Reflection

Typorama Rocks!

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment

So today my students had a chance to explore Typorama (@typoramaapp). Before Winter Break, they read, watched, and analyzed various primary and secondary sources about the samurai, their traditions, and the impact of the Bushido Code. Their task was to demonstrate their understanding of a samurai’s life through the use of poetry.

Seeing that this was a unit about Japan, students were given the task of composing both a Haiku and a Tanka. Using their annotated readings and various graphic organizers, students pulled phrases that they could mix and match to create these particular formatted poems.

One might think that this was an easy task…but not for second language learners. Breaking down words into syllables was hard. I gave them the tried and true methods for counting out syllables, such as clapping (but let’s face it, not all kids can clap) and putting their hand under their chin as they pronounced the word. But some of my kiddoes went straight to the Internet. As I walked around the room, I saw students on several sites that counted out the syllables for them. I didn’t tell them to do that, nor did I prohibit it. I mean, after all…if they can find tools to make their work more efficient, I’m not going to stop them.

I loved the looks on their faces when the syllables matched up just right.

Once they had their rough drafts, students opened Typorama…which offered them more options than they knew what to do with. I told the students to not bother to upload their own images but to find something that resonated with them and added to the mood or theme of their poem.

Let me tell you…their projects are turning out really nice!

typorama

The five-lined Tanka is throwing some of them for a loop because some of them want to use a particular font that won’t allow five lines. It was back to the drawing board…because there aren’t enough font styles from which to choose (totally being sarcastic here as there are quite a few really cool freebies). But other than that…this app is great for a quick #funformativeassessment. I would totally use this app again with my students…in fact, I’m thinking that this might come in handy with our next school-wide Character Lesson. Hmmmm (and the wheels are turning)…

If you give students the opportunity to be creative…if you give them choices…if you let them work through the kinks…if you just let them take the lead in learning…they will be all the better for it. Trust me, I know. I see it in my kiddoes…both past and present.

If you want to see more of their work, check out our class Instagram account: @jiishawksrock

 

The Beauty of Doctopus

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment

screen-shot-2017-01-02-at-9-12-02-amI’m sure I’ve written about this topic before but it bears repeating because this tool is a game-changer…what am I talking about? Doctopus, of course! One of the best ways to determine what a student is thinking is by having them write it out. Our students have multiple opportunities to share their thoughts:  online discussion forums, collaborative GoogleDocs, F2F discussions (er, debates), and written assignments via GoogleDocs.

Let me be straight. I’m not a fan of grading. I love the creation aspect of teaching, the designing, the planning, the execution of activities and projects…but the assessment part? Not so much. As for grading essays…<sigh>….seriously not my cup of tea.

My department is extremely collaborative. We talk all.of.the.time. It helps that our classrooms are next door to each other and that we’re great friends to boot. During collaboration, we discuss student progress and grades. Needless to say, our grading procedures and process are closely aligned. And then Docuptus happened.

I can’t remember exactly when I first heard about Doctopus, let alone tried it…but once I did, I realized that this was going to revolutionize collaborative writing for students and grading for us. We give students the option to have a writing collaborator for the end of the unit essays because we see value in students working together towards a common goal. It helps that GoogleDocs gives us a sneak peek into their writing process and comments. 😉

To start, my department created several Goobrics (a.k.a. rubrics) for each of the assignments. We have Goobrics for Level 4 short essays, Level 5 essays, and various other projects (e.g., Crusades memes, Open Minds).

Once those assignments are submitted through Google Classroom, we use Doctopus (an Add-On) to ingest the assignment into a ready-made spreadsheet (I usually title it with the unit name+semeter&year+period –> China Unit F16P1). I choose the class and the assignment and then wait for the magic to happen. Doctopus gives you the option to ingest all student projects or just the ones from students who clicked “Turn In” in Google Classroom (I usually choose the latter).

screen-shot-2017-01-02-at-9-32-52-am

There are two ways to view the Goobric…this is the default. The other view allows you to scroll through the Goobric instead of clicking on the tabs at the top.

Once the assignments are ingested, all you need to do is choose the appropriate Goobric and then you’re off! All of the assignments are there…tied to a specific rubric…all that’s left is for you to assess student work based on the Goobric. Doctopus+Goobric gives you the option to click right on the Goobric, add comments to the GoogleDoc, as well as leave comments that can be emailed to students (I highly recommend this last option). But the best part?! Doctopus puts the Goobric right on the GoogleDoc with your comments. Students can see where their worked landed within the Goobric. Brilliant!

However, if I could change one thing…it would be the ability to easily notify the writing collaborator/partners that the document is graded. Of course, all students could go back to the original GoogleDoc to see the rubric and comments, but only the owner receives the email with the rubric attached. It’s not a deal-breaker and it’s certainly not something that would make my department stop using this easy way to assess student work.

Having said that, if you’re looking for a new tool to try in 2017 might I suggest giving Doctopus a whirl? You won’t regret it. Trust me. Game-changer.

Setting Intentions

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment
gratitute_2016

#amorebeautifulquestion #sketchnotes #paper53 #doodler

As 2016 comes to a close, I thought I would take a moment to write one last blog post…

Winter break began on December 19 for me. For most of my colleagues, it began Friday, December 16 at 2:25PM, but I wasn’t quite done yet. As soon as I turned in the last paper of my first semester as doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, I felt like I could finally relax. And relax I did.

I spent most of my Christmas break reading and of course thinking about what 2017 would bring.  I’ve been practicing yoga for several years and it has a made a huge difference in my mindset. Things that I used to perseverate upon now (for the most part at least) roll off my back. I’ve learned the importance of slowing down, taking notice of the little things…and just Be.

Earlier this week, my yoga instructor mentioned that though she has nothing against New Years Resolutions, she focuses more on setting intentions and she welcomed us to consider that option for 2017. In fact, each time before class, she asks us to set an intention for our practice. Usually my intention is to not fall flat on my face because I’d sure hate to have to find a new yoga studio (I’m kidding, kinda). But for 2016, I spent the better part of the year reminding myself that I should be…that I need to…always remember to be grateful for what I have. So for 2017, one of my intentions is to show gratitude for the blessings in my life.

I am lucky. Blessed in fact. I mean, who else gets to work with little minions who want to learn…who crave interactions…who blurt out the first thought that comes to mind…who share perhaps more than their parents would like about what goes on at home…who poke their heads into my room to say “Hi” even though they’ve already seen me earlier in the day or will later on? I mean, who gets to be surrounded by this much awesomeness? I’m so grateful to be able to work with children. Their curiosity inspires me. Their willingness to try new things is like a breath of fresh air. They don’t fear…much. And they laugh. They giggle. A lot. Even the boys.

This break was sorely needed as I felt like I was burning the candle at both ends but I miss my little rug-rats. I miss their faces. And as I close the door to 2016, I look forward to what 2017 brings…because I’m grateful. I’m grateful to be an educator. I’m grateful to learn along side my students. I’m grateful to work with some amazing people. I’m grateful to be on this particular path. The road is windy, one never knows what is beyond the bend, but whatever the case, I’m ready. Bring it on 2017. Bring.it.on.