Teach One-2-One http://www.teachone2one.com Every student has a computer, now what? Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:31:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Classroom Banking System http://www.teachone2one.com/one-to-one-computing/classroom-banking-system/ http://www.teachone2one.com/one-to-one-computing/classroom-banking-system/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:05:30 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=95 I have started a new system in my class that will run as an experiment for the rest of this semester and if it works I will use it for the next semester.  I feel that my students need a paradigm shift from the typical point system.  I must assign grades in my class with a number value. . . . → Read More: Classroom Banking System]]> I have started a new system in my class that will run as an experiment for the rest of this semester and if it works I will use it for the next semester.  I feel that my students need a paradigm shift from the typical point system.  I must assign grades in my class with a number value.  I am mostly rubric driven in that point scale.  Most of my students never question a 10 out of 20.  They just accept it and move on.  They don’t read the rubric to see how they can improve because getting a 70 in the class is fine with them.

Enter paradigm shift.  I have substituted the word points for the word dollars.  Instead of a 25 point assignment I tell them that the assignment is worth $25.  I will “pay” them full price for perfect work.  I will withhold payment for incomplete work and will not pay for late work.  I will not pay full price for work that is not perfect.

This is simply a mind game that actually works.  The students are actually excited to get their “money”.  They question why they were not paid full price or why they received $0.  I may have found my student’s currency!

Enter my paradigm shift.  I actually pay more attention to the quality of my students work if I think they are being paid.  It’s kind of like the plumber coming and almost fixing my problem.  I don’t want to pay for crap work and if I am going to pay for work to be done, I want it done right.

So what do my students get with their money?  This is where I need suggestions.  Each point/dollar that my students receive is like money in the bank.  They can use that money to buy things from the “class store”.  I am in the process of stocking the shelves.  My students have suggested homework passes, points on exams, chewing gum in class, etc…  All of the items in the class store would have a point value and I would keep track of purchases.

I need some feedback on this idea.  Is this a good idea?  Is this a bad idea?  Is this a really bad idea?  What should I sell?  How much should I charge for items?  Creativity is crucial…

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/one-to-one-computing/classroom-banking-system/feed/ 1 Student Opinion Surveys http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/student-opinion-surveys/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/student-opinion-surveys/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:08:16 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=75 My school started student opinion surveys a few years ago and I must say the feedback has been incredibly helpful.  The surveys help you adjust your instruction to meet the needs and desires of your students.  My school only conducts them at the end of each semester but I have taken it upon myself to conduct . . . → Read More: Student Opinion Surveys]]> My school started student opinion surveys a few years ago and I must say the feedback has been incredibly helpful.  The surveys help you adjust your instruction to meet the needs and desires of your students.  My school only conducts them at the end of each semester but I have taken it upon myself to conduct my own survey using a Google Form.  Currently I conduct the survey on a quarterly basis.  In the future I would like to incorporate more student opinion in the direction of my courses.  Here are some recommendations for conducting your own student surveys:

-Do not use questions with a 1-10 scale.  I always hated filling those out and I think the results are questionable.

-Multiple choice questions should have an ALWAYS – SOMETIMES – NEVER type option.

-Most of the questions should be open ended.  This is where you will get the best results.

-The survey should be anonymous.

-Review the results with your students to show them that you really did read them.

-Announce your action plan to the whole class to address the concerns that came up with more frequency.

This is my real-life example.  More than a few students said that my tests were too difficult and that they did not feel well prepared for them.  I teach freshmen in high school so I immediately assumed that it was their fault for not knowing how to study.  I blamed their middle schools for playing games and using coloring pages to teach.  Then I decided to look at myself.  I realized that I did very little preparation for the tests.  I didn’t provide a study sheet or really anything.  I decided to adjust.  I didn’t make my test easier I simply worked on better preparing my students for the assessment.  I also made it a goal to create a study forum on my course website where students would be able to post questions and I could answer them for all to see.  This virtually eliminated the lack of preparation critique.

I highly recommend that you conduct student surveys.  The information that you gather is priceless.

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/student-opinion-surveys/feed/ 1 Facebook Templates for Education http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/facebook-templatefor-education/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/facebook-templatefor-education/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:37:18 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=51 This assignment has been beaten into the ground but it’s still pretty cool.  There are a lot of blank Facebook templates out there but I have found many of them lacking.  So, I started designing my own (I hope I don’t get sued).    This is a great assignment for students because they can relate to . . . → Read More: Facebook Templates for Education]]> This assignment has been beaten into the ground but it’s still pretty cool.  There are a lot of blank Facebook templates out there but I have found many of them lacking.  So, I started designing my own (I hope I don’t get sued).    This is a great assignment for students because they can relate to it and it gets you what you want.

If you want your students to really get into a character in history or in a novel, what better way than to have them create a Facebook profile/wall for that character.   I have used the ReadWriteThink.org Profile Publisher and that can get you to where you want to go as well.  However, in my opinion,  it’s missing that Facebook look that the students can really identify with.  A fellow social studies teacher at my school actually purchased several of the Farcebook.us posters and a packet of the blank ones for his students to fill out on historical characters.  Again, I found the templates to include a lot of unnecessary information that seemed more filler than content.

So, I designed my own template that has a very Facebook-like look and feel and only includes the basics.  It has a status update, place for a picture, five wall posts with five spots for a reply, information, friends, likes, and room for students to create ads.

Here are the links to the templates:

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT:

We are studying the Constitutional Convention of 1787.  Each student was assigned a state and they had to select one of the delegates from that state and complete the profile.  In a one-2-one environment the students print the document to OneNote and simply add the information, pictures, etc.  In a non-one-2-one environment you could have them hand write the profile.

This could easily be used in any class including Math (with some extra creativity).

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/facebook-templatefor-education/feed/ 34 My First Semester Textbookless http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/my-first-semester-textbookless/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/my-first-semester-textbookless/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:26:37 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=46 Well, my final exam was yesterday.  I didn’t kill multiple choice as much as I would have liked but next semester is always another opportunity.  This test was the conclusion of my first semester with no textbook.  I must say, I didn’t miss it that much.  It made me work a lot harder but that was . . . → Read More: My First Semester Textbookless]]> Well, my final exam was yesterday.  I didn’t kill multiple choice as much as I would have liked but next semester is always another opportunity.  This test was the conclusion of my first semester with no textbook.  I must say, I didn’t miss it that much.  It made me work a lot harder but that was the best part about it.  I found new sites and sources that I didn’t know existed.  We used games and interactive sites to teach the exact same material.  My students read Pericles’ last speech and all of Hammurabi’s Code for FREE!  They didn’t have to shell out $100+ dollars for the newest edition.  Textbooks are stagnant.  They stay still.  How 21st century is that?  Breaking free of the textbook mindset is a process.  I still find myself relying on my “textbook” PowerPoints too much but eventually I will break those chains as well.  Now that I think about it, teaching history from a textbook is simply unnecessary.  The cost cannot be justified in my mind.  At least not for a history course.

So, how did I do it.  I relied heavily on my teaching colleague @TeachPaperless.  When you  do not have a textbook you need to find an alternative.  Wikipedia was my friend.  Fordham University’s primary source database was priceless, and BBC Ancient History site was amazing.  Between those three sources and a few others, I had more than enough information to replace the textbook.  My list will continue to grow as will the price of textbooks and their irrelevance.

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/my-first-semester-textbookless/feed/ 0 The Death of Multiple Choice http://www.teachone2one.com/assessment/the-death-of-multiple-choice/ http://www.teachone2one.com/assessment/the-death-of-multiple-choice/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:08:28 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=38 I am very close to killing multiple choice on my final exam.  It makes me nervous though.  I currently teach 77 students and getting 10 written answers from each is a bit overwhelming.  The only reason I would not give an all written final exam is to ease my pain and suffering (and maybe a little . . . → Read More: The Death of Multiple Choice]]> I am very close to killing multiple choice on my final exam.  It makes me nervous though.  I currently teach 77 students and getting 10 written answers from each is a bit overwhelming.  The only reason I would not give an all written final exam is to ease my pain and suffering (and maybe a little of my students).  The reality is, multiple choice questions reward memorization and not much else.  It is simply rote memorization.  Is an ‘A’ student the student that can memorize the most?  I think I am reconsidering the definition of an ‘A’ student.  There is a world of difference betweeen -

X – What happened at the Battle of Tours?

and

Y – How would the world be different if the Muslims were victorious at the Battle of Tours?

The typical ‘A’ student that can memorize can answer question X but might struggle with question Y because it is asking for facts and application.

My main concern is not necessarily the difficulty but the grading.  I have given written exams before but not to this scale.  I picture myself just scanning them by the 300th essay.  I think that is just as bad as low-level-recall multiple choice questions.  That is not real assessment either.

So, I don’t have the answer to my dilemma.  I want real assessment and I want to keep my sanity.

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/assessment/the-death-of-multiple-choice/feed/ 0 Ignite Speech in the Classroom http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/ignite-speech-in-the-classroom/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/ignite-speech-in-the-classroom/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:21:32 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=30 Enlighten us but make it quick.  That’s the moto of Ignite Speeches. http://igniteshow.com/ I have been seriously impressed with this format of giving a speech.  20 slides, 15 seconds each, 5 minutes long.  My students were given this option for their end of the year research project.  Many have taken the challenge.

How to Give . . . → Read More: Ignite Speech in the Classroom]]> Enlighten us but make it quick.  That’s the moto of Ignite Speeches. http://igniteshow.com/ I have been seriously impressed with this format of giving a speech.  20 slides, 15 seconds each, 5 minutes long.  My students were given this option for their end of the year research project.  Many have taken the challenge.

How to Give an Ignite Speech

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRa1IPkBFbg

Sample Ignite Speech

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6536UbT_QA

I created an Ignite template with the 20 slides that automatically change every 15 seconds.  The students just have to know their material well enough and time it correctly to go with the pictures that are showing.

The students are forced to become experts.  I do allow them to have a note card or two but they are not allowed to simply read to me.

After this first attempt I will write on ways to improve it and how to assess it.

I’m excited.

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/ignite-speech-in-the-classroom/feed/ 1 The Power of Fun http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/the-power-of-fun/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/the-power-of-fun/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 16:52:00 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=10 My class erupted this week. We are learning about the Medieval times and we took a break from content and focused on one particular siege weapon, the trebuchet. The class was broken down into 5 groups of 3-4 students with one assignment, build a trebuchet. We watched a short documentary by NOVA in . . . → Read More: The Power of Fun]]> My class erupted this week. We are learning about the Medieval times and we took a break from content and focused on one particular siege weapon, the trebuchet. The class was broken down into 5 groups of 3-4 students with one assignment, build a trebuchet. We watched a short documentary by NOVA in class yesterday and today it was go time. I spent about $40 on materials yesterday at the dollar store and Home Depot. For two days the students are in a fierce competition to design and create a trebuchet that can throw the farthest with the best accuracy.

I absolutely love this project and so do my students (or at least 95% of them). We are one week away from finals week and I cannot think of a better time to ramp up the fun.
Projects like this make me ponder the power of fun. Everyone is engaged, everyone is participating, and everyone is learning. It’s a $40 well spent (I still hope my department chair reimburses me).
]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teaching-with-technology/the-power-of-fun/feed/ 0 The Power of Tutorials http://www.teachone2one.com/tutorials/the-power-of-tutorials/ http://www.teachone2one.com/tutorials/the-power-of-tutorials/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:46:00 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=7 Creating tutorials is starting to revolutionize the way I instruct my class. Teaching in a one-2-one environment allows for a lot of tech instruction. At the beginning of the year we go through the process in making french fries at McDonald’s. Inevitably they forget to list all the steps and end up forgetting . . . → Read More: The Power of Tutorials]]> Creating tutorials is starting to revolutionize the way I instruct my class. Teaching in a one-2-one environment allows for a lot of tech instruction. At the beginning of the year we go through the process in making french fries at McDonald’s. Inevitably they forget to list all the steps and end up forgetting to take the french fries out of the plastic or they forget to start the timer. I call that “burning the fries”. The point of the exercise is to drive home the fact that even a simple process like making french fries demands the workers follow a specific series of steps. It becomes a small joke when a student mess up a series of steps and cannot complete a task. I accuse them of “burning the fries”. Then as a any teacher would, I gently walk the little angels through the steps again and again if needed.

Recently I have decided to create tutorials of the step by step instructions. This cuts down on the amount of class time needed to set up accounts or learn new programs. Since I am constantly reinventing projects using different programs, websites, etc… I am also constantly teaching and re-teaching the new methods. In the new system I make a quick tutorial and the students or fellow colleagues can access it at any time as many times as they need. It’s exactly the same instructions that I would give them if they raised their hand and asked for help. Now I say, “watch the tutorial and if you still don’t understand, watch it again.”

The program that I can recommend is CamStudio. It is an open source program that can be found at www.camstudio.org.

Here’s a sample: (APOLOGY IN ADVANCE FOR LACK OF RADIO VOICE)

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/tutorials/the-power-of-tutorials/feed/ 0 Classroom Instruction in One-2-One http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/classroom-instruction-in-one-2-one/ http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/classroom-instruction-in-one-2-one/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:46:00 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=6 Early on in my one-2-0ne teaching days I was excited about my students typing their notes and adding maps and writing and coloring on those maps and printing news articles and highlighting on those articles and…and…and. Most of my instruction was lecture based with a short activity at the end of class. I would . . . → Read More: Classroom Instruction in One-2-One]]> Early on in my one-2-0ne teaching days I was excited about my students typing their notes and adding maps and writing and coloring on those maps and printing news articles and highlighting on those articles and…and…and. Most of my instruction was lecture based with a short activity at the end of class. I would pride myself on being an activity based teacher but that was not the reality. I would lecture for 30 minutes and then the students would surf the internet for 20 minutes (hopefully where I told them to go) and I just assumed this was the best way to get the information into my student’s brains. After a year or two of this I decided to change. I view that time of one-2-one teaching as my 1.0 days.

I like to think that I have evolved since that time. I am still fighting my natural inclination to stand and spout. Some of our subjects lend themselves more to the lecture format (I teach Human Geography, Western Civ., and AP Government) which constantly provoke us to stand there and talk at our students. This cannot be the main form of instruction in the one-2-one. Lecture has its place at times but it must be complimented on a regular basis with an interactive activity.

As I get closer to becoming the 2.0 version that I wish to be I am constantly trying to find ways to engage my students without lecturing. The article linked below has been helpful in getting me to think beyond the lecture.

https://edocs.uis.edu/boakl1/www/FiftyAlternativesToLecture.html

]]> http://www.teachone2one.com/teach-one-2-one/classroom-instruction-in-one-2-one/feed/ 0 Open Source vs. Proprietary Software http://www.teachone2one.com/open-source/open-source-vs-proprietary-software/ http://www.teachone2one.com/open-source/open-source-vs-proprietary-software/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000 Brian http://www.teachone2one.com/?p=5 I don’t know many people who prefer to pay for things when they can get the same or better absolutely free. Microsoft has done an amazing job at making sure their software is distributed on almost every single computer that is made on the planet (even macs these days). When I tell people that . . . → Read More: Open Source vs. Proprietary Software]]> I don’t know many people who prefer to pay for things when they can get the same or better absolutely free. Microsoft has done an amazing job at making sure their software is distributed on almost every single computer that is made on the planet (even macs these days). When I tell people that I am using Ubuntu exclusively in my class they usually have no idea what I am talking about. When I use Moodle instead of Sharepoint I get an interesting reaction. When I use Firefox or some free website to facilitate discussion in my class, I am greeted with curiosity. Most do not even know how to think outside of the proprietary world. So why do I use mostly open source? Nine times out of ten, open source works better or simply good enough when compared to proprietary software. I cannot justify paying for something that only works slightly better or looks better.

When evaluating open source software I apply a two part test.

Part 1 = Functionality.

The functionality of the proprietary software must be better. Much better to justify some of the prices. A tie (or even a close call) in functionality goes to open source because it’s free.

Part 2 = Cost. The functionality of the software must justify the cost. One example of this can be found in the Adobe products. While GIMP is good, Photoshop is great. I would pay for the Adobe Creative Suite over the open source options available.

Here is a must read if you have not already, The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy — and Their Open Source Alternatives.

More and more schools are starting to throw off their proprietary “chains” to embrace the open source world. Open Office, Mozilla, and others are making it easier for us to do so. I encourage any school considering a one-2-one environment to take a serious look at free, open source software. It will drive down the initial costs of implementation immensely. The students will adjust. Now for the teachers, I will leave that for another post.

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