Covid Passion Project - Guest Blogger Rachael

Throughout the last two months of distance learning for my students, Passion Projects have been encouraged. Choosing to pursue a curiosity or create something meaningful is certainly more valuable and enjoyable than simply completing ten hours of prescribed tasks -- regardless of how engaging I attempt to make them. 

Wonderfully, several have embraced this challenge. Some explored this Canadian History Choice Board to spark their creativity. Their efforts have been posted to our class web page. One student has analyzed the deeper meaning behind the lyrics from her favourite songs, sharing her throughts through well-crafted essays and engaging Flipgrid presentations. 

Today, I present the work of Rachael, who has created fabric bookmarks for Mother's Day. She has also documented the  procedure through photographs and text and is a guest blogger on this site. Enjoy.

This is a passion project I did with my aunt. I was hoping it could contribute to my art mark. It uses the colour wheel and the elements of design. I have explained the processes and methods I used below.

For Mother’s Day, I made my mom, my grandma and my great-grandma fabric bookmarks. Because of the virus, we had to think of a creative way to make gifts, especially since we can’t go to the store and buy something.

I made a template out of hard, clear plastic, because I wanted the triangles in my pattern to be the same. I had to account for the seam allowance, and that’s why there's a smaller triangle within the template. The middle vertical line is to show where the bookmark loops around. The middle horizontal line is for the top and bottom half triangles that I needed for the top and bottom of the bookmark to ensure they had parallel edges with the pages of a book. The other horizontal line is for the seam allowance.

The last step in making the bookmarks was putting names on them.

Here are all the finished bookmarks.

As you can see, beyond the obvious engagement, passion projects have the following advantages:

• It is an activity that threads through multiple curriculum areas -- Art, Math, Writing & Media Literacy.
• Several Learning Skill expectations from the Ontario Report Card are addressed -- Independent Work, Initiative and Responsibility.
• Rather than just submitting work to a teacher, Rachael has chosen to share her work with an authentic audience.
• (a) The mothers in her world who receive the bookmarks and...
• (b) the people who read this blog.

Thanks for reading, any comments or feedback you provide here or through my social media accounts will be directed back to Rachael.

Comic Life - Gone but not forgotten

About 10 years ago, our board invested in a computer program called Comic Life. It was an online platform that helped students make beautiful, comic-book-style pages - complete with fonts, templates, panels, balloons and lettering art. It was easy to use, the kids loved working with it and the results were terrific.

I made good use of it, particularly at the start of the school year, to engage students in literacy & media activities, particularly as a way to share their identity & interests creatively. Recently, as I prepare to return to the classroom, I have been reevaluating the utility of these lessons. Unfortunately, Comic Life is no longer available...for free. I looked into similar programs but realized that Google Draw could easily be adapted to fit my needs. 

So, it was time for me to create and determine...

• Do these activities still meet standards (both my own & the curriculum)?
• Can Google Draw be employed to replicate the features of Comic Life?
• Do I think students would enjoy this activity & add it to their repertoire as a method to share their learning?

Here is the first activity (I'll post another in a future blog).

In this cross-curricular literacy & media project, Comic Life (now Google Draw) is used to present an Autobiographical Poem visually.

Step One: Students create their unique Autobiographical poem by filling in blanks to simple questions about their lives. I provide them with a copy of a Google Doc bit.ly/biopoem1 but the questions are...

What's your First Name?
List 4 Adjectives that describe you.
Who are you a brother/sister/son/daughter of?
Name three things you love.
Name three feelings you enjoy and where you enjoy them
What do you give ...and to whom?
What do you fear...or dislike?
What would you like to see?
Name three friends.
Describe where you live.
Last Name

Here is mine (it is also provided as an example in the Doc)

Marc
Active, Funny, Creative, Happy.
Husband of Angela.
Who loves Cats, Music & Hockey
Who feels content in front of the TV,
Creative at the computer &
Happy when sleeping.
Who gives time to writing, 
Energy to Exercising &
Laughter to Friends.
Who fears losing loved ones,
confined spaces &
cottage cheese.
Who would like to see more concerts,
Paris &
Austrailia
Who is friends with Robbie, Steve & James
Who lives in a 3 storey brownstone near downtown
Hodgkinson

Step Two: Students are given time to collect digital photos related to the answers that make up their poem. Photos can be brought from home on a portable USB drive or through Google Photos. I have, in the past, borrowed digital cameras from our Board and, after securing parent's permission, loaned them overnight.

Step Three: Students use Google Draw to create a 1-3 magazine style "splash pages" that amplify their poem. Page Set-up to 8.5 x 11 for easy printing.

Here are links to full-sized versions of my examples
Bio Poem Page 1
Bio Poem Page 2
Bio Poem Page 3

Step 4: Print and Display (with student permission of course).

Some Notes

• The word biography appears in the Grade 4, 5, 6 and 8 Ontario Language Curriculum - so this activity will connect easily. I have a Grade 7 class next year and this expectation from the Writing section is perfect.

Purpose and Audience 1.1
Students will identify the topic, purpose, and audience for more complex writing forms (e.g., a rap poem or jingle, to express a personal view to the class; a report for a community newspaper about a public meeting on an environmental issue affecting local neighbourhoods; an autobiography for a youth magazine, web page, blog, or zine)

• You will want to add font choices to Google Accounts. The style called "Covered by Your Grace" is very close to a typical comic dialogue font.
• Remind them to keep images and text clear from the edge - or it gets "cut-off" when printing.
• Rather than lessons on using the program - talk about the term aesthetic or aesthetically pleasing. Let the students discover the Google tools and encourage them to share their discoveries with each other. I call this "making our ideas go viral".
• You could choose to mention that the following features are useful...but offer no instructions.

• Word Art
• Border Colour & Weight
• Picture Orientation
• Searching for Hi Def Backgrounds in Images

I'll be trying this in September and hope to update this with the results & feedback from students. Please let me know if this works for you or if you find a way to remix it.

Take the Test

Last week, the Ontario Government passed legislation requiring all new teaching graduates to pass a mathematics test before receiving their teaching certification. Premier Ford has also suggested that the government was considering expanding that requirement so it applied to all teachers every year.

"I have an idea: Why don't we test all the teachers, rather than just new ones, on learning how to deliver math?" he said during question period.

A colleague and I were discussing this the other day and he is all for it. His primary argument makes sense - we should know the math we are teaching. However, we concluded our chat with some skepticism - will this be executed effectively. Like many bold statements from government officials - this is one of those soundbites that seem to make good common sense - but are rife with issues and require a good understanding of many nuances. 

•  It will be expensive - proctors, scheduling, classrooms, marking, etc. Is that the best use for this money? 
• Is it a test of a teacher's ability to do math or to teach math? How does one test "teaching ability" in a single session? Our board already has Principals evaluate teacher efficacy every five years (and that is a multi-day prospect).
• Does the teacher only have to successfully meet the expectations for the grade they are teaching? Do kindergarten teachers simply need to demonstrate that they can count to five?
• If you don't teach math - do you still need to take the test? Imagine removing an exceptional art, history or biology teacher from a school because they can't remember quadratic equations.
• There is some suggestion that it will be administered annually. "So, if I pass the test in 2019 ... the assumption is that I will forget those skills in a calendar year?"

I was an English and History major - but I have a university mathematics credit (I had to get one for my first degree). I was not a great math teacher when I began in this profession. I often joke that I need to find the students who were in my classrooms during the early 00's and apologize to them. The truth is that, although I wasn't great, I also wasn't awful. I used the curriculum and text books and learned from my mentors. The Crosby, Stills & Nash line from "Suite:Judy Blue Eyes" always assuages my conscience. "Don't let the past remind you of what you are not now."

In the past two years, I have been fortunate to receive exceptional Professional Development and I know that when I return to the classroom I will be an even better mathematics educator than I was two years ago. I will also continue to improve and I will leave this profession at the top of my game. 

Mr. Ford, I encourage you to take the money you plan to spend on testing teachers and invest it into providing them with the same PD I have received. 

Here's the thing about teaching Health Education

I have been an educator for over 20 years and I love what I do.

Sure, there are subjects I enjoy teaching more than others. 

• There is nothing like reading an engaging novel to a room full of excited 10 year-olds who are hanging on to every word - covering their mouths as Virginia tries to escape the Troll King's lair before he makes her "dance" with the red-hot metal shoes baking in the fire. 
• There is also the challenge of convincing a group of disengaged Grade 7 students that calculating unit rates comparing Gillian & Ryan's potato prices is actually important.  

I've been in both situations many times. One is certainly more preferable to the other. Especially because Virginia does escape...with the help of the Half-Wolf!

When it comes to the Ontario Health Curriculum, current Minster of Education Lisa Thompson is promoting a familiar refrain: "Parents are the experts" when it comes to teaching their children about sex-ed.

I agree - in a perfect world - this is absolutely true. 

In a perfect world, every child would return home from school to a safe, healthy, happy environment where balanced meals, screen-viewing limitations and dental hygiene were always part of their evening ritual. Sure, those homes exist in abundance but, sadly these situations are not universal. 

This is the reason why we teach

• Grade 1 students about the difference between caring and exploititive behaviour.
• Grade 2 students about healthy eating & the dangers of prescription medicines.
• Grade 3 students about Oral Health & the impact of fictional vs real violence.
• Grade 4 students about the dangers of tobacco, smoking & the safe use of technology.
• Grade 5 students about alcohol & the changes that happen during puberty.
• Grade 6 students about cannabis, addictive behaviour and self-care.
• Grade 7 students about mental health & body image.
• Grade 8 students about Sexually Transmitted Diseases & the impact of violence.

Here's the thing about teaching Health Education...

• Ideally, parents would take responsible for all of it and teachers would have more time to focus on the other subjects.
• I know that "Your Kid" might not need to hear these things yet but...

"It is not about "Your Kid" - It's about Kids." 

Right now, there are kids in every one of those grades who desperately need the information about exactly the topics that I have listed and that our curriculum addresses. They need caring adults to help guide them through these crucial times in their lives. Fortunately, they have them because ... collectively, we know best.  

Lost - Front Loading the Experience

In my last post I talked about launching a cross-curricular unit through subterfuge. I intentional build anticipation by telling students that I am in the process of "getting permission" from the Principal/Superintendent in order to do run a "Mystery Unit". Immediately after March Break, the teachers and I are revealing that the unit is built around the first season of the 2005 television series "Lost". The genesis behind using this unit, and relaunching it as a coach, is in this post from 2018.

I do need to justify over 20 hours of television watching. Consequently, I am keenly aware of the need to make tangible curriculum connections. I often suggest to colleagues that it is treated more like an interactive read aloud - full of intentional stops for discussion, debate and writing challenges.

This year, most of the students are in Grade 7, so I have detailed all of the expectations (over 25) from the Language Curriculum and have detailed them in this table.

The goal in the weeks leading up to the reveal is to front-load information that will maximize the viewing experience. The following activities are in the process of being completed. I'll expand on each in future posts.

• Six Word Stories
• Multiple Intelligences are explored through a series of quizzes from the Smart Options Workbook. Introduction Here
• Lightning Talks using important terms from the series - eventually building a Fluid Word Wall on Padlet with a 6 Word Story GIF made on Giphy.
• The True Colours Quiz. (This one is optional - but really well received if there is time to do it.)
• An introduction to Blogging with Blogger.
• An introduction to Edmodo as a social media platform for sharing ideas. 

The students have been doing terrific work. They are eager to find out why we are doing all this stuff - but they are participating and completing tasks with a sincere effort. 

In my next post, I'll share more details on each of these activities.

#BookSnapping my way into Instructional Coaching

On Friday, June 30, at approximately 8:00 am, I got to the end of my driveway and made a left turn.

This is significant because, for the last six years, the start of my work day has always required a right turn, westbound, to Eagle Heights Public School.

As I made this slight kinesthetic adjustment, a cognitive shift occurred. A new reality became tangible and I drove, east, toward the Board Office, reflecting on my new career path.

I began my first day in a new role as a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) working as an Instructional Coach (IC) with a focus on Literacy and Math with Kindergarten to Grade 8 classes for four schools in our Board.

When asked by friends to describe this role, I have had to rely on my own experiences working with the IC's assigned to my schools. Last April, I accessed release money provided by our Federation (ETFO) and had the chance to “shadow” a colleague, @Kylede08, for half a day. This helped me solidify my understanding.

Recently, I was provided with this article by Heather Wolpert-Gawron called “The Many Roles of an Instructional Coach”. I was asked by the supervisory team to read it and ...

• Identify three, very important points.
• Identify a personal “aha” moment.
• Reflect on how I see this impacting our work (as IC’s) moving forward.

I have decided to use this article as an opportunity to do some professional writing and also to explore the idea of #BookSnaps that I had read about on the @TaraMartinEDUTwitter feed and through her R.E.A.L. Weblog page. #BookSnaps make use of Snapchat and Bitmoji to annotate and share ideas from things that you are reading.

So, here are my “three, very important points” using #BookSnaps.

"The position is defined differently...and attempts to standardize (it) can undermine its effectiveness."

TOSA's don't evaluate teachers/ We're teachers just like them. Through a partnership based on trust & respect...(we) help teachers reach their fullest potential."

"Instructional Coaches...have a lot of insight into the daily victories that occur in all classrooms. He or she would know that photos need to be taken & tweeted for all to see."

My personal “aha” moment came here.

"I use all of the walls and don't have a front of the room, per se."

I had no idea that some Instructional Coaches had access to a classroom where they could set up a flexible seating space for students and teachers to visit. That would be a wonderful situation. Many teachers with whom I speak are interested in moving toward a flexible seating/student centered classroom design. Wouldn’t it be great to provide them, and their students, with an opportunity to experiment with the experience, rather than making a bold and sudden transition.

Here is what I will reflect on as I move forward into this role.

Know your role.

Identify your strengths.

Keep learning.

Model learning.

Enjoy learning.

This is what I am going to focus on next.

Scratch and Grade 5 Triangles - TLLP Activity 3

This is the third in a series of blog posts connected to the Teacher Learning and Leadership (TLLP) I am part of. Our goal was to “Investigate ways that students can use Computational Thinking, across the Curriculum, to problem solve, create and remix - maximizing available technology.”

I need to thank Cliff Kraeker @kraekerc for the genesis of this idea. A colleague was using part of his Coding Quest Education Program and I made some variations to the lesson for my Grade 5 class.

Curriculum Connections - Grade 5 - Mathematics (Geometry)

By the end of Grade 5, students will:

• identify triangles (i.e., acute, right, obtuse, scalene, isosceles, equilateral), and classify them according to angle and side properties
• construct triangles, using a variety of tools (e.g., protractor, compass, dynamic geometry software), given acute or right angles and side measurements

Procedure (Over several periods, depending on knowledge and understanding)

1./ My students were familiar with the different triangles and most could already name them all. Experiences in earlier grades were obviously paying dividends. The review period for the terms (acute, right, obtuse, scalene, isosceles & equilateral) were quick. A brief review of an interior measure of an angle and an exterior measure of an angle is also helpful.

2./ We did a paper cutting activity where students were encouraged to make a large triangle of any kind on a standard sheet of paper. We cut the triangles out and then cut each corner off on a slight curve. We assembled the curves together and, in every case, we formed a rudimentary semicircle. The following guiding questions helped them come to some realizations

• How many degrees in a circle?  What about half a circle?
• If all of us could make a half circle from the corners or our unique triangles, what does the tell us about all triangles?
• If an equilateral triangle has three corners with interior angles that are the same, and they add up to 180 degrees...What will each corner measure?
• If a right triangle has a corner that measures 90 degrees - what do the other two angles measure? BONUS: Is a right triangle always an isosceles triangle?
• If an isosceles triangle has two angles that measure 80 degrees, what will the third be? How do you know?

3./ As a kinesthetic learning activity students put a strip of masking tape on an open floor space. One partner walks the tape and turns his/her body to begin to walk an equilateral triangle at the corner (vertex). Before continuing, they must answer the question.

How many degrees did I turn my body? Was it more than 60 degrees? Was it more than 90?

 

The realization that they actually turned 120 degrees is an important one for the coding they will eventually do in Scratch. The interior angle is 60, but the person, or pen or coded line actually turns the distance of the exterior angle. The activity can continue as students explore the space for isosceles, right, scalene, obtuse and acute triangles. In previous years. In previous years, I would encourage them to mark the sides with masking tape - but this did not serve to enhance their understanding and took up too much time...and tape.

Coding with Scratch

The students are shown the following example.

However, it is paused after the Equilateral Triangle is shown. Expectations are discussed.

• Using any sprite and the pen tool, create three different triangles.
• Using the “say” function - provide your viewer with information about the triangle.
• You must provide at least 3 truths about the triangle - but you can add more.
• Use any background and feel free to add sound effects.
• You can record your voice reading the information that you are “saying” on screen.
• You can work with a partner, but must do an equitable amount of the work.

Students exceeded expectations, as seen here and here

The part they liked the best - beyond the absence of boring worksheets.

• They got to choose which triangles they would share.
• There was flexibility on the information they chose to share.
• They liked the challenge of the scalene triangle.
• They liked the freedom to add music, moving images, colourful backgrounds.
• They loved working with a partner.

Differentiation

• Struggling students were allowed to use a large section of my code and remix it.
• Students with limited proficiency copied code from handouts, and were encouraged to look for patterns that could be duplicated.
• Students comfortable with the program created it on their own - referencing my code when necessary.
• Advanced students were encouraged to find a more interesting approach to the code and the final product or to find a different way to code it.

We shared our final products on Edmodo in order to allow other students to offer positive feedback.

Hints (Or Problem Solving Opportunities for them to debug)

• Show them the “Clear Graphic Effects” and “Clear” option that starts their program.
• Remind them that their Sprite needs to be reset with “Point in direction 90” - otherwise, they can’t test and debug as they are building their script.
• Suggest that they start their first triangle well away from a central location - this will allow them room for the other two.

Have Fun - I think you will enjoy seeing and evaluating the results.

A Report Card comment could read:

"Name was able to construct and identify a number of different triangles according to angle and side properties using dynamic geometric software with (insert modifier here)."

The Health Curriculum and Why Parents don’t need to worry (as much).

Open Letter to My Grade 5 Parents:

We are about to start our Health Unit on Human Development. This is often dubbed the “Sex Ed” curriculum and is the one that has created concern for some parents. Please realize that much of that concern is because the facts have been misrepresented. Last year, I read a note that was being circulated in my community. I was shocked to see how much it distorted the facts. It seemed as if it was intentionally designed to frighten parents about what will be covered in class. Hopefully, I can alleviate any concerns with the following information about the specifics of the Grade 5 curriculum.

Look here for more information (Pages 160 - 162 on the PDF).

First off - the curriculum did not change much in Grade 5. There is a lot of information out there to suggest that this is an entirely different program - it is almost the same as it was 20 years ago.

Here is what it said in 1998 (When I taught my first Grade 5 class)

1. describe the secondary physical changes at puberty (e.g., growth of body hair, changes in body shape).
2. describe the processes of menstruation and spermatogenesis.
3. describe the increasing importance of personal hygiene following puberty.

Here is what it says now

1. identify the parts of the reproductive system, and describe how the body changes during puberty.
2. describe the processes of menstruation and spermatogenesis, and explain how these processes relate to reproduction and overall development.
3. describe emotional and interpersonal stresses related to puberty.

Some other facts to put your mind at ease

• We just finished a unit on human body systems and have already talked about a lot of our inner workings (including all the less pleasant parts of our digestive system). Consequently, the students are familiar with the fact that we talk about the human body like scientists - uncovering the secrets of many systems that help us function.

• Remember that the curriculum is not delivered by a robot. There is a caring, responsible adult who exists between the curriculum and your student. I want your student to be an informed pre-teen who is prepared for the changes that will happen in their bodies. I want them to be considerate, compassionate citizens who will treat others and themselves with respect, patience and kindness. I take great care to craft my lessons and presentations in a way that is honest and as comfortable as possible.

• For you, the curriculum is about your kid, but it is actually written for all kids. Specifically, it written to provide important information to children who would not get this information outside a classroom. A young person’s best advantage when navigating the pitfalls that come with a changing body is knowing the facts. Life changing, and even life ending, mistakes are best prevented by education.

As a final note, I will understand completely if you wish to remove your student from class during these lessons. It is your prerogative to provide this education to them in the way in which you see fit. Drop me a line, and I will let you know the exact periods (to the minute) in which this instruction will take place. You will need to sign your student out at the office and return them for the next period if possible.

However, I will warn you that they will likely ask their friends what was said while they were away. They are naturally curious - which is one of their greatest gifts. I would much prefer that they hear the facts directly from me and not second-hand, through the filter of students who, themselves, are just becoming familiar with this new information.

Sincerely,

Marc Hodgkinson

Grade 5 Teacher

Haiku Coding Activity for Grade 5 -TLLP Activity 2

This is the second in a series of blogs connected to the Teacher Learning and Leadership (TLLP) of which I am a part. Our goal was to “Investigate ways that students can use Computational Thinking, across the Curriculum, to problem solve, create and remix - maximizing available technology.”

I need to thank Scott McKenzie @ScottMcKenzie27 for this great idea. He let me know that he got it from Kim Gill @Gill_Ville. Regardless, I am sharing it because it has so many great curriculum connections and it really "bumped-up" a Haiku activity that had gotten stale for me.  Additionally, it allows even early English Language Learners to experience wonderful success.  Finally, there are some great connections to decomposition in Computational Thinking.

A few Curriculum Connections taken from Ontario Grade 5 Writing

1.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing form.

1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic using a variety of strategies and resources.

2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, using feedback from the teacher and peers, with a focus on specific features.

2.7 make revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using several types of strategies.

2.4 use sentences of different lengths and structures.

3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations related to content, organization, style, use of conventions, and use of presentation strategies.

Procedure

1./ Introduce Haiku to students by way of this book “Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys” by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds. This makes the idea of this poetry more accessible to boys who are, sometimes, a little more reluctant to create poetry. There are also some great resources and activities at that website.

2./ Allow the students the opportunity to recognize the pattern themselves? What do all of these poems have in common? This is decomposition - the first step in Computational Thinking.

• Three lines - not rhyming.
• 5 syllables followed by 7 syllables followed by 5 syllables,
• Each poem tells a short story or has a complete idea.

3./ Lots of scrap paper, pencils and GO!  

• Let them create.
• At least three is the expectations, but there is no limit on creativity.
• Reinforce the idea of tinkering - massage the language to get more from less.
• Encourage sharing and, most importantly, syllable counting and checking.

4./ Have them select a favourite and present it using two sprites on Scratch. One sprite to read the poem, while the other claps or drums or meows the syllables. Additionally, they are to add a variable counter for Haiku Lines and Syllables.  

My students were familiar with Scratch, but at different stages of proficiency. My mid-year arrivals are still beginners, while others in the class have long since eclipsed my skill level.

I used this example as a guideline. It also provided me with a comfortable way to introduce the upcoming Health Unit on Human Development and Puberty.

• Struggling students were allowed to use my code and remix it.
• Students with limited proficiency copied code from handouts, and were encouraged to look for patterns that could be duplicated.
• Students comfortable with the program created it on their own - referencing my code when necessary.
• Advanced students were encouraged to find a more interesting approach to the code and the final product.

We shared our final products on Edmodo in order to allow other students to offer positive feedback.

Here are some examples.  Nevaeh's Haiku Diya's Haiku Hadil (ESL) Haiku

Have Fun!