like Scratch to our existing curriculum so that it complements it and grows it in a 21st century way. This class also reinforced for me how much I want to offer these opportunities to students in my school. I think I might have been a decent CS student in college if I hadn't felt so overwhelmed and freaked out early on. During my first course in college, I was sitting next to students who had been studying CS since middle school. I had no idea what was going on and felt years behind. I didn't know how to catch up or how to cope and faced with the very real possibility of failing the class, I quit and never went back. I'd like to make sure that our students don't see their first CS opportunity in college, and don't feel totally overwhelmed and out of their depth.  

Where We're Going Next

We have some exciting news for our students! The school PTA has donated some funds from our school Book Fair to purchase some robotics elements for our library space. Mrs. Bednarek and I will be working with students to use a block-style program to control a Sphero SPRK+ robot in library this spring. Check back for more details after the first of the year.

Sphero SPRK+
programmable robot. 

                           Watch this CNET review of the Sphero                                      SPRK+ robot to see what it can do. 
                                         video source

Capitalizing on Text Messaging

Writing with Text Messages

I found these great text message exchange writing templates online earlier today and was inspired to make my own. They would be great for teaching point of view, reviewing grammar rules or figurative language, or for having students practice writing traits like voice and organization. 
Students could write persuasive messages to Santa convincing them that they deserve to be on the nice list or explaining what they are hoping to get this year for Christmas. 

Or use a snowman themed text exchange to retell "Snowmen at Night" one of my favorite books. Or have students use the texts to explain a new concept or review an old idea. You could forego the holiday theme and use a standard phone background throughout the year. 

It gives an interesting twist to a standard writing assignment. 

I made the background using Google Drawings. I saved them as a jpeg file and uploaded them as backgrounds in Google Slides. Then I inserted the call out boxes for the text. 

Tech For Parents

This year at Parent-Teacher Conferences we wanted to bring a little bit of our tech to our parents. As parents we have a lot of information about kids available to us now. One easy way to stay on top of your child's progress is through out STI gradebook program. Parents and students each get their own accounts. Once you log in, you can see the child's grades in each class, you can see what assignments are missing, what work was turned in late, and how many points assignments are worth. 

If you need a username and password stop by the school office and Mrs. Smith our school secretary will get you all set up. Here is a link to the STI InformationNOW Parent Portal Instruction Guide.  

We also have some ideas for parent help with our math series GO Math! In each lesson there is a QR code that will take you to a sample problem and walk parents through the steps of how to find a solution. It's a great tip for nights when you're not 100% sure what the problem means or how to go about solving it. Watch a presentation on it below.

Watch here

Look for the bar code in the lesson. Use your phone to scan the QR code and then follow the link.

Finally, we have a lot of great things going on with our Accelerated Reader program (affectionately called STAR reading here). You can always log in from home to check on how many books your child has read or how they did on a test or how many points they have earned.

Here's a screencast I created that shows you how to log in and what the page looks like.