Wow. First quarter has come and gone. As I have sat through many PLCs, GLMs, and impromptu after school conversations and reflected with my colleagues, I have come to the realization that although not everything has gone exactly how it played out in our minds, we have found success with some instructional tools that should not go unnoticed. As teachers, we overly reflect. We are perfectionists. It is our nature. We never want to take ownership of our successes, yet we are quick to point out our failures.
We all knew this year would present many learning opportunities as well as more problems to be solved. However, it must not stop us. The goal is to change the way students view school. This does not necessarily mean we have to uproot everything we have had success with in the past, but it does mean we should start taking baby steps into the right direction. Then one day, everything we plan in our minds, will play out exactly how we plan it.... kidding. It never will, but isn't that part of the fun of it?
So now it's time to reflect on the successes. Below is a list of some of the tools I found to be extremely helpful, beneficial, and fun for students as we start this shift in our instructional methods.
Socrative - I am a big fan of quick checks. Last year, my PLC partner and I wrote grants for SMART Response PE system. I am still a big fan of that response system for my 6th graders without iPads, but Socrative has proved to be a lifesaver, and excellent tool for my 7th graders with iPads. The app is super easy to use for both teachers and students. It also sends you an immediate report with student data to easily group students. I have used this as a daily warm-up, then I check the results right away and am able to build my groups right there. It also has a built-in exit ticket which I have not used yet, but I think it offers great value.
Schoology - Schoology is an excellent learning management system for teachers. Our team has really taken on a liking to using Schoology as a "one stop shop" for students. It offers many valuable functions, but my favorite is the ability to build assessments right into the program. I also am excited to work with the discussion boards, as I think that can be a valuable tool in the E/LA classroom (or any subject matter really!). My colleagues have delved even further into the capabilities of Schoology, and I am excited to see how this LMS can streamline school for middle school students traveling from class to class.
EduCreations - There are many apps similar to EduCreations such as "Explain Everything" and "Show Me". I have really only tried out EduCreations, but I know the others offer very similar options as EduCreations. Recently, my students were actively engaged in a choice board of ways to show their understanding of our first unit concepts. I found EduCreations really allowed students to show what they know by creating "lessons". With the ease of inputting pictures, voice recordings, and fun colors, students were able to put their own style into showing mastery of the standards. This is also a great app for teachers to record lessons if you are trying to "flip" your classroom, but I have not yet attempted the teacher use function of the app yet.
QR Codes - We used QR codes to direct students to instructions for their choice board activities. The QR codes linked to Google Drive documents where my PLC partner and I wrote up instructions. These help with the "paperless" movement, but they are more so an easy way for teachers not to feel they are constantly repeating instructions. There are many other tools for QR codes, but so far, this is the one way I have implemented them in the classroom. Super easy to create and interactive for students to get up and move. Even without iPads, many students have their own devices with cameras that they could bring to class.
Story Me - This iPad app engaged my students more than any other app I have introduced. I have 50 page comic strips re-writing stories from a different character's POV just by introducing the Story Me app. These same students would not have even written a page if I gave them a paper and pencil. The app allows for comic book photo effects and captions to write in content. It links to photos, so students would save images from the internet then add them into their comic strips.
We have experimented with other apps, programs, etc. These are the ones that have gone pretty smoothly. I am hoping to find success with Google Blogger next to create ePortfolios. As for now, we can't beat ourselves up if every single attempt at change does not bring about success. All we can do is celebrate what WORKS and keep trying at others. The one thing we cannot do is give up. I still truly believe education needs to start changing, and we cannot get comfortable when we throw out the occasional worksheet. With a little trial and error, and a lot of support, I still believe this is possible.
