Influential Album Day 6

Day 6

This is the sixth post in a series of ten documenting the albums I consider influential. My first post, found here, provides some insight into the rationale behind this journey. The first album I selected was the Soundtrack to Oliver, which I discovered in 1973 at about age 8. My second choice can be found here and was The Cars Debut album. The third selection was All the World's A Stage from Canadian band Rush (found here). The fourth, Duran Duran's Rio is (here) and the firth, Pink Floyd's Wish you were Here is (here).

When I first learned of this challenge, I knew that a record from this group of musicians needed to be selected. As I am typing the opening sentences to this composition, I have still not settled on the single LP I will select. The story today covers about 6 years, culminating in 1986.

In 1980, I discovered the band Genesis through the album Duke. I loved everything about the sound on this album - the lyrics (the fictional story of Albert), the drumming, the keys. In particular, it seemed to bridge a gap between both progressive rock and the pop music. It was high level musicianship fused with catchy melodies.

About the same time, I heard Games Without Frontiers from Peter Gabriel’s third album (Sometimes called Melt). My buddy “Cease” was the first person to tell me that Peter Gabriel used to be in Genesis. Thus, my journey to discover everything that these two bands had to offer began. I made weekly trips to both the library and Dr. Disc (a used record store) buying or borrowing everything in the catalogue.

The most interesting discovery was the album A Trick of the Tail (1978). The cover of the LP had been painted by a student at my first high school (Kingsville) and was displayed, without the title, in the cafeteria. I had looked at it for a year - loving it, but not knowing what it was.

Between about 1981 and 1986, I was Genesis obsessed. I eventually owned everything in their standard discography as well as a few bootleg, UK and rare releases. My favourite was my Spot the Pigeon EP on blue vinyl. It now goes for over $50 on EBay, so I regret letting that one go.

I still like everything (in varying degrees) by Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett & Collins - even No Jacket Required - it’s those horns! These LPs (from 1969 - 1986) are a deeply ingrained soundtrack to my life from age 15 - 21. The releases after were equally important - particularly the Secret World Live release from the tour I saw in 1993. It was video cassette that was really the start (genesis) to the phenomenon of “Hodgyvision”.

"Hodgyvision is the nickname my friends and I give to shared video watching - usually over cocktails. It began in the days of VHS and we would bring our cassettes cued-up with videos of live performances, comedians or any strange television fodder. It eventually morphed into DVD's & PVR recordings and now we all use our SmartPhones to cast YouTube clips through Smart TV's. Technology making our lives immeasurably easier!" 

In the summer of 1996, one week apart, Peter Gabriel’s So & Genesis’ Invisible Touch were at #1 on the charts. It was one of the few times that an artist that I loved was commercially popular - and I had mixed feelings about it.

On my 22nd birthday, July 11, 1997, my buddy Cease and I saw Peter Gabriel play live at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. I remember meeting a guy in the beer tent with a Genesis Nursery Crime concert shirt on. He seemed old - but was probably only in his early 30’s.  When you are 22 - everyone over 30 seems old. He had seen multiple incarnations of the all the bands we loved and he regaled us with stories. Ironically, I realize that I am doing the same right now! 

This concert was also one of the last times that Peter would perform his "Faith Fall" backwards in to the audience so he could be passed around by fans during the climax of Lay Your Hands on Me. I was in the throng near the front and that moment was the closest thing I had to an evangelical experience. See it from the same tour in Athens here (at about the 6:00 mark). In the end, I didn't get close enough - the crowd bowed and swayed and he was carried off to my right surprisingly quickly. Regardless, it was a surreal experience that punctuated the powerful energy a determined group of humanity can achieve.

With so much to choose from, it is tough to narrow this down - but that moment felt like a summit, so, I guess I am settling on So - to summarize a 38 year relationship with all things Genesis!

"A Love Letter to Canada" Part Three

This is Part Three of a four part series about the use of The Amazing Race Canada in a Grade 4 classroom. In Part One, I discuss the genesis of the project and the changes I made in the first few years I screened it with students at a school with a high English Second Language (ESL) population. Part Two catalogues the transition of the program for use with multiple classrooms using Google Tools & Flipgrid to communicate their experiences with each other.

In this post, I'll detail some of the activities we tried. As I am not the classroom teacher, I can only suggest activities and I can not always be present for them. The teachers I worked with were wonderfully receptive, so most of the things I suggest here were tried by all the classes.

Viewing Parties

Obviously, this unit requires that the students view 10 episodes of a 1 hour television program. That might raise eyebrows for some administrators or parents. In reality, each episode is 44 minutes long (without commercials) and many intentional breaks are taken throughout the screening. I suggest that teachers treat it like a Read Aloud. In order to facilitate this, students are encouraged to sit in their own version of Amazing Race partnerships. Intentionally planned discussion breaks can be taken to clarify a wide range of events that occur in the program that relate to several curriculum strands. A few examples include...

• Would you or your partner complete this Roadblock challenge? Why?
• Which of the two Detour choices would you and your partner choose to complete? Why?
• How did the girl's team react when Tim & Tim were given a penalty at the Pit Stop? (*they laughed and said "suckers")  What does that tell you about them?
• How is this different from the way The Cowboys behaved when the Twins were eliminated by the same penalty? (*they were empathetic and supportive)  What does that tell you about them? 
• How would you behave in a similar situation?
• Is "hiding the maps" at the airport store cheating?  or clever game play? Why?
• Which team showed excellent collaboration?...problem solving?...determination? etc.
• What brand names have you heard highlighted on the show (Chevy, Interac, Air Canada) - why do you think the host (Jon) keeps mentioning these brands?

Mapping Skills

Part of the Grade 4 curriculum reinforces concepts about maps and mapping already introduced in the primary grades. Specifically, the Grade 4 curriculum states that students will... 

"demonstrate an understanding of cardinal and intermediate directions (i.e., NW, SW, NE, and SE), and use these directions as well as number and letter grids to locate selected political and physical regions of Canada on a variety of print and digital/interactive maps." 

To accomplish this purpose, teachers were encouraged to introduce students to atlases as well as other maps (wall, printable, online).  I direct teachers to a worksheet site called Worksheet Works. If you recall, this entire experiment began with me trying to escape the world of meaningless busy-work on ineffective worksheets. Here's the thing: It is how you choose to use this tool - not the tool itself that is more important. Here is a Teacher Led activity that will help scaffold student understanding of maps.

1. Print this map of British Columbia (the first Province visited on The Race) and enlarge it so that the partners can see it more easily. It requires that students match numbered arrows to a word bank of names... Vancouver, Victoria, Pacific Ocean, Alaska, Skeena River, etc.
2. Show students how different maps (particularly Google Maps) can be advantaged to determine objects and locations on the map. Focus on big objects first (Yukon Territory, Pacific Ocean, Washington State) before zooming in on smaller objects. 
3. Throughout, highlight the differences between Political/Human Locations (Cities, States, Provinces) and Physical Locations (Rivers, Sounds, Mountains). This Google Slide is how I introduced it.
4. Demonstrate the backdoor approach - instead of searching to see what an arrow points to, open another tab and search for the location (EX: Hecate Sound or Queen Charlotte Sound are easier found this way).
5. Google My Maps can be revisited later to mark all the destinations visited on the trip, as well as a "crow flies" travel plan - this is perfect for practicing rounding large numbers in math. "Why would we round the distance from Niagara Falls to the Butterfly Conservatory to the closest 10, while rounding the distance from Toronto to Kelowna to the closest 100?"

Our Own Amazing Race Day

Students are provided with a second chance to build these mapping skills with a group challenge using the province of Alberta during our version of An Amazing Race Activity.

• Multiple copies of the map are enlarged on to ledger paper and cut into three strips.
• The strips are put into envelopes
• The envelopes are labeled and hidden in the school yard at locations that can be described in a riddle written in the form of a simple poem. (Literacy)
• In teams of 4, students are sent out in the yard with their riddle poem. The find each of the three envelopes, return, assemble the map and then identify the locations. (Physical Movement)
• There is a 5 minute penalty for each mistake and a 10 minute penalty for yelling or running inside the school (outside is fair game). 
• A running clock is displayed on the board and students are allowed access to the classroom map and at least two Chromebooks. (Time Measurement, Technology, Social Studies & more)
• The team with the best time is declared the winner and...this is a non-elimination leg of the race.

Needless to say, enthusiasm and engagement is high. I was present for all four variations of this race with the four participating classes (mainly because it ensures better supervision for student safety). Throughout, the teacher and I circulated the groups and did some anecdotal evaluation of the students' understanding of mapping - but invested more time into notes about their learning skills and global competency skills.

• Did they communicate well as a team?
• Did they collaborate well - dividing up the tasks to maximize their speed & efficiency?
• Did they problem solve well when they got stuck?
• Did they show perseverance when challenged?
• Did they look for ways to stay engaged throughout the task, or did they get distracted?

My Observations

• Engagement was very high when groups were searching for clues on the yard.
• Every class had at least one group who completed the map perfectly - often in the best time.
• The groups that were most successful did the same things - persisted, communicated, divided the workload, remained engaged in the task.
• The groups that struggled and did not complete the challenge - communicated less often & less effectively, argued over tasks and had members disengage from the task (sometimes in boredom, sometimes angrily).

The Debrief

• Students were asked to reflect on the things that went well and the things that challenged them.
• Without identifying students & being mindful of self-esteem, teacher observations were shared.
• "I noticed that Chloe showed great perseverance when she was stuck ..." Can you share what you did Chloe?
• "I noticed that Richard's group divided up the task & kept communicating with each other."
• "I saw Adele's group use the big map of Canada at the back of the classroom first - how was that helpful to your group?"
• The correct answers to the map were taken up - again, highlighting effective strategies. 
• Students were asked to think about things they might do differently if the activity was repeated with another map in a few weeks. 

Initially, I planned this to be a 2 part series. It looks like we are going to make it 4. Tune in next time when I cover the other curriculum expectations and the launch of a Multi-Media Tech Set to allow students to do some project based learning around the Grade 4 Social Studies Curriculum.
Part Four Here

"A Love Letter to Canada" - Part Two

In my last post, I reflected on using the first season of The Amazing Race Canada in a Grade 4 classroom. I discussed the genesis of the project and highlighted some of the activities I tried when I was in a Grade 4 classroom.

Fast Forward to 2018

The idea to revisit the unit struck me when I was in discussion with a Grade 4 teacher at Thamesford Public School in September.  We were brainstorming ways to use the program Flipgrid - A collaborative video journaling tool that promotes the exchange of ideas between students, either within the class or beyond (with classes anywhere in the world).  Our goal was to connect with a Grade 4 classroom at one of the other school's I support and explore a curriculum strand together - and The Amazing Race Canada seemed a perfect fit.

A few weeks later, the launch was ready to go and 4 classes were interested - the Thamesford class, two classes at Northridge in London and one class, Oxbow, in Ingersoll. Three schools separated by over 40 km, two were semi-rural and one nestled into a subdivision in the north of the city.  This was helpful, because the students were less likely to know each other through outside pursuits (hockey, gymnastics, swimming, etc.) Additionally, they came from a more varied set of experiences.

The Launch

We introduced the students to the concept of the show through this Google Slide Deck Presentation which was divided into 3 parts

1. A discussion about "promises" and a classroom "pinkie swear" (Slide 2). The season we were viewing was filmed 5 years earlier, so there are plenty of spoilers available on the internet. Students not only made the promise to avoid spoilers - they promised not to type any words related to the program into the internet - even if they were just looking for pictures.
2. An overview of what to expect and the many new terms (Existing Relationship, Roadblock, Detour, Pit Stop, Elimination) are covered next (Slides 3 - 6)  - Obviously, the show covers these as well - but I've found that small group conversations about potential Canadian locations and accompanying challenges really built excitement. 
• "Do they really get eliminated and sent home?" asked one student, "That must be very sad."
3. A biography of the host Jon Montgomery to present a Guided Reading approach to demonstrate ways one might tackle a daunting piece of text. Here is a screencastify of my approach to this activity. This also sets them up for the next activity.

Next, students worked in collaborative teams to make a short Google Slide Presentation.

• Nine groups are created by teacher/student choice or maybe the Flippity random picker. 
• I personally like the idea of having students go to four labelled corners. Corner 1 "I like to present to the class", Corner 2 "I like to read information", Corner 3 "I like both." Corner 4 "I'm not a fan of either". Groups are then created to make sure that a reader and presenter is in each group.
• Envelopes, much like those on the race, are selected randomly by each group, inside, they reveal a picture of one of the teams and the accompanying bio for that team. (Sorry, no link here, I have these as a hard copy - if interested, text me and I will scan them and send them to you as a PDF)
•  I provide them with a the link bit.ly/raceteamshow which (when imputed into the URL) forces them to make a copy of the slideshow outline. It contains pictures of all the teams (so they won't have to search for them) - they simply delete the 8 not needed and enlarge the team assigned to them.
• Students are asked to create a brief presentation, using Google Slides, that contains mainly pictures and a few key words. The details can be put in the speaker's notes which can be printed. The goal here is to avoid screens full of text that will be read to the audience. We really want to support the idea of "teasing out the important details from the bios", "skipping the less important" "presenting orally" with the support of an "aesthetically pleasing display". For many, this is the first time they have tried this, so the educator role is to move from group to group and give immediate feedback to help guide them. Having them share their slide with the educator makes this faster. 
•  Together, we co-created a rubric with feedback. This is the Thamesford example. It is a (No Mark / Feedback Driven) form of grading that I explain in more detail here.
• Once completed, each group made their presentation and immediate constructive criticism was shared in a way that was productive and valued self-esteem. The rubric was completed shortly after and distributed for saving in their portfolios.
• We put a bow on this activity by showing the students the introduction to the season. From the first shot of Jon Montgomery, through the introduction of the teams to the moment when the race actually begins ... and pause. #BuildAnticipation101

Flipgrid

I partnered Thamesford with one class at Northridge and the second Northridge class with the students at Oxbow. Students from Thamesford chose partners with whom they would like to go on an Amazing Race and sent messages to their peers at Northridge. Their task was ...

• Introduce yourselves by first name
• Share a few things that each of you like (EX: hockey, dance, Fortnight were favourites)
• Tell them which team you each like, or has the best chance to win, or both
• Tell them why you might be successful or struggle on this race (EX: I'm really fast, but I am afraid of heights)

Students sending Flipgrid Introductions in October, 2018

The Northridge students viewed the videos as a class and were assigned one group to whom they must respond (although, they were welcomed to send messages back to more). This guaranteed that every team would get at least one response. Their task was to ...

• Introduce yourselves by first name
• Say hello and use the other team member's names (everyone likes to be addressed by name.)
• Comment specifically on something they heard (EX: I like hockey too, Jet & Dave are also our favourite team so far).
• Share a few things that each of you like.
• Tell them which team you each like, or has the best chance to win, or both
• Tell them why you would be successful or struggle on this race.

Students were encouraged to prepare for their Flipgrid presentation - but not to memorize or read it. "It should be "planned, but genuine."

An identical activity was completed by the second Northridge class and sent to Oxbow.

At this point, I realize that this will be at least a three part post - more soon! Thanks for reading.

Part Three Here

"A Love Letter to Canada" - Amazing Race & Grade 4 Curriculum

One of the great benefits of my role as an Instructional Coach is variety. A particularly busy and enriching day might include...

• starting my morning in a Grade 7/8 class teaching figurative language in literacy,
• meeting with the Principal about math data,
• transition to a Grade 3 class to enhance multiplicative thinking through relational rods,
• chatting with a Grade 6 teacher about a new technology option,
• finishing in a Grade 4 class supporting a cross-curricular approach to Social Studies.

Not only is this energizing and exciting, it's a powerfully effective way to learn the nuances of the curriculum across the grades. A fun challenge I have set for myself is to try to "Hit for the Cycle", a term borrowed from baseball which occurs when a batter hits a single, double, triple and a home-run in a single game. For me, that would be a visit with a Kindergarten, Primary (Gr. 1-3), Junior (Gr. 4-6) & Intermediate (Gr. 7/8) class in one day. So far, I have come close (ticking 3 of 4 boxes) on a few occasions. 

An additional perk about visiting multiple classroom is the opportunity to revisit curriculum expectations from grades that I have previously taught. This year, I was excited to pitch a unit from my time teaching Grade 4 in 2013. Through consultation with 4 teachers at 3 different schools, I was able to retool an engaging unit and infuse it with current teaching practice, including the use of Google Suite and other recently released tech-infused pedagogical tools.

The unit is built around Season 1 of The Amazing Race Canada.  Over the next three posts, I would like to provide a richer context for how this unit works so powerfully in a Grade 4 Canadian classroom.

The Genesis

When I first decided to try this unit, I was teaching at Eagle Heights Public School. This was a school in a phase of swift transition. The population was growing rapidly and the demographics were in flux. In 2013, the construction for the second building expansion project in 5 years was well underway. Additionally, the average number of new Canadians who were English Language Learners had quadrupled since my arrival in 2011.

I had watched The Amazing Race Canada season during the summer and knew it had a place in my classroom. My goal was to meet expectations of the Grade 4 Ontario Curriculum for Social Studies - Political & Physical Regions of Canada, but I also wanted to shake off the doldrums of typical practice (of which I had been guilty)...

• map colouring - 1 for provinces, 1 for physical regions, "My Western Cordilleras are blue."
• student presentations - "Our province is Saskatchewan..."
• those bad 1990's videos on YouTube (even well-meaning videos like this had run their course.)
• or worst of all, Canadian Province worksheets ... especially meaningless word searches.

I guess I most wanted to introduce my students (especially those who had just made Canada their new home) to the beauty of this magnificent country. I wanted them to make connections from places on the map to real places that the teams visited. I wanted them to learn about all of the incredible diversity in landscape, recreation, tradition and history that we have captured between three great oceans. Recently, Season 1 participant Dave Schram put it well when he shared the following...

When we were selected, the producers told all of us that... they "wanted the show to be a love letter to Canada."

That was really what I was after - a way for my students to fall in love with Canada.

• To know the immigrant experience at Pier 21 in Nova Scotia.
• To realize Robert Service wrote wonderfully fun & funny poetry about the Yukon.
• That Innuk throat sing, participate in Arctic Olympics and that Muktuk (whale blubber) contains Vitamin D they can't always get from the sun.
• To know that Ogopogo, the Saskatchewan Roughriders & "Body Break" are things that exist, and that some Canadians cherish them fondly.
• And so much more...

Not surprisingly, the unit was a hit. This was at a time before our board had embraced the Google Suite tools, so a lot of our work was on paper and displayed on the classroom walls. We dipped into multiple curriculum strands as we...

• tracked the progress of the race across a large map, calculating & rounding distances,
• documented arrival positions & eliminations for each leg,
• connected race challenges & events to the 6 Learning Skills outlined in the Ontario Growing Success Document,
• wrote about our favourite participants, locations and challenges,
• looked at the positive messaging implied in the shows use of Chevrolet, Air Canada, Interac & Cadbury chocolate,
• tried muktuk, Arctic char & muskox meatballs delivered from Steve (who lives in Iqaluit), 
• even got a surprise visit from Jet Black (a final four participant)
  

The next year, I worked with a Grade level partner and two classes were involved. We built on the successes and added activities. In 2015, I left Grade 4 for a new assignment and my former teaching partner continued running the program on her own. We were fortunate to have annual surprise visits from London participants Jet & Dave...who learned that the response to their arrival was sometimes overwhelming.

I presented the unit at several Elementary Teacher Federation Workshops and remain pleasantly surprised when I see evidence of it on the walls of an unfamiliar school. I'll admit, at this point, I was content with the project I had built and felt that it had legs for quite a few years. However, this year, I got a chance to upgrade the unit to match both the advances in technology and our Board's move toward Global Competencies. 

That, and more, in Part Two.