This year has been all about removing the walls of my classroom. What this means to me is providing my students with the ability to interact with me and their classmates at any point of the day. It is unfortunate when students leave for a day or two and come back so far behind that they feel helpless. Hearing students talk about how stuck they were on the homework because the teacher didn't explain it well enough is frustrating. Even worse is teachers talking about students who they couldn't believe didn't understand the assignment for the day as they come in clueless with their half-finished homework.
My job is to make it easier for my students to understand and master the content that I am supposed to deliver. My job is not to make it a mystery as to how students are supposed to complete assignments, understand content, or pique their curiosity with whatever it is that we're covering (or not covering) during class. There are options that allow me to do this:
My job is to make it easier for my students to understand and master the content that I am supposed to deliver. My job is not to make it a mystery as to how students are supposed to complete assignments, understand content, or pique their curiosity with whatever it is that we're covering (or not covering) during class. There are options that allow me to do this:
Google Voice
There's this song, you may have heard it; maybe even had it get stuck in your head. We call it "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. In this case, I'm trying to give students and parents the easiest possible way for them to get in touch with me without compromising my personal phone number. Initially, I thought that this would be a waste of time since students don't want to talk to their teachers outside of school and parents aren't interested in talking to their child's teacher unless it's something bad. Let's be honest here - nobody wants to give their phone number out with the understanding that 90% of the calls are going to be negative. Fortunately, it's quite the contrary.
Our district's phone system is a pain, to put it nicely. We can only make local calls to land lines. Yet, in 2013, the majority of adults put their cell phones as the primary contact number on the identification card. Therefore, I'm stuck calling parents from my personal cell phone in hopes that they won't spam me with requests for updates on their child's progress (or worse).
Maybe it's just because I'm a middle school teacher, but I don't feel comfortable handing out my personal cell number for my students to use freely. My wife wouldn't be ok with it, I'm not ok with it, and that's ok with me. However, I needed a way to meet students at their level. Enter Google Voice.
By going through the simple setup process, which took about 10 minutes, I was able to get a free secondary Google Voice phone number that I can give out to students on my website, flyers and notes home, and even use to call parents without fear of the late night wakeup. Students use it to ask if I'll be in my room after school, when the homework is due, and other ways to help them help me remove the walls to the classroom. Thank you, Mr. Google.
Our district's phone system is a pain, to put it nicely. We can only make local calls to land lines. Yet, in 2013, the majority of adults put their cell phones as the primary contact number on the identification card. Therefore, I'm stuck calling parents from my personal cell phone in hopes that they won't spam me with requests for updates on their child's progress (or worse).
Maybe it's just because I'm a middle school teacher, but I don't feel comfortable handing out my personal cell number for my students to use freely. My wife wouldn't be ok with it, I'm not ok with it, and that's ok with me. However, I needed a way to meet students at their level. Enter Google Voice.
By going through the simple setup process, which took about 10 minutes, I was able to get a free secondary Google Voice phone number that I can give out to students on my website, flyers and notes home, and even use to call parents without fear of the late night wakeup. Students use it to ask if I'll be in my room after school, when the homework is due, and other ways to help them help me remove the walls to the classroom. Thank you, Mr. Google.
Remind101
Wouldn't it be nice to let parents and students know that there is a quiz coming up? How about reminding students that they need to bring their devices with them tomorrow? Even better, wouldn't it be a great tool to use if something would allow your class to know that, because you were going to be absent for a couple of days, that their assignment due date will be pushed back until the following Tuesday? Remind101 is a simple app that allows users to send out mass text blasts - it's that simple.
The capabilities and uses of Remind101 are only limited by the scope in which you apply it. Use this in your classroom for simple updates. If and when there is a threatening situation (lockdown?), send a message to the parents letting them know that everything is alright (or, if it isn't, keep them apprised). Let parents know, schoolwide, about school events and updates that are happening on campus. Create a list for field trips o clubs to include everyone that requests information.
Here's the bottom line with this one: about 87% of Americans have a cell phone. Cell phones accept text messages. Therefore, using deductive reasoning, you will be able to reach nearly 90% of your students' parents by utilizing a free tool that is Remind101. Get on it. NOW.
The capabilities and uses of Remind101 are only limited by the scope in which you apply it. Use this in your classroom for simple updates. If and when there is a threatening situation (lockdown?), send a message to the parents letting them know that everything is alright (or, if it isn't, keep them apprised). Let parents know, schoolwide, about school events and updates that are happening on campus. Create a list for field trips o clubs to include everyone that requests information.
Here's the bottom line with this one: about 87% of Americans have a cell phone. Cell phones accept text messages. Therefore, using deductive reasoning, you will be able to reach nearly 90% of your students' parents by utilizing a free tool that is Remind101. Get on it. NOW.
Edmodo
There's no mystery about this one, as we've talked about Edmodo before, but Edmodo is the best way to keep in touch with your students when the walls come down. If you know of this site called Facebook, we call Edmodo the PG version of it. It hasn't received a G rating because there is still some Professional Guidance that is suggested when using it, but there are plenty of ways for you, as an educator, to monitor what the class is discussing all within the main thread.
Recently, while I was out sick, I was able to maintain constant contact and conversation with students who needed clarification and someone to bounce questions off of through the use of Edmodo. It is not mystery as to why my students feel more connected in my classroom, and out of it, compared to all of their other classes combined. Using this regulated social media tool, students are feeling much better about asking the most relevant or irrelevant questions about anything from homework to why I was missing a day of school to letting me know who was misbehaving while the substitute was holding down the fort. What it's all about is getting together and feeling alright about working as a group!
Recently, while I was out sick, I was able to maintain constant contact and conversation with students who needed clarification and someone to bounce questions off of through the use of Edmodo. It is not mystery as to why my students feel more connected in my classroom, and out of it, compared to all of their other classes combined. Using this regulated social media tool, students are feeling much better about asking the most relevant or irrelevant questions about anything from homework to why I was missing a day of school to letting me know who was misbehaving while the substitute was holding down the fort. What it's all about is getting together and feeling alright about working as a group!
ShowMe
The love is there. No really, I think I'm in love with ShowMe. When students had a question in the past, they were left with the only option of hoping that they could find me before school starts the following day. If they were really lucky, I would give them a YouTube video to watch if they needed a little help. This year, I have started the concept of the flipped classroom, but that hasn't been enough for everyone and hasn't fulfilled every void in learning. Every now and then, there needs to be more. This is where ShowMe comes in. Don't get me wrong by thinking that ShowMe is simply a gap filler used as the grease that keeps the cog moving.
Instead, using ShowMe as a supplement to the flipped classroom, Edmodo, Remind101, and other resources, the walls of the classroom are virtually destroyed. There have been numerous lessons that, no matter what I thought of it, students didn't completely understand. It's called life and I need to accept it. My way of accepting it is that if students don't understand, they shoot me a message on Edmodo. Once I get the message, I can easily create a quick video using ShowMe and have it ready for them in no time.
In the case of the "Pink Eye Teacher" that I was playing the role of this week, ShowMe saved my class from the Death By Worksheet mentality of a substitute. In fact, the only reason there needed to be a sub in the first place was to take attendance and maintain order. Students logged into Edmodo on their devices, got out their notebooks, and watched the assigned video that I had created to ensure that we stayed on track with our intended schedule.
What this lesson showed me was that there are no walls to room 205 and that I shouldn't be uncomfortable with being out of the classroom. I truly believe that online learning is a waste of time for elementary, middle, and high school students, but there are times where a blended learning environment would work best for some students. Utilizing apps like ShowMe allows the instructor to intervene immediately and support with visuals, drawings, and screencasting that you couldn't do before. Plus, the love is felt by every device, unlike other screencasting apps out there.
Instead, using ShowMe as a supplement to the flipped classroom, Edmodo, Remind101, and other resources, the walls of the classroom are virtually destroyed. There have been numerous lessons that, no matter what I thought of it, students didn't completely understand. It's called life and I need to accept it. My way of accepting it is that if students don't understand, they shoot me a message on Edmodo. Once I get the message, I can easily create a quick video using ShowMe and have it ready for them in no time.
In the case of the "Pink Eye Teacher" that I was playing the role of this week, ShowMe saved my class from the Death By Worksheet mentality of a substitute. In fact, the only reason there needed to be a sub in the first place was to take attendance and maintain order. Students logged into Edmodo on their devices, got out their notebooks, and watched the assigned video that I had created to ensure that we stayed on track with our intended schedule.
What this lesson showed me was that there are no walls to room 205 and that I shouldn't be uncomfortable with being out of the classroom. I truly believe that online learning is a waste of time for elementary, middle, and high school students, but there are times where a blended learning environment would work best for some students. Utilizing apps like ShowMe allows the instructor to intervene immediately and support with visuals, drawings, and screencasting that you couldn't do before. Plus, the love is felt by every device, unlike other screencasting apps out there.
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