STEM? NOT!

Forewarning...this post is not about differentiation...and very much about a frustration, I am feeling.

Let us talk...STEM or STEAM....
         It is the catchword of education right now.  If you mention it in a blog, Pinterest board, lesson then it is an immediate download, & liked a few hundred times. You get the gist! STEM is the bee's knees right now.

UNFORTUNATELY....many are labeling items as STEM or STEAM and it isn't.
My frustration,
        **Too many times, good strategies, educational techniques, etc. go to the way of "that didn't work" when it is diluted, used incorrectly, and slapped as a label on anything that might come close.

I see this happening with STEM.
Science 
Technology
Engineering
Math

STEM is NOT just having unconnected lessons or activities for each subject. 
STEM is NOT an experiment.
STEM is NOT just opening a computer and coding.
STEM is NOT cutesy activities.
STEM is NOT a prescribed step by step lesson where all students are going to end up with the same outcome.

SO WHAT IS IT THEN....
It is integrating the subjects to show that life isn't put into individual boxes.
It is looking for problems that can be solved using knowledge and study using all these subjects.
It is creatively producing a solution by engineering new or adjusted products.
It is using each discipline to enhance the learning, producing, and reporting a solution to the problem set forth.

I think the biggest misunderstanding is that you can separate out the disciplines or make it controlled.
You as the facilitating educator, have a great opportunity to ask questions, watch great minds develop remarkable solutions that may be completely new or a re-envisioned old solution. Give the ultimate answer to the question, "Why do I need to learn this anyway?"  When we give our students the time to analyze, strategize, synthesis, and create...they answer that question for themselves while developing problem-solving strategies rather than expecting the world to solve their problems for themselves. I don't know about you, BUT those are the students I want to send out into the future.

Dot Cubes Games

Rollin', rollin', rollin' get them dice a rollin'... (Sung to the tune of the theme of Rawhide)

Hi, my name is Kim Remmers and I have an dice addiction!

As you can see, I have a few.

How many people have played Tenzi? (Raising hands won't help here. But a shout out in the comments would.) It is a simple yet engaging game.  While at The Nebraska Association for Gifted (NAG) conference several years ago I learned about it.  Now, we play it in my classroom every so often to practice vocabulary, fact practice, concept review.... As soon as the students see me pull out the box (pictured in the left hand corner of the picture above), they immediately get excited.

I have to confess here, I have bought a couple sets of actually Tenzi die and I have the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi card set.  I love the ideas they spark! However, I am a poor teacher and pastor's wife who wanted 30 sets.  I did find somewhere on the vast internet where I could buy die in bulk.  I wish I could remember where I found them. Sorry! Racked the brain and no such luck. I always have enough for each student to have their own.

THE BASICS: 

Basically, to play the game you roll all ten die and look for a specific number or combination of numbers.  As you find them, you put them to the side.  In the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi, you can find various ways to stack, place, or form pictures with the die. I will share some ideas here later. Once you have all the die with a particular number or pattern, then you shout out, "TENZI!"

WAYS TO PLACE THE DIE:

1. Boneyard pile - simply shoved to the side.
2. Tower - stack one on top of the other.  If they fall, you start over.
3. Pyramid - four on the bottom, 3 next level up, 2 die then finally 1 at the top (I have seen where the number of dots matched the level.)
4. Assending or Desending - start with 1 and 6. (only need 6 die)
5. Double Trouble - two sets of die
        *pattern: alternating pattern (AB or AABB or AAB)
        *larger pyramid or tower
6. Picture patterns: 77 Ways to Play Tenzi (They are not paying me, I just feel they should get credit.) contains cards that have a pattern in which to place the die. The students could make their own.

QUICK START IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM:

1. Vocabulary practice - Rote disguised as fun! Everyone looks for a particular number, lets say 2s.  As they find a two they say the word and definition.  Guess what they have said it about 10 times by the end. Next word, new number.

2. Fact practice - Simular as above but as they find the number they say the fact they need to practice.  This can be done where they say the same fact or a series.  In a series, they would say, 1X9 is 9; next time they roll the correct die they say 2X9 is 18.  For each die they do the next fact.  Four die in the pile means the fact is 4X___ is ___.  I always write on the board the number we are trying to roll and the target practice.

3. Partner Quiz - This is another way to do the above.  The first partner to roll the given number or has the most of that number gives a vocabulary word or fact.  The other partner must respond with the definition or answer.
    Alternative play: There is only one set of die between the pair.  One person rolls and quizes the partner with the same number of  vocabulary or facts as the amount of die with the specific number on them. The other partner answers that many questions then roles switch. They can create a pile of used die or all 10 are always rolled.

Want more ideas? I have a resource coming to Teacher Pay Teacher with additional ideas and resources to use with sets of die.  The games are explained in more detail with direction cards incase you would like to use it as a center/station.

HAPPY ROLLIN'

Newest Read

The post title is a bit misleading as I have not technically been "reading" Ron Clark's The End of Molasses Classes.  I actually listen to it now and again. That is what I did on this first day of 2017 during my 3 hour drive home from Hays, Kansas this morning.

https://www.amazon.com/End-Molasses-Classes-Unstuck-101-Extraordinary/dp/1451639740

A couple points made me think about my teaching and how I can take what Ron Clark has to say into my classroom.

*Study Skills - Be delibrate in teaching them! DUH! I think I have done it.  Then I listened to his suggestions like taking one page of notes and ask the students to show you how they studied.  WOW! What you will see will be amazing.  So....looking myself in the mirror so to speak. I have NOT taught them quality study skills.  

    My goal: taking time each day to spend 5 minutes to delibrately teach these skills.

   How does this play into differentiation?? 

      Some of your students will need to have an outline that gives them the specifics and how to do this without your direct help.  Others have never needed to study, my husband.  They need to be made to study because when they get to college it may not be so easy.  So, how do you get them to see that it is important?  They need to be given deeper learning, higher language/vocabulary.  Anything that is just out of their reach so they have to engage their brain.  *Write a summary of the notes adding how this concept will change their life or be useful.  *Write a 7 word jingle or gist that will help them remember it.  *Find synonyms or antonyms to vocabulary and explain how knowing these alternatives help them to understand the original word.

*Use Music - Well, I do this but in the book it pushes it to new heights. I have even given them a choice of writing a rap or song for a project.  I have only had a couple kids actually do this.  But if the entire class worked together to develop a song that reviews or teaches a concept then it will STICK.  Again, nothing new, but a reminder that there are things we can take to deeper learning if we invest just a bit more.

     My goal: In our next social studies unit, I plan to use this technique to have students engrain the causes of the Revolutionary War.  I am sure there are songs out there. But if the students do it, it will stick.

   How does this play into differentiation?? 

     Use students talents...someone is good at writing, another has rhyme down to a science, the music lover can suggest a tune to write the song to, and the musician has rhythm or musical note knowledge to add to the project.  Everyone has a place to add what they are good at doing.

Here's the deal....

    SMALL STEPS  => BIG GAINS

  Sometimes as teachers we get a new book or go to PD and want to do it all.  FIND the one or two tweaks to your instruction.  If you go in a 180 degree directions the likelihood of you continuing is not in your favor.  Looking for that small tweak or addition that works into what you already do well, then you will come out on the side of success.  That is best practice for you and your students!!

As always, I would love to have comments, especially if you have read this book or visited RCA. 

Kim

Poverty Brains in the Classroom - Final post

Eric Jensen's books go into so much more detail than I have provided in these posts.  If these have sparked any interest, please take time to read his books.  As a classroom teacher, I found his new one, Poor Students, Rich Teachering, especially helpful.

ENGAGEMENT

This is an area that I personally excel.  It simply comes naturally to me.  So, as I started this chapter I was simply reading it to complete the book.  Yes, many of his thoughts were not new to me and probably many of you as Marzano's research and books along with Anita Archer are widely respected.  However, I still found new bits of information.  If classroom management or engagement are a growth area for you, I highly suggest looking into this last chapter of  Poor Students, Rich Teachering.  

IDEAS:

(#1 & 2 are part of reciprocal teaching.  It has 0.74 effect size. This is an area I want to grow as a teacher.)

1. Creating a quiz...I do have my students create tests/quizzes and use them as a grade.  This activity will be added to that arsenal of tools.  Partners work together and each student creates 3 questions.  They share their questions and eliminate one from each persons list.  Then each partner set, finds another partner set.  They exchange questions.  I may change the way it is done a bit by  having the partners only eliminate one question giving them 5 as a set.  If it is used as a test then I would probably have them find another set to exchange with as well for a total of 10 questions.  Yes, they may end up with repeated questions.  I don't worry about that.  

2. Clarifying Content...This is something as teachers I believe we do but just not regularly enough.  Or at least this teacher doesn't.   Ask questions such as: Can you rephrase that in your own words? What questions does this reading bring to your mind?  How would you explain that to someone else?  In my classroom, I could see this working into my students journals.  At the start of the year, I would have them write out to one of these for various passages/content. Each time write, then discuss it with a partner or group.  Finally take a few answers as whole class.  After several of these types of questions have been used, I would start giving them the choice for which they want to write an answer.  (I have been doing some GenX research and choice IS KEY!!)

3. Rituals...Chapter 22 goes into rituals and routines. It states that rituals: solve recurring problems, include all students, easy to do, predictable, end with a positive emotional state.  (Note: procedures may meet some of these criteria but do not meet all.)  Examples are callbacks and celebrations.  I have several of both of these, but this year found the celebrations lagging than my norm.  What off the wall, unique celebrations do you do?  

I wish I would have read the epilogue first! It really digs into reflective practice through questioning.  

It also provides a nicely put together checklist to use.  

Kim

Achievement Mindset

Achievement Mindset

How do we develop a drive, motivation, or foster effort for learning in our students?

Too be honest, this would have been the largest issue I faced this past year.  A class full of students who simply put little to no effort into their work.  
(Note: This portion is going to be extremely simpified.  Each of these items has its own full chapter in the  Poor Student, Rich Teacher book by Eric Jensen.)

1. Offer choice...A good start but effect size is only 0.48

2. Teacher mindset about who can and cannot achieve has a greater impact than IQ, socioeconomic status, or reading ability.  WOW! Take time to reflect on that.  WE HAVE GREAT POWER to MOTIVATE! (Chpt 10 discusses our modeling of high achievement thinking)

3. Providing high true relevancy to learning

4. Effective feedback = effect size .65 (chpt 11) We all know the 3 positives to 1 negative.  Plus, the use of specific tasks not just the general, "Well done." phrasing.   Interesting parts of this chapter was that formative assessment that is used as a learning tool for the students has an effect size of 0.90.  Using statements such as... "I like the way you used ____strategy on that problem."  Even to go further and ask why or how they chose that strategy reinforces the positive use of their learning.  Mentioning to students when you see them using a positive attitude going into a new concept, gives them strength as well.

5. GUTSY GOALS - get ready....1.44 effect size!!  (Chpt 9) The kicker is starting from day 1 of the new school year and setting what may seem like a unattainable goal in conjunction with very attainable small bites (steps).  This will be my Proffessional Goal again this year as I did not get to where I want to be with it last year.  In fact, I went backwards a bit from what I had done in the past.

How do you use goals within your classroom?  Which one of these can you improve upon or already do well?  

Lets change lives through providing students with all they need so they can't help but achieve!!

Kim

What would you do with this spinner?

 

SOOOO....many ideas floating through my head!

 

Found in Oriental Trading carnival catalog 2013.

Okay...so, I bought this along with one of my teaching partners from last year.  
Here are the ideas I have so far:

 

lining up...spin for who gets to line up

active learning ... Each team sends up a representative to spin to see which problem 

they will work on first.  Once they complete that answer, they can check with

the teacher or other answer holder.  If it is correct, spin and do the next

problem. If not, team tries again.

points....I give points for doing the right thing.  I imagine having a "secret" behavior

for the week or day and spinning to see how many points it is worth.  Normally,

students earn one point at a time.

review game...the same as the active learning but maybe the students complete

the review problem individually. Then discuss as teams how they

came to their answers.  Great resource, I just downloaded and printed,

are discussion cards that each team can use to help deepen conversations.
multiplication practice... center idea...spin for two numbers then multiply.
coordinate practice...center idea...spin two numbers find the plot. 
 

There were two more ideas...they are now lost somewhere in the grey matter

contained within my cranium. 

 

Now I want to pick your brains...

HOW WOULD YOU USE THIS IN

YOUR CLASSROOM?

 

Kim



How did a post about Cleaning up music TURN to rewards systems?

"Clean up, Clean up, everybody do your share...."  

   I have to confess, I use to sing that song regularly in kindergarten.  When I taught kindergarten...I am too old to remember what I did or sang in kindergarten. Now, in the intermediate grades I use music but it is on a cd. I am NOT singing. (Kindergarteners are very forgiving...4th graders not so much!)  However, I do dance in class. (For a future blog)

    A parent was impressed when I turned on a song at the end of a party last year and the kids hit the floor until the song was done.  The magic song...(drum roll in my head)..."Yakity, Yak." Now you know I am old!  Actually, I decided to google it.  It is definitively old! It came out in 1958 by The Coasters.  So, 8 years before me. But it WORKS! They hear "Take out the papers and the trash..." and they know it is time to get the room clean. (I tried linking the album cover to amazon.com.)

   Music is used for transitions in the room as well.  Weird Al's early works are amusing for the 4th and 5th graders.  "Just Eat It" before lunch is a favorite.  Maybe it has more to do with lining up for lunch.  All kinds of TV show and cartoon themes are a hit as well.  I used Mission Impossible in kindergarten when cleaning up after math centers or Daily 5.  The para in the room at that time, LOVED it!  I chose that one because there were days that I thought the mission of cleaning up would be impossible, but they always proved me wrong by the end of the clip!

   Lately, I have been looking for great songs to simply play softly in the background that convey positive character traits or uplifting messages.  "Fireworks" is a newly acquired song.  I use many Disney movie songs:  "A Whole New World,"  "Just Around the River Bend,"  "Be Our Guest," and many others.  I just heard one by Brit Nicole about how special "you" are.  I think it is called "Gold."
Some oldies like Bobby Bear's "Daddy What If" convey a message I want them to understand, "There is someone who cares that much."  So many of our children do not hear that enough.

    My husband's sermon last weekend (4/29/13) was centered around the song by Whitney Houston, "Greatest Love of All."  Top hit of my time.  The gist of the sermon was that it is not all about you.  We have moments where we celebrate certain people like graduations and confirmations.  However, for a fulfilled life, it is not about ourselves.  When we are all about loving ourselves, life is not going to be all that it can be.  Houston's song is about loving oneself.   (Okay, I can hear the teachers now...what about have a good self esteem?)  Let me ask, where has giving every child an award for just showing up to the Y athletes gotten us? We have young adults who believe it is just "owed" to them for showing up.  No work needed.  I believe we do a disservice to our students when we do not note and award true growth and effort. Teaching students to work towards rewards who are being trained to change behaviors/social skills is another area when rewards can be used or misused. 
    ....Lets get back on track!  The point I was headed towards before the unexpected right turn is that the sermon made me think about not only instilling positive character traits but also to find songs that will plant a seed of charity to others and building relationships that build up.  I have been on the look out for family values (positive songs about parent and child relationships like Will Smith's rap "Just the Two

  of  Us.") and  music strengthening friendships.  Girls especially need help seeing how to create an atmosphere of cooperation.  The friendship ones are harder to find.  

 

    It takes time but is worth it. Music can play a major part of your classroom or home.  Every weekend, I woke up to hear classical music.  It soothed and smoothed the mornings. I am sure that was in my mom's plan.  Later in the day, current or 60's music played. It was more upbeat and many times dancing occurred.  I still find myself using dance music to uplift my mood.  Music touches the soul of all.  I encourage you to use it and share your finds especially ones about friendships.  Oh....JUST thought about the Disney movie Fox and Hound.  Need to go google its soundtrack.  Chat later....

 

Kim

  

PS.  I just found out that Eric Jensen has a book on Amazon all about music for the classroom. Top Tunes for Teaching  Check it out! It is in my cart as I type.
   
  

Reuse, recycle, repurpose...lamination ends....

Hi Fabulous Five....(I have decided to give my first faithful five a name.)

Today, we were working on our story problems and I realized I should share our "invisible" sheets with the world.  Or the five that follow at least.... 

   A while back I was frustrated because I teach word problems using Singapore Math.  The best way by far because when the students follow the steps it takes the words out and replaces them with a diagram/bar usually.  Look up Singapore Model Drawing. (This link is to another site that gives a brief explanation.)  The issue is we do not use Singapore Math, we have Saxon.  Therefore, we have wonderful heavy and large textbooks for my kiddos, into which they cannot write. To be successful with Model Drawing, it is VERY helpful to be able to underline and make marks on the problem. 
   I have used slip sleeves sliced on a long side for sliding the textbook page into.  This became an issue every time it had to be moved.  Some could not put it on and off with out big ordeal.  This year I started out using transparencies.  We have several sitting around now that all rooms have projectors and document cameras.  They are nice because they are heavier and perfect size. However, students seem to have an issue keeping them where they can be found again.  I am sure you do not have the issue.  This was becoming a costly endeavor.
   One day while gathering up my laminating job, it came to me....recycle, reuse, repurpose!  There it was, a large sheet of laminating film at the end.  I cut it into thirds and WAALAAA....extra "invisible" sheets! 
    As you can see from the picture above it looks like the students are writing in their textbooks with Expo markers.  Hence, the name invisible sheets.  When used as often as they should be, they do become cloudy.  Not a problem...just go grab a new one out of the bin.  There is always extra laminating.
   Alternative uses:
       Put over printing, cursive or number writing pages to save paper, use in stead of personal white boards (this is done often when a white board is misplaced), use in an anthology to mark passages or indicate where questions popped up, tape to the desk for message center, as a window into a box to watch the chicks....

WHAT ideas can you think of to use the extra laminating film? 

Cannot wait to hear all the great ideas!

Kim

Math Vocabulary meets Pantomime

It is nearing the end of the year.  Though you would have thought we were at the end since before 4th quarter started!! Students are needing even MORE active learning to keep engagement at 90% level my district is striving to obtain.  So......

equivalent  

equilateral triangle

Hmmm...forgot which word they were. 

 I just loved laughter and pure fun they were having in

this picture.

What do you think the vocabulary word was for this one?

(think about it... I am sure you can telepathically see me

pointing to my temple as a signal to not respond.)

x

X

x

X

x

X

x

X 

x

X

x

(think time......)

 

"1, 2, 3..tell me."

(Again, I am sure you saw the signal for speak!  :) )

YES! Denominator



I have a great group of future pantomimes! They did a terrific job. Only once or twice was it hard to figure out the vocabulary word.
   I am getting to be a proficient teacher of math vocabulary, solid 3. I decided in February after a quick exit ticket activity that we REALLY needed to focus on vocabulary EVERY DAY!  It has been working.  This was just one way we have practiced.  They love to toss the ball to music and review as well and vocabulary bingo.
   Now, I know I cannot open my student's brains and see if they were at 90% engaged when participating as the audience.  However, because of their interactions, I know they were paying attention better than just sitting and listening to me!  I would have been marked high for engagement when the groups were deciding what to do with their vocabulary word.  I would have dropped fast when they were watching as a whole group.  If you want to keep the "score" for engagement high, have your students pair with another group and show just them.  The "audience" would then be actively guessing together.  The groups would keep moving around the room until they have done their pantomime for everyone.

   Have fun building vocabulary connections inside your student's brains!
      Kim