Class Parrot

Over the summer, I subscribed to a service that would allow me to keep parents up to date via text messaging. To my dismay, I learned that many of my parents were not receiving the benefits of the text messages based on the type of mobile carrier.  While I am glad that the service provided many benefits, I knew that I didn't want parents to miss out on obtaining information relative to my physical science class.

Now, there is a reason why I love Twitter! After creating my own PLN (personal learning network), I have come across many great resources to support educational technology in my own classroom.  On two different occasions, I received tweets to check out Class Parrot.  I added the tweet to my favorites in case it would come in handy.  Well guess what? It recently did.

Class Parrot is a web service (currently in beta) that provides teachers with 500 credits at start-up (and 200 more every 30 days) to send messages to parents and students.  In addition to sending messages, you can create polls, check your history, review your members list, and adjust your preferences.  Class Parrot also allows teachers to set up more than one class in the event that different information must be conveyed to different groups/subjects.  I love options!  Another great feature of Class Parrot is the ability to provide two-way communication between teachers and students or parents.

How am I using Class Parrot in my science class?
1. Remind parents/students of upcoming due dates, team/school events, and more.
2. Send out trivia questions for drawings.

I am quite excited about the potential of this new resource in my classroom.  How will you use Class Parrot?


Continuing my journey...

Oh Don't Forget!

Towards the end of the last school year, I happened to come across a really neat website that I thought would be quite useful for my students.  If you haven't heard of Oh Don't Forget before, then let me introduce you to a wonderful tool.  Like the website states, it allows you to create scheduled text messages that are FREE to remind you of things you can't afford to forget.  I can recall the number of times I would cringe to the phrase, "I forgot that it was due today." After testing the simple-to-use website a few times, I realized the educational technological benefit this resource could play in my classroom.  Now, I am sharing it will fellow teachers to share with their students. 

Here's what you do:
1. Type in your phone number. (Don't worry it won't store your infomration.)
2. Type in the date and time that you'd like the reminder. (Caution: The reminder text has to be set for more than an hour into the future!)
3. Type the reminder message. This is what you will see when your phone alerts you.
4. Click create and you're done!


This would be a great tool to share with students and parents!

Music in the Classroom...Thanks RCA!

Somehow the sound of music has been absent in my classroom since I left the high school arena.  As I think back, I am not really sure why that was one component I didn't keep in my middle school classroom.  However, I found a renewed interest after visiting the Ron Clark Academy two weeks ago.  I saw the power of music in more than one content area and the impact it played on student learning and school culture.  I became excited that I decided to get straight to work that same night on finding ways to incorporate music once again.

Prior to teaching in middle school, I used songs like "Mission Impossible" and the Jeopardy Theme song to increase a sense of urgency in completing missions or time to answer game questions.  Was it because I transitioned from teaching high school social studies to middle school science why I couldn't figure out how to make it work? I am not really sure, but not being sure isn't a good enough reason to continue to ignore the benefits of music in the classroom.

In about another week, my eighth graders will embark on the Energy Unit. So I pulled the main concept, conducted an internet search, and found some really great music resources.  However, while the lyrics would do the job, I knew my students wouldn't get into the elementary tunes.  So what did I do? I did like the folks at RCA and found a song that was on the radio (which is hard if you don't listen to the same music as your students) that students liked (thanks to my daughter).  I realized the song was a bit longer than the lyrics I found online so I had to get creative and come up with a new verse and a bridge.

Now it was time to build interest among the students on the team.  I got the buzz going around that we were going to do something cool and that Ms. Prince was going to share a rap with the team on Energy.  I had students who jumped at the opportunity to help me put it together and even wanted to put a few moves to it.  While I don't have the flexibility to take my students and do some of the great things I witnessed at the RCA, I am hoping that our music debut will open up some doors for us and show the potential of music to our administration and school community.

I hope to revisit this topic in a few weeks to share the impact music played in my classroom learning environment.

Until then, keep a song in your heart (and your classroom)!

Keeping on my journey...

Video Assessment Probes

Over the weekend, I came across the YouTube Channel for MAXclassroom, and saw a wonderful way to integrate technology for students in a math class. Immediately I thought that this was something that I could replicate in my science classroom. I am always looking for ways to assess how much my students are learning, and when you are able to combine technology and assessment great things happen! After trial and error, I finally have the final product (see below).

Now how was I able to do this? 1. I chose a video from SchoolTube, but Vimeo, TeacherTube, YouTube, or wherever you can get an embed code will work. 2. I created the assessment through the Forms feature of Google Docs. 3. After saving the form, I opened the spreadsheet, click the form and embed form in webpage options. 4. To have the video and text side by side, use the following code
<table><tr><td>PASTE TEXT HERE</td><td>PASTE VIDEO CODE HERE</td></tr></table>


BUT to have the video and text in a vertical position, just place the codes in the posting window in the order that you want each to appear. Please keep in mind that minor adjustments may need to be made to the width and height depending of your class website or blog. I would love to hear how YOU could use a tool like this in your classroom! Continuing my journey...

A Quality Work Wall

I have been back in the classroom for the last six weeks and it is great to know that I am still fired up about my students' daily experiences. This year I have tried a few new twists to each lesson. If you walked into my room, you would find all the characteristics of a standards-based classroom. However, just making sure that my class has all these characteristics isn't enough. It is one thing for me to understand what a standards-based classroom is, but what about my students. Shouldn't we expect our kids to know what it is too? Too often we throw out new buzz words and never really consider keeping our kids in the loop. I mean, do your students really know what the NCLB Act means for them? After spending the last couple of days grading assignments from Choice Boards and Learning Contracts, one thing was definitely consistent. I made a mistake! I assumed that my clearly written directions would provide students with what they needed to know in terms of presenting a final piece that was filled with effort and high quality. I was wrong. My expectations were not clear for them. Of course, I can sit here and say that they should know what quality work is because they had to turn in writing assignments, artwork, and other products in other classes before. However, something that might have been acceptable for 7th grade may not be considered acceptable in 8th grade in terms of quality. My students could have just thought that since work was turned in one way in another class, it would be acceptable in mine. While this could lead into a new blog on teachers' perspectives on quality work, I will leave that for another day. In my reflection over my students' work this week, I have decided that I want to go beyond just showing one student exemplar for a specific task. Instead, I would like to create a QUALITY WORK WALL that show student samples of various types of activities that are done throughout the year in my science class. Students really need to see what it takes to submit different kinds of assignments, but assignments with the same level of effort and quality. Now, just posting work on the board will not do, nor will posting work with direct feedback be as effective. I want to take things a bit further. I envision a Quality Work Wall that is comprised of quality work that meets/exceed standards, has specific feedback, AND incorporates annotations filled with specific characteristics that must be obvious in student work. I think this will help set the tone for what I expect to see in student work. How will this go over? My hopes is to implement this as soon as we return to school next week and document the changes that I notice in quality and effort down the road. What about you? Are your students clear on your expectations for your class assignments? Do they understand what quality and effort mean for you and what it should mean to them? I encourage you to reassess your student exemplar wall or create one if your room is lacking in one today. ...the journey of a science teacher

Linking Things with ThingLink

Well it has been awhile since my last post, but I am back with a new tool that has great potential in any classroom.  If you haven't heard of ThingLink before that be prepared to read about what is has to offer your class!  Initially, when I started sharing photos with my parents I would upload pictures and then write a huge blurb to go along with each one.  With ThingLink all I need to do is upload a picture file and click anywhere on the picture to add text, links, audio, or video.  In a science classroom, it is always helpful for parents to see what their kids are not just learning, but experiencing in class. @AuntyTech brought ThingLink to my attention and has even created a blog post on how ThingLink can be used in schools. For additional ideas, try this link.

Here an example of how I am using ThingLink


Application in Science
1. Lab Photos - If students miss a lab they can use photos to follow steps .
2. Voicethread? - Well, it might require a few extra steps to be like the real thing, but students could create mini-podcasts and attach these podcasts to a matching picture on a concept.

Is Student Motivation in a Science Classroom Possible?

With each year, I have to really think about how to grabbed student attention and increase motivation levels.  In elementary schools, you have bear or color systems that seem to keep the little ones in line and task completion possible.  Once you enter the world of middle school somehow motivation really changes.  You really can't get your students to enjoy science without finding reasons that make science relevant to them.  I find that as one way to help increase motivation in class, but once we increase motivation how do we sustain it all year long.  Maybe it's time for teachers to share ideas of what works in the science classroom.  So I am going to put down the books and the research articles for now and starting asking my fellow science teachers about what works.