Text Complexity

What is text complexity? Why does it matter?

Great questions. I had the same ones as I sat in a professional development training session a week ago. Here's the gist of it. Text complexity refers to the difficulty of a piece of writing. There are varying levels of text complexity. For example, a children's book would have a low level of text complexity. The Federalist papers written by our founding fathers would have a high level of text complexity. The goal is keep students moving up this ladder. Too many times we offer them only reading materials that are at their current level. Sometimes, that's okay. But it's important to also give them reading materials that are just out of their current text complexity level in order to help them grow and achieve new levels of reading comprehension. The goal is not only college preparation, but workplace preparation. Someone who goes to college and takes a sociology course will need to be able to read at a high level just as much as someone turning wrenches and reading a technical manual. For heaven's sake, trying to program your DVD player using the manual can sometimes feel like an honors level course. We need to create readers who don't need everything brought down to their level. Instead, the goal is to create readers who have the ability to climb to whatever level is put in front of them using decoding skills, context clues, and reference skills for the words or phrases they can't figure out on their own. Raising text complexity for students, one of the goals of educators here at Newell-Fonda.

So far, So good

We are a few weeks into the school year and my blogging experiment with U.S. History is going pretty good. I really enjoy reading the students' blogs and seeing the personal touch they put into their designs. My favorite part is when they comment on each other's blogs and ask each other questions about their posts. I'm trying to get them to read their comments and respond when someone asks them a question. I want them participating in online dialogues about their own thoughts on history. As I type this, the students are working on a blog post about one culture significantly altering another. They are currently studying the interactions of American settlers and Native Americans in the mid to late 1800's.

Lower the Voting Age?

A colleague of mine recently e-mailed me a link to an interesting website where David Holford made an excellent argument for lowering the voting age. It got me thinking, "Should the voting age requirement be lowered?"

At first I thought it was a nice thought, but after reflecting on my own high school experience and political apathy, I figured it wasn't a battle worth fighting. But then it dawned on me. I didn't care about government or politics in high school because I COULDN'T VOTE ANYWAY!

I would have cared about politics and what was happening in Washington if my voice could have been thrown into the mix. Here at Newell-Fonda, U.S. Government is a class for mostly seniors and some juniors. How much more would they be involved in government and politics if they were learning about it at the same time they were being given the right to vote? Holford makes the case that we could be developing highly active citizens by pairing their education about government with their passage into voting eligibility.

In my own experience, I took government class in high school and then went off to college where I voted for the first time in a presidential election 3 years after I took the class in high school. My parents did not push me to become politically active beyond asking me, "Are you going to vote in the election?" As Holford explains, young people get out in the world and they are trying to figure out so many things about being an adult and voting just isn't high on the priority list. If it was a privilege they took on while still "in the nest" with mom and dad, they could get some guidance on the procedure and have a trusting environment to talk about politics in. It makes as much sense to me as a kid learning to drive while still under mom and dad's roof.

I encourage you read the website I linked to above and see what you think about lowering the voting age.

Blog it Up!

This year in United States history class, the students are going to be blogging throughout the year. I've always wanted to try having the students blog their thoughts. I'm a really big fan of having my students write about history. Blogs give them an opportunity to be creative in their design and learn a cool modern skill. Many people have blogs nowadays. In fact, many people are making money off of writing a very interesting and well designed blog. Of course, my students will not be putting advertising on their blogs to make money, but some of them might find blogging to be fun and may start a blog on a personal interest of theirs. This will be a fun year trying out the blogging format for class and I'm sure I'll find some hiccups along the way, but it will be worth it.

Renewal

This summer I started working on my Master's Degree from Morningside College. One of my first classes has been Instructional Technology. I have learned a lot in this class and one of my main projects has been improving my class websites and making them more integral to my classes, as well as user friendly for my students.

I use Google Sites to host my class websites and I have been doing quite a bit of research on their tutorial and help pages to try and improve my knowledge of their systems. I do learn a lot just by playing around and trying new things in the site management area. I have also been reading various blog posts about best practices for site design.

I am really excited to start the new school year and use all these changes I've made to my sites to give my students a better experience in class.

More Writing Please

I recently gave my U.S. History class an assignment of writing film analysis papers on the movie, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.  We watched the film as part of our Westward Expansion unit in class.  As I'm grading the papers I am realizing that students need to write more.  I'm seeing a lot of mistakes that I think can be attributed to lack of practice.  I'm trying to work more assessments into my courses that require more writing from students.  I also don't want my students to get to college and be blindsided by the amount of writing they are going to have to do.  I've been hearing a lot from professionals that I know that being able to write well is such an important skill.

In this day and age with texting, e-mails, twitter, and Facebook posts, being able to write and express yourself well through written language can set you apart from your peers in the workplace or in the college admissions process.  One important thing to remember in this discussion of writing is that there is a time and place for many styles of writing. It's okay to use shorthand when texting or tweeting.  It's not okay to use shorthand when writing e-mails to employers or organizations.  I'm worried our students are not understanding the difference in contexts. 

I think I can help solve the problem in my own small way by having more writing assignments in my classes and showing my students what quality writing looks like. 

Lightning In A Bottle

I recently had such a great day being a teacher that I thought I should blog about it. Let me explain.

In my World History class, we are currently working on infographics covering ancient Athens and Sparta. I split the class up into 5 teams of 4 to do the project. This was all done randomly by drawing names out of my Atlanta Braves batting helmet. Based on the students in the class, I wasn't concerned about any combination of kids working together. This is a very hard working and high achieving class as a whole. I decided the students would work together using Google docs to do the infographics. I taped an example to the cabinet from a McDonald's/Starbucks infographic I had found and told them to consult it for questions on what one should look like. Each team had a captain that made the doc and invited their teammates to join them in creating it and then explained the instructions to their group.

Any of you that have used Google docs have experienced the frustration with it. It doesn't always put things where you want them to, it doesn't always format things the way you think it should, etc. My students grew frustrated at work that would be completed and then lost due to a Google error. (This happened over the course of a few days)  I kept encouraging them to try again. When one of them would complain to me about it, my response was, "What should we do about it?" Which led to their answer, "I guess do it again." And my reply was, "Good answer." 

Some of the students didn't have a lot of experience with Google docs and were trying to learn it. I encouraged the whole class that we were using this experience to learn about ancient Greece and also to build our technology skills. That is some backstory of our project. 

So Thursday rolls around and the kids aren't as far along as I, or they, would have hoped due to technology issues with the site. I started class by saying, "Clearly we are having some technology problems that are keeping us from accomplishing our goal. What should we do about it?" One girl, who probably had the most work lost due to errors, and was well versed in my suggestions, answered aloud, "Push through it!" I laughed and said, "Great answer! But what else can we do? Let's talk about it." 

Another student spoke up and said, "What if we created our graphics and stuff in another application and then took screen shots and dropped them into the doc?" I told them I thought that sounded like a great idea. With that student's suggestion, the class was reinvigorated with hope of getting this assignment done. The kids then worked harder than I've ever seen them work. It was awesome.

One girl sitting on the floor with her group, looked away from her project long enough to say to me, "How about some working music Mr. B?" I plugged my iPhone into the speakers and turned on my classroom mix of music and we kept working along. And I do mean WE. I had my laptop with me and would go to whichever group wanted some help. Since they've shared their docs with me I would pull it up and basically join their group as I did some editing, researching, and troubleshooting. When we all got over the hump of whatever problem we were working on, I'd exit the doc and wait for another group that needed me. 

I saw kids helping kids and teaching each other. That was my favorite part. At one point, I heard a student call out to her teammate from across the room, "Can you get a map of Sparta in here?" The other girl replied, "I'm on it!" And then buried her nose in her work to get it done.

As I'm floating around the room, I just stopped and looked around. None of the students even noticed I was in the room for a while. They were just problem solving, teaching each other, and having a good time while they worked. Every one of them was focused on the mission. Textbooks were cracked wide open and screens were lit up as facts were checked, websites were being consulted for images, and kids were creating graphics to go into their project. I could have left the room and nothing would have changed. I knew then that I had to find a way to create more days like this in my classroom. 

Towards the end of the period, a student approached me and said, "Hey Mr. B, ours is bigger than we thought, we're thinking of doing two infographics together. Is that okay?" My response was, "I'm going to leave that decision up to you. Whatever you and your group think is best." You could tell he appreciated the freedom to dictate the course of his own project and I like not having to think for all the kids in the room. 

I also saw one of my more disengaged students get totally into this project. His teammates gave him a specific aspect to work on and he took ownership of it. He asked for feedback from me on his image selection and got some advice on how to insert text boxes, and even was proactive about calling a teammate over for help. 

That was Thursday. Friday was the final day of the project since I extended the deadline due to our tech issues and the fact that the kids just weren't done creating yet. Friday was full of more troubleshooting and teamwork. I'm excited to see the final project. I will hang them in my room with pride and those kids will remember how hard it was to create those stinking infographics on Athens and Sparta! 

I am not a perfect teacher by any stretch of the imagination. These kinds of days don't happen all the time. I'm still trying to figure out this teaching thing. But these last couple days with my world history kids have left me going home feeling on top of the world. They've been knee deep in ancient Greece and technology for the last week and I know they've learned a lot and I can't wait to give them an assessment to prove it.  I couldn't have a classroom like this without the freedom from my school to use technology, play music, let kids sit on the floor, and basically create the environment I want to.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go try to figure out how to catch lightning in a bottle.

Concept Based Teaching

Starting last year, I have been working with some Social Science teachers in the area to explore and develop concept based units in my classes. We started with a pilot unit to see how things will go. We have all just started teaching this unit in our classrooms over the past week. Let's stop here and talk about what a conceptual unit looks like. Instead of just plowing through the decades chronologically like a standard history class, we look at different concepts that have to do with a main idea. For our westward expansion unit, the big idea is, "Opportunity is a catalyst for change." With that as our backdrop, we then focus on topics like the great migration of settlers to the plains, the subsequent effect on Native Americans and the culture clash that ensued. We have based our unit on 3 main questions:

1. What causes people to move geographically?
2. How do differences in culture lead to division?
3. Does prosperity for one group mean exploitation for another?
The questions are supposed to be broad and hard to answer on purpose. With those questions as our guide, we are working to understand this period in history.

My initial feelings on the unit are good. I like how it's going for the most part. So far, I feel as though it is really teacher directed. That's the only part I'm not crazy about. I like to see my students take a more hands-on approach. My fellow teachers and I have had discussions about how hard it is to make social studies totally hands-on. Unfortunately there are time when we have to front load a learning task with a keynote presentation and lecture. I personally think that is somewhat true, but I don't think I have explored every single way of teaching social studies. There has to be a way to make any subject hands on for students. This is part of my learning and growing as an educator and I'm still in process. On the whole, student engagement is up in my classroom and kids are responding well to the unit. I'm excited to keep going and get their feedback after the whole process is complete.

Constitution Day

In honor of Constitution Day, the students will be exploring the Constitution Day website located here. http://constitutioncenter.org/Sieze_the_Vote/

August 2011-Top of the 1st Inning

It's August and we are back in school here at Newell-Fonda. I am excited to be working with the kids again. It was a busy summer of baseball and college classes and I'm really looking forward to being in the classroom again. As a second year teacher, some things are easier this year. I'm not learning a new building, a lot of the students know who I am, and I've got many of the school day routines down.
However, it's never been more apparent to me that I have a long way to go as a teacher. Everyday is a new challenge and I continue to work on my craft as an educator. This year, one of my goals is more effective integration of technology in my classroom. It's one thing to load a YouTube clip and show it in class. It's another to embed a video clip into a lesson and have it contribute and flow seamlessly with what we are studying. I'm also looking for new ways to have students utilize technology and become academically savvy with tech instead of only using it for social networking purposes.
As this year progresses, I know I'll be able to see myself making strides in these areas. The goal is to see student engagement and achievement rise alongside my skills.

The end of the 3rd Quarter

The third quarter is quickly coming to an end. Wednesday March 9th, 2011 is the last day of the quarter. Students should be checking their grades and making sure all of their work is finished up and turned in.

Springing Ahead

The calendar is quickly turning pages and spring is creeping in on winter. There are many great things happening in Newell-Fonda Social Studies.

In World Geography, students are studying the continent of Africa and learning about the different environmental challenges that the continent is dealing with. We will be hearing from people who have visited Africa as well as from someone who is currently there in Morocco. The students always enjoy getting to interact with people who have lived what they are learning about. The students have also been using cool applications like www.prezi.com and iMovie to make projects about the places they are studying.

In U.S. History class, students have been creating movies and podcasts about World War I. The movie project was based off of the start of World War I. I saw a lot of creativity and the students technology skills have shown great improvement since the beginning of the year. Their podcast project is to create a World War I radio show. Students have been researching events, creating commercials, and practicing their radio voices in order to make a creative and informative project for the class to listen to.

In Contemporary Issues class, the students have just finished their 3rd episode of "The Mustang Report." Each episode is packed with world news stories, national news headlines, and the latest happenings from the Newell-Fonda community. There is also a sports report and the Mustang Moment of the Week that always brings a laugh.

In World History class, students have been studying the Renaissance and Reformation. They have really gotten into the material and have realized what a period of transition this was for the world. We have taken a Renaissance art tour in our classroom, watched a real printing press being used via YouTube, and tested out our own art skills that Renaissance painters had developed. Currently, the students are finishing up research projects on some of the most influential people from that time period.

It's a great time in Newell-Fonda Social Studies and much of it has to do with the hard work and creativity that the students are putting forth.

Back to the Classroom

Now that winter break is over, the students are back in the classroom and ready to learn. After a break for reading and reflecting, I also am eager to get back to teaching and helping the students succeed.
In World Geography, we are turning our attention to the continent of Europe and the many people groups that live there. We will be talking with some people who have spent time in European countries and will gain from their perspective.
In United States history we are heading into the late 1800's and birth of big business and the development of new technologies. We've got some simulation games lined up for the students to get time experiencing the material.
In World History we will be studying the growth of the church in Europe during the Middle Ages and the culture change and conflict that sparked.
Stay tuned for more news on what's happening in Newell-Fonda High School Social Studies!

The End of the Semester

The end of 2010 is upon us. Students have spent this week wrapping up semester tests and projects. I enjoy seeing a student's sense of accomplishment when they hand in a finished semester test or wrap up a semester project presentation. There have been some really cool educational happenings in Newell-Fonda Social Studies over the last couple of weeks.

In World Geography, students studied the people, places, ideas, and issues of Latin America. Each student prepared a project on a specific Latin American country. They were allowed to do the project any way they wanted to. Some chose videos and other chose to make Keynote presentations. We got a glimpse of each country as the students took turns presenting.

In United States history, the students have been studying the American Civil War and the reconstruction period following it. On one of our days, we took a Civil War battle tour. Using Google Earth and green screen technology, I created a 10 minute video where students were able to virtually visit real Civil War battle sites and see real pictures as they learned the information about each site. Students completed a tour guide as they watched the video. They were also able to download to their Macbooks and watch it with headphones at their own pace.

In World History, we have been studying the spread of the Muslim Empire in the ancient world. Islam contributed to many advancements in math, science, astronomy, medicine, and literature. In the Ancient Arabic world, a ruler created a House of Wisdom where scholars could study their chosen subject. Students got to participate in their own House of Wisdom day and compete against other groups in the class in various subjects to see who was the wisest of all.

As the calendar rolls over to 2011, I am excited to study new topics and help students experience new levels of understanding in Social Studies. Have a great winter break!

November Happenings in Newell-Fonda Social Studies

Mr. B here with an update on Newell-Fonda Social Studies. The quarter is flying by and semester break is right around the corner.
In World Geography class, we just finished up our unit on the United States and Canada. Students learned about major landforms, climate regions, and governments in both the U.S. and Canada. The kids made videos that covered United States history in 2 minutes or less. The objective for this project was to find the major themes and events in American history. Next year, I think I'll be bumping the time limit up to 3 minutes. 2 minutes seemed to be just a little too short.
In United States history class we spent time discussing America from 1800-1860. This was a turbulent time in American history that is often overlooked. We studied the American expansion westward, the treatment of Native Americans, and the issue of slavery and how our leaders dealt with it. Students also played a railroad simulation game where they put themselves in the shoes of a railroad boss and attempted to take over the railroad companies of all their classmates. It was a great way to learn about the history of the railroad and also work on some math skills as students bought supplies and put companies up for auction.
In World History class, students are studying Ancient Rome. The Romans had a vast empire that contributed a lot to the world in form of architecture and government. Students have made a green screen video as a class showing the era of Rome known as Pax Romana when it flourished. A green screen video is where students are able to super-impose themselves in front of historic sites like the Coliseum or the Senate. The kids had fun and learned about Rome as well as working together.
There is a lot going on in Newell-Fonda Social Studies!

Recent Projects in Social Studies

It's been a fun month in Social Studies at the high school. In United States history, students were able to create projects on any topic they wanted from chapter 3 sections 1 and 2 in the textbook. Some of the topics covered were Andrew Jackson, Women's Rights, The Underground Railroad, and the Industrial Revolution. We saw all kinds of projects. Some groups made videos, some created stick figure animations, and others made mulitmedia presentations with pictures and music. One ambitious student even created an Underground Railroad video using the Xbox video game Halo.

In World History, students have been studying Ancient Greece and Alexander the Great. The students have been making graffiti notes, presentations with video and audio, composed Greek comedies and tragedies, and even held their own classroom olympics with medals awarded to the winners. Through these activities, the students learned about the Peloponnesian War, Alexander's Empire, Greek art, and the importance of athletic competitions in the lives of Greek citizens.

In World Geography, the students have been spending their time learning about the United States and Canada and the different cultures that make up these countries. Students made projects using the 5 themes of Geography. Some groups made gameshows based on the material, others made 3 dimensional maps, and some created videos. It was good to see the students take a variety of avenues to cover the material. This month, the students were also able to have a live conversation with Dr. Cook from Crown College. Dr. Cook is an anthropologist who has studied cultures for many years while living in the Philippines and teaching at Crown College. The students were able to ask Dr. Cook questions about how to stay objective while studying people different from themselves. Dr. Cook also spoke with the students about learning and maintaining a thirst for knowledge as they continue their education.

It has been an eventful month in Newell-Fonda Social Studies and November is shaping up to be just as exciting and educational.

U.S. History

U.S. History Students,
You have now completed your research project for United States history. The next step is to reflect on the process and learn how we could improve. Using a pages document, answer the following questions completely. Once you are finished, put it into the class dropbox.

1. How did your group work go? If you could go back and choose a different group, would you? Why or why not? (5 sentences)


2. Reflect on your topic for the research project. What was easy about that topic? What was difficult about it? Give reasons. (6 sentences)


3. Think about the way you chose to do the project. Would you choose a different way if you could it again? Why or why not? (5 sentences)

4. No project is perfect. If you were the teacher, what would you change to make this project go better? You must find something to improve. (5 sentences)

World Geography

World Geo Students,
Now that you've completed your project on the United States and Canada, it's time to reflect on your work and the process. Using a pages document, please answer the following questions. Once you have fully completed the reflection, put it into the class dropbox on the server. Happy writing!

1. How did your group work together? If you could go back and do things differently, would you chose the same group? Why or why not? (5 sentences)



2. Reflect on your idea for your project. Are you happy with the idea you chose? How could you improve your idea? (5 sentences)



3. No project is perfect. Think about the whole process we've been through as a class. If you were the teacher, how would you change the way this project was done. You must find something to improve. (6 sentences)

World History

World History students. Here is the link for the online collaborative whiteboard for you to take real time notes on chapter 5 section 2. Have fun working together and being creative. Remember to save your work. Happy studying.

http://www.imaginationcubed.com/

World Geography Students

Today you will all become Mayor of your own cities! Here's the link to the Electrocity game. Have fun learning about natural resources, economics, the environment, and keeping people in your city.

http://www.electrocity.co.nz/


Happy studying.