I had a great time at the ITIP Google Summit this year... connecting with my PLN, acquiring some new skills, and presenting a couple of my favorite things.
Thank you to everyone who attended my session and checked out my Google SLAM! I've included my slideshows for you to view. Click on the "open slideshow in a new window" if you want to create your own copy. Use these as you wish! Share with others!
So what does Plinko have to do with Blended Learning?
Have you ever watched The Price is Right or any other game or talk show? All game shows and talk shows have recurring games that are periodically revisited. These are designed to create familiarity between the audience and the show, and is an efficient system for running things. When Drew Carey announces that the next game is Plinko, are you able to quickly envision what that looks like? When Jimmy Fallon announces that he will be writing Thank You Notes, do you know what to expect?
Creating objects in a blended course is a lot like that. Identify some rich collaborative activities that can be applied to many circumstances. Over the first month of school, Invest time to teach kids the norms of your games so it won't be necessary to explain them each time. After kids have learned them, they can engage independently without much teacher prompting. If your independent work time includes several options for kids around some familiar activities, they can have autonomy to direct their own learning path in selected rich activities.
Remember that blended means a mixture of online and offline. Be careful not to fall into the trap of too much screen time. Many of these Plinkos should be collaborative and engaging activities with multiple entry points and no ceiling. Use pop culture to help you generate some ideas.
Here are some examples:
3-2-1: Partner up and share 3 things you learned, 2 things you still have questions about, and 1 thing you are curious about.
See-Think-Wonder: Partners find a picture that releates to their learning. What do you see/observe? What do those observations make you think/believe(inferences)? What do you now wonder?
Analogy: Create an analogy for a new concept that utilizes a familiar example. Example - How are the organs in the digestive system like the parts of a car?
Shape Spelling: Create a picture from a vocabulary word where the picture illustrates the meaning.
Maker: Identify a question or problem that applies to what you're learning. Research and create a solution. Test it out - Does it solve the problem or communicate an answer to a question? Redesign if neccesary.
Play by Play: One student solves a problem or draws a picture while another records and narrates the play-by-play.
Word Sneak: Partners each generate a list of 10 vocabulary words from the unit, then sit "knee to knee." They have a casual conversation and try to sneak the words into the conversation. (See the example below)
Logo: Without using words, design a logo or create an illustration that conveys an idea. Share the logo/illustration with a partner and have the partner describe all the symbolism they can find. Then switch roles with your partner's drawing.
Comic Strip: Fold a piece of paper in half and half again to create 6 equal squares. Use the paper to draw out a process or event. Make use of background/setting, characters, and dialog.
Thank You Notes: Think Jimmy Fallon - Compose quick thank you notes that reveal truths or facts in a creative way.
Editorial Cartoon: Create a single scene with a speech bubble or two that illustrate a concept or event.
Headline or Hashtag: If you were to summarize this concept in a newpaper headline, what would it be? Be clear, succinct, creative, and select power words. Creating a hashtag is a similar idea, but utilizing words strung together. #sharinglearningwithpopculture
Slogan or Jingle: Sell a new idea by writing a catchy slogan, or changing the words to a well-known jingle.
Top Ten List: Title the top ten list to indicate the content, then list the top ten items that support that topic.
The beauty of investing time at the beginning of the year to develop your Plinkos is that these same activity choices can be included again and again. Within different context, the norms don't change, but the thinking does.
Does your unit of study include some vocabulary? How about using Word Sneak?
I'm in love. I attended Google Boot Camp this past summer, and one of the tools I learned about was Google Tourbuilder. This tool allows you to create a tour that includes...
Feature locations on a map in a specified order
Specify view, even lock in a peg man view of a 360° photo
Add rich text - including links
Include a photo/video album along with descriptions - up to 25 items
It's hard to describe in words what this tool can do, so I created a Google Tour Builder tour with all of the bells and whistles so that you could wrap your head around what it can do. As you travel virtually with me, it may also convince you to book a Land & Sea tour of Alaska! My dad and I took the Denali Explorer Cruisetour to celebrate our 50th/80th birthdays!
This video will walk you through the features that I've included in my tour.
Application of Google Tour Builder in the classroom
As a Technology Integration Specialist, I never want to do anything just because it's cool. I want to think about ways where tech tools can be integrated to engage students and impact learning. This tool has many applications.
I want to start with a disclaimer and a feature request. Google Tour Builder allows for only one author. Unlike other Google tools, students cannot collaborate to create a Google Tour Builder project. That being said, there are work-arounds! Students can work together using a shared Google folder to collect pictures and a shared Google Doc to collaborate on text, links, and map locations. After collecting all of the components, one person in the group assembles everything in the group's tour.
Social Studies
Trace the path of a historical events - battles in a war, etc.
Trace the path of exploration
Identify points of cultural significance
Feature the 7 man-made wonders of the world
Create a virtual 8th Grade Washington DC trip and make use of the students' journal entries and photos
Science
Identify points on a map that illustrate Earth movement
Identify points on a map that specify biomes
Identify points on a map that demonstrate climate change
Feature National Parks
Feature the 7 natural wonders of the world
Create a virtual 6th Grade Camp trip and make use of the students' reflections and photos
English Language Arts
Identify points in a city that correspond to a book (lit tour)
Other Ideas
Virtual 8th Grade Washington DC Trip
Virtual tour of School
Tutorial
View the video below for a step-by-step walk through of the Google Tour Builder tool.
Credits
Thank you to @ericcurts for sharing Google Tour Builder with me! This was one of my favorite take-aways from my summer Google Boot Camp!
My school district utilizes Schoology as our Learning Management System. This is the first year of implementation, so we are still learning the navigation and productivity aspect of the LMS itself. Some teachers have mastered these foundational skills and are ready to use Schoology as a transformative tool!
Workshop Model
Warm Up Begin the class with a warm-up activity (not necessarily related to the topic) Mini Lesson The Mini-lesson supports one or more of the learning targets, especially those concepts that item analysis in the Check Your Understanding formative assessment indicated were troublesome to many. Individual Work Time After 10-15 minutes, students are released to work through the Schoology learning pathways. Teacher uses the individual work time to:
Circulate around the room during the student work time in the Learning Objects folder
Touch base with individual students who are having trouble with the Checking Your Understanding test/quiz.
Monitor students who have reached the Lab Activity (safety).
Be available for student groups of 3 as they reach the Discussion item.
Reflection and Sharing Don't forget to take 5-10 minutes at the end of the period to wrap up. Reflection and sharing are important parts of workshop!
Reflect on your thinking, learning, and work today. What are you most proud of?
What caused you frustration, and how do you plan to work through that frustration?
What made you curious today? What did you wonder?
What are your goals for tomorrow?
Were you a help to the classroom today, or did you hinder your classmates’ growth? How can you remedy that for tomorrow?
----------------- Schoology Learning Pathway - Law of Conservation of Mass Sample Here is a screenshot of the Model folder I created. The description of these features follows...
Use Student Completion rules on folders in Schoology to create a variety of learning paths that students can traverse at their own pace. Learning Targets (page)
This is open to all students when they open the folder main folder.
Specifies what students should know and be able to do.
View this item, and the Learning Objects folder and Check Your Understanding become available.
Students do not need to complete all of these learning objects - Students choose how they learn and how many learning objects it takes for them to feel comfortable with the learning targets.
When students feel they have a good understanding of the learning targets, they can attempt the Test.
Check Your Understanding (test/quiz item)
Test/Quiz acts as a gatekeeper - moves students from learning area to the application area of the folder
Short - 5 questions or less designed to check mastery
Non-graded
Unlimited attempts
Although students may take the same test multiple times, the answers they choose give multi-media feedback based on the responses given. It is in the feedback that students will experience variety in the assessment.
If a student gets less than 100%, they should return to the Learning Objects folder and view another item to help them understand and practice what they missed.
If a student gets 100%, the next items (the application items) become available.
Teacher uses test/quiz results to identify students who are struggling. Teacher touches base with students during individual work time.
Item analysis also identifies items are troublesome for the group. These concepts can be addressed to the group as a whole during the next day’s mini lesson.
Students create a learning object for other students
Product should be focused on one or a few learning targets
Students may select any type of product - If it’s paper/pencil, they use a camera to submit a picture or video with explanation.
Badge is earned once a DLO is submitted!
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Putting it All Together
Please take a look at this video. It will walk you through the model I put together. Keep in mind that this framework and thinking can be applied across any level, subject, or LMS. How would this work in your classroom?
I had a great time at the ITIP Google Summit this year... connecting with my PLN, acquiring some new skills, and presenting a couple of my favorite things.
