#July2014Challenge: Tech Thursday and Community Building

There are plenty of ways to collect data about student interests that do not require technology, but most of them involve lots of little slips of paper, which I personally don't deal well with.  For this Tech Thursday I wanted to write about using Google Forms to collect data as you build community in your classroom.

One of the most important parts of a positive classroom culture is safety.  Students need to feel safe to participate, to fail, to ask questions, etc..  One of the first surveys I send out to students each year asks students who they can work well with and where they prefer to sit.  Getting student feedback on these two items can help alleviate some of the anxiety caused by all of the changes a new school year can bring. This is also a good time to ask about vision and hearing impairment.  While most students will let you know if they need to sit near the front, there will always be a few that are too shy to speak up.  I let students know that all seating arrangements are tentative, and that changes will be made if needed to support the learning of each individual and the class as a whole.

The screenshot below is from a Google form that I have sent out to students in the past.  There are plenty of programs that make surveys, but I prefer Google forms because the results live in my Google Drive so it is easy to refer back to later in the year.

Setting up group norms is also key in successful groupwork.  I like to brainstorm class norms for groupwork with each class, and use these lists as a starting point to agree on a final list for all of my classes.  I start with a prompt such as, "What do you think are the three most important rules for working in groups?" .  Give students a few minutes to make their own list, then narrow down the list in pairs or groups, then share out with the class (Think-write-pair-share).  We pick four or five for the class, and then after doing this with all 5 classes I will pick 5 common ones to post.  I will also add in important norms that students may have overlooked, but generally high school students do a good job of generating them through this process.  Google forms is also great for collecting input during a brainstorming process, though I haven't specifically used it during the group and classroom norms process.

After we start working in groups I will send out surveys to help students self assess how well they are working in the group, and whether or not there are any issues with the group.  Getting feedback on group set-up and progress helps students feel safe, and gives them a voice.

Another use of surveys for community building is a quick beginning of class icebreaker (favorite movie, favorite breakfast food, favorite song, etc.).  Icebreakers can be done without technology of course, but if you have access to technology for each student then it is a quick process, and a great way to help students get to know each other.  If you are not familiar with Google forms, there are online tutorials and videos to get you started.  Socrative is a another program that works well for this type of activity, and definitely worth checking into.

What types of activities/supports do you implement during the first week of school to help build community in your classroom?  Please share!

#July2014 Challenge: 5 Things

5 Things I can't live without in my classroom

Seating Charts

In 2014, this method feels pretty low tech, but it soooo works for me.  I made these seating charts in excel about 10 years ago, and I use them every year.  I make copies for the entire semester at the beginning, staple them together, and take a new packet out each Monday.  I can record attendance, classwork, and homework scores in the same place, and there is space in the margins to write notes about late work.  

Computer paper in different colors  
I haven’t tried interactive notebooks yet, but we make foldables in my class at least once per chapter.   Sometimes we will make a sophisticated foldable such as a flipbook, and other times we’ll just fold the paper into fourths or eighths and put a problem in each box.  Students like foldables for warmups because they can easily find the paper at the beginning of each day, and if you spiral the problems from the chapter it can help students study.

Flipbook Envelopes 
Not sure where I got this idea from, but I have used these envelopes for many tasks.  I keep a set of index cards in one of these with group progress grades to place on tables during group work (though I’m seriously considering changing to red-yellow-green cards after reading several posts this month).  Another is for name cards organized by period so I can randomly call on students.  A third is for sets of problems to use during groupwork activities.  

To make a flipbook envelope you first make a flipbook. Take several sheets of paper, and align as shown in the picture below.

Fold all the sheets over so that your papers look like the picture below.  If you want a flipbook you put three staples across the top.

If you want a flipbook envelop (mini-filer) rotate 180 degrees and staple along the sides.  

My smartphone  
This device replaces many of my must have tools from a decade ago.  I use the timer, the camera, name picking apps, just to name a few.  I even made a Google form to use as a to do list, and I put the icon on the front page of my cell phone.  The results of the Google form are recorded in a spreadsheet, which makes it easy to edit and prioritize at a later point in time. I can also open the spreadsheet from any computer or device, making it easy to keep up with all of the little items

Geogebra 
Need I say more?  I use this as a demonstration tool, and also to make lots and lots of diagrams for worksheets and class activities.  Having access to quick visuals really gets the students talking, and helps me to check for understanding.  One of my favorite discoveries was that you can take the tick marks and numbers off of the axes.  I’ll do this and graph several functions of the same type, such as parabolas.  Then I’ll write the equations for the functions on the whiteboard and ask students to match equations to graphs.  Without numbers on the axes the conversations tend to be richer, and we can generalize by naming other functions that could potentially represent those on the graph.

Definitely looking forward to reading more of these 5 things we can't live without posts, AND taking more notes on my reading so that I don't forget.

Building Community in the Math Class

It's hard to believe that summer is already half way over.  That means 4 weeks until I return for inservice days, during which I will be both a participant and a leader.  This realization (along with an 8 hour drive from Southern CA to Northern CA) has got me thinking about those first days of school.  I always look forward to the community building and the get to know you activities during the first week of school.  Now that I avidly read blogs, I also look forward to learning some new ideas for the first days of school.  And I thought I would share one of my own.

Week 1 Homework Choiceboard

I don't remember where I got this idea, but it has been a success over the years.  Each year I make some changes, with the goal being to learn as much as possible about my students.  The choice board linked above is from 2011 (more recent versions are on school server).  Initially I asked each student to turn in one or more assignments, but I found that I couldn't go through all of the submissions in a reasonable amount of time.  I also used to offer a choice for students to turn in a burned CD with favorite songs, but then I found myself with 30 CD's to listen to.  So now I ask for one or two assignments from each student, and I allow them to turn in products that have been created for other classes as well.

Below is a quick summary of choices that have been helpful, and those that I would change.

1 page letter:  This choice continues to be a great get-to-know-you option.  I learn so many valuable things about students through a letter.  A letter can tell me what a student values (family, religion, sports, activity), as well as how they feel about school and how they prefer to learn.  A letter is also a popular option amongst students that have special needs.

Sumopaint:  Free online paint software with some fun tools (try the symmetry tool).  This option lets me know who my artists are, and I end up with wall decor!

Biopoem. Powerpoint, Movie, and Collage:  Great options that let me learn about student interests and values.  Students have often done these assignments for other classes, and so they can turn in the same one without having the recreate the wheel, which is definitely appreciated.  These also look great on the walls.

List of 5 favorite songs:  As I mentioned before, don't ask for a burned CD because you will get 30 of them.  A list of favorite songs lets you know who your music fans are, and then you also get to learn who has the best taste in music (classic rock of course!).  As a person that has been out of high school for 10+ years, I also appreciate the update in mainsteam music.

Online bookmarks and smartphone apps:  I will definitely update this option.  In 2011 I was finishing up a 2 week tech training and I was curious to know how many of my students were already using online bookmarks like Diigo.  I didn't learn much from this option.  A top ten apps list also didn't help me learn about students as much as I would like (too general).  If I were to rewrite the choice board for this year I might include an option about favorite TV, movies, or games.  I would also include an option for students to tell me about their favorite community service or leadership activities.  I am always so impressed by student resumes when I write letters of recommendation, and I can't believe that I didn't know how involved in the community some students were prior to me writing the letter.

So why is this type of activity helpful in building classroom community? Mostly it is helpful because it sends a message to students that you care about their interests.  You learn more about them, and so the beginning and end of class interactions are more genuine and interesting.  The more students feel connected to the teacher and the class, the more likely they are to be engaged in learning activities. It also is a big help later on in the year when a student is struggling.  Pull out those assignments and learn more about that student.  Sit the student in the front of the class so you can spend a minute or so each day talking to the student. This can be a great first step in getting a student back on track.

What will you do during the first week of school to build community in your class?  Please share!