Hour of Code in a Language Arts class?

After hearing about Hour of Code - I decided to dedicate an hour with my 7th grade Reading/Writing class to explore...

They had a blast, and the range of emotions experienced by these kids was fantastic...they were excited, frustrated, challenged, surprised, determined....and not one of them gave up! All of my students finished and got the certificate to prove it!!

They offered help, accepted help and did not give up!!

 After completion they went to their Kidblog pages and reflected on the experience....you can view those blog posts here: Mrs. Rahn's Kidblog page

I think their words say it all:

    

        "I’ve just completed The Hour of Code. At first I enjoyed it and didn’t have to think much about what I was doing. It was very fun but then as I got to the end it got difficult and hard. It required lots of thinking and time. Finally I had finished. I had written 116 lines of code and finished all the 20 levels of code. I was amazed at myself, I thought I would’ve never finished, but I did. I got a certificate that said I had successfully completed “The Hour of Code."

        "My hour of code was very challenging but I got through it and beat the challenge. I exited out to fast so I did not see how many hour of codes I got. But I know I didn’t do so well until a friend showed me on 10/20 then after that I did all by myslef and I did great. I liked this activity today. I really do believe that computers are the next generation to life. They really are amazing, they have thousands and thousands of activites on the internet."

         "I thought The Hour of Code would be hard! No way, not with my smart brain! The Hour of Code was pretty hard, but admit it, it wasn’t that bad. It was fun and a good experience!" 

       "You can call me clutch because I  just finished the hour of code. It was not that hard, but it was a little challenging and frustrating, but I got through it and completed it. It was fun and thought provoking which I like. It also looked very simple to do, but it was harder than I thought it would have been. So just to say I completed it felt good. Soo you can call me clutch."

     "I wrote 109 lines of code, it was so much fun... kinda. At first i didn't want to do it because it sounded dumb and hard, but it was not that hard and really fun! I cant wait to do lines of code again! Have you ever done lines of code? I really want to do it again i loved it so much!!!"

"I loved the hour of code. It was really hard but I completed it with 154  lines. Some of them were harder than the others. If you did it how many lines did you get?I was suprised how hard it was. I thought it was going to be really easy but it was not. I really liked it. I hope I can do it again."

"Right before I posted this post, I did "an hour of code" or something, and programed a character to travel to the goal 20 TIMES IN A ROW! when I first started I was like "oh... well I'm gonna fail" then a while after I was like "you're kidding me, this is like playing a video game (I'm pretty good at video games)"

I teach English classes full of reading and writing activities - and today we explored computer programming and coding. The kids were reading, using higher level thinking skills, reflecting on their decisions, analyzing the next move, predicting what might happen, drawing conclusions, making inferences, determining cause and effect relationships....sounds like English class to me!

And then they reflected on the experience through writing - on their blogs - for an authentic audience!

Hour of Code in Mrs. Rahn's class. Higher order thinking skills...here we come! pic.twitter.com/vUdHnpZ59F
— Blue Ridge MS (@BRMSbulldogs) December 12, 2013

It was a great day in Mrs. Rahn's Classroom - developing 21st Century Skills! 

Talking About Books...In Person and Through a Screen

I truly didn't start to love reading until late elementary school, or possibly even middle school. It was around that time that I found YA literature and there was no turning back. The best part and the happiest memories were trading books with my friends and talking about them.

What surprised us, what we laughed about, what made us sad...Some of our teenage sleepovers actually included sitting around and reading books, trading them and talking about them.

As this school year began and I made the move to teaching 7th grade English, those middle school memories came rushing back. I soon realized that I was faced with the 21st century tween/teen. They were raised with screens - TV screens, computer screens, video game screens, cell phone screens and the book screens (Kindles/Nooks). The idea of sitting and reading a book was not at the top of the priority list for most of these students. These kids were abandoning books left and right...just not able to find a good book that would keep their interest.

And so we began our first book clubs of 7th grade. I introduced a pile of books that I had read over the summer - in preparation for the move to middle school - did book talks and did what I could to sell these kids on these books. I wanted them to read, but a selling point was that they would be able to "talk" about the book after with others that had also read it. That first round of book clubs went well, the kids enjoyed the books and the conversation afterwards.

They were looking forward to the next book clubs, and I was trying to figure out how to add to the experience for them.

I love technology and enjoy finding innovative ways to weave tech tools into classroom instruction. After a #litjourney twitterchat and some pondering about how to move book clubs into the 21st century, I decided to pursue online discussion forums for my students. I wanted to give them more opportunities to collaborate, communicate and create discussions around real books.

some screenshots of student discussions online...

I discussed the possibilities with our Technology Teacher at school and explored on my own. We use a Moodle based virtual classroom and discussion forums were available within the virtual platform. I created a discussion forum for each book that we were currently reading; shared with the students, and they were off and running! (Click on the picture above for a larger image)


One of my most resistant readers was one of the first to post in the discussion forum, and he did it from home! The kids were excited about this, and as I shared during the next class what was happening virtually, more students were interested and more posts were coming.

We are continuing to have our face-to-face book club meetings, but with this added feature, there is more discussion and the discussion about literature is happening at all hours of the day and night. I am receiving online posts from the breakfast table, at midnight on Friday night, Sunday morning, and throughout the afterschool evening hours.

The reactions from the students have been fun to watch. Some took to the excitement of talking about books through a computer right away, and wanted to try it out. Others had to be convinced.

As we continue to move students into the 21st century and help them create, collaborate and communicate - we need to provide opportunities for them to have meaningful discussions. I'm looking forward to more analytical book discussions, whether it be online or face-to face.

Motivating students to read, and giving them a variety of ways to share their reading is a facet of my classroom that I hope to see grow as the students grow in their exploration of literature and their communication skills!

Microsoft PIL Continues to make dreams come true!

 

Those that know me, know that teaching is one of my passions! I’ve been playing school and teaching since I was about 8 years old. I’ve taught 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades. This year I made the jump to middle school and am teaching 7^th grade English. My passion for teaching is as strong now as that first year that I got hired – 24 years ago.

Three years ago, I was in the right place at the right time, and was able to embark on an adventure that changed my teaching life! Little did I know that the experience that I had would continue to change the way that I teach on a daily basis, and then provide me with another experience of a lifetime.

Microsoft Partners in Learning makes teachers feel important! The Microsoft Education group understands how to support teachers and provide the resources and morale building that keeps us going. In July, 2011 I was invited to be a participant in the Microsoft Partners in Learning U.S. Forum in Redmond, Washington. As stated earlier, the week that I spent at the Microsoft Headquarters changed my life. I met new people, networked with teachers from around the U.S. and formed connections with Microsoft Education executives. I returned feeling like I could conquer the teaching world, armed with new ideas of how to integrate technology into the classroom, and looking forward to continuing the relationships that I formed at the Forum. 

Fast forward three years…

I am definitely a changed teacher. I have challenged myself, set goals and achieved them, and found new dreams that I am reaching for. I have become an innovative teacher, a teacher always on the lookout for new technology tools and ways to integrate them into the classroom. Upon returning from Redmond in 2011, I set up a Twitter account and have continued to connect with many of the educators that I met in 2011, while also finding a whole new world of connected educators that can offer support and ideas.

I have remained in contact with the Microsoft Executives that I met, including Andrew Ko (GM of Microsoft Partners in Learning), and formed new relationships with local Microsoft Executives. I am continually amazed by the support of the Microsoft Corporation and their commitment to education. During the 2012-13 school year, I partnered with Microsoft and Dell and created a 1:1 computer classroom. In spring of 2013, my class was invited to the local Microsoft Store in Tysons Corner, VA for a field trip to share projects and experience firsthand some of the newest Microsoft technology. The Microsoft Store Staff went WAY above and beyond to make that day in May, a day that my fourth grade students would NEVER forget. Again, teaching and education is important to Microsoft!! 

Upon hearing that Microsoft Education was launching a new Expert Educator program, I was encouraged by those around me to apply to become a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE). I was excited to begin the application process, which involved a lot of self-reflecting and analysis of how I am a teacher that uses technology in innovative ways. Through that application process, I learned even more about myself and became even more excited about what I do in my classroom. I submitted the application with a project that I had done with my fourth grade students, unsure of the results, but knowing just from the application process I had again grown as an educator. 

About a week ago, I found out that I was selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert – class of 2014. I was shocked! 

The list of about 260 educators from around the world reads like the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. I am going to be one of 26 United States educators traveling to the Microsoft Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain in March of 2014. I am a member of “Team USA.” It’s still a little surreal, and hard to believe that someone thinks that I am one of the best.

I can’t believe that I am going to get another experience of a lifetime. Microsoft treats teachers like Rock Stars! (Here is the blog post that I did in 2011, upon returning from the 2011 Microsoft PIL Forum) I am so excited to be part of this great community that will come together in March to share ideas and learn about innovative technology.  It’s only been 7 days, but already I’m reconnecting with familiar faces from 2011, and meeting new ones. This global community is amazing, and I can’t wait to meet these people face to face in Barcelona.

I am so excited about this experience, and so proud to represent my school - Blue Ridge Middle School, my district - Loudoun County Public Schools and the state of Virginia on the Global stage in Barcelona, in March!

Thank you Microsoft Partners in Learning for caring about teachers, and providing opportunities to network and learn from educators around the world!!

New Dreams Ahead...

     As I look ahead to the new school year and reflect back on the last 23 years of teaching, I’ve realized that I am still that same 21 year old teacher who thinks she can change the world! This coming year will bring a lot of changes and many NEW opportunities…new school, new curriculum, new colleagues, new age group, new administration, but as I spend this summer preparing…I’ve realized one thing will stay the same. I will find ways to reach the students and share my joy of learning with them. I will find ways to get them excited about coming to school, and provide opportunities for them to be in control of their learning.

     Many people have asked why I am making the transition from Elementary School Teacher to Middle School Teacher.  I knew it was time for a change. I grew up a military brat and had lived in 10 different states/countries before I turned 18. In my 23 years of teaching I have taught 4 different grade levels in two different schools and at least 10 different classrooms over the years. I like change and I thrive on the excitement and the challenge of doing something different. Blame it on my parents, but if I am not provided opportunities for change, I create my own! 

     The biggest changes I have made in my classroom over the past 3 years have been with the use of technology.  I’ve been thinking about my first classroom 23 years ago, and started thinking about how much the use of technology has changed in just 23 years. I remember back to September of 1990 when I got hired, and how, even then I was finding ways to be innovative with technology. I was hired after school had already started, as an extra class to ease overcrowding. My classroom had no school computer (one was coming) and when I did get that computer…it was on a cart and could be wheeled around the room. I wasn’t satisfied with that, so I brought in an OLD computer from home that had a few math games on it and a simple word processing program. I even brought in an old printer to hook up to it.  My students needed more technology and I was going to find a way to get it for them.

     The school system eventually upgraded to the 4 computers in the classroom model, and a computer lab. That was an exciting time – we didn’t know what to do with a 4 computer model. About that time teachers were being encouraged to communicate through email and my principal was trying to figure out a way to send emails to teachers instead of paper memos…and make sure they got read. We had a paper list of all the teachers email addresses, and I loved the idea of being able to send another teacher a message without leaving my classroom.  I loved the availability of taking my whole class to the computer lab and having them all complete the same activity (at the same time) on the computers. I thought I was in heaven.

     We then progressed to getting Alphasmarts – the kids could word process on a device, then hook it up to one of the computers in the back of the room and upload their document into Word. Now…more kids could be composing on the computer at one time.  I took full advantage of those, and we were all creating and collaborating at our desks with our version of “laptops.” Each student was making choices and not relying on the one single activity. They were beginning to be in charge of their learning.

     We then moved into the 21^st century and the schools received carts full of true laptops. The laptops were networked and fully functioned in Wireless mode. This is when my eyes opened with what kids are capable when given the chance. Change is good and I began to dream big!

     I then had the professional development opportunity that changed my teaching life forever. I traveled outside of my district, across the country and found out what other teachers were doing. I discovered what was available and came back changed. I’ve talked about Microsoft Partners in Learning before, and could talk about it forever if given the opportunity, but the Microsoft Corporation cares about education and encourages teachers to dream big and make changes in the way they teach.

     That was right up my alley; I am a dreamer and will fight for what I believe is best for my students. I also can’t teach the same way two years in a row. I need to change what I do every year. I was very lucky, and able to work with Microsoft during the 2012-13 school year to pilot a 1:1 computing program for my students. My students beamed with pride as they created and collaborated on projects throughout the year that many of their parents wouldn’t be able to complete without extensive directions. I was able to witness once again what can happen if you dream big and work to make those dreams a reality.

      Walt Disney says, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I’ve lived by that motto for the past 23 years of teaching.  If I believe in something, I will do my best to make it happen.  As I move to middle school I am creating a whole new list of dreams for my students. I will leave behind my 1:1 computing classroom, and go back to the laptop carts and computer labs, but I will not stop asking questions and helping my students to achieve in ways that they didn’t think possible. I will continue to find ways to innovate in the classroom and help develop those 21^st century skills. I will continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone to explore different ways to bring technology into the middle school classroom.

     I’m excited about what lays ahead, and can’t wait to see what new dreams can be achieved for me and my students!

Windows 8 in 4th Grade -

Using Technology as a tool to enhance instruction has been on my mind a lot lately. It's not about the "toy," but about how the teacher uses the various technologies to engage students and work to improve student outcomes.

I am repeatedly saying how lucky I am to have been invited to participate in a Microsoft Partners in Learning Forum, but also how lucky I am to continue to be part of the PIL family and receive support from the teachers that I have met through Microsoft, and the Microsoft executives involved in PIL.

One of the focuses this year in my classroom has been to explore 1:1 computing and the various ways it can improve student outcomes across the curriculum. Student engagement has stood out as a big change, once a computer was in the hands of every student.

This generation of students is the video-game/I-pod generation. They all have screens at home that they turn to every day - before and after school. They are "tuned in" to the latest technology toys on the market today.

When I presented Windows 8 to them, one of the first things that they wanted to explore was the personalized start screen. They loved being able to pick what to pin to the start screen; to pick the color and background style that they wanted. The Live Tiles were a big hit, especially once they discovered the built-in camera and could have a tile with their picture on it. Many of them have the Weather App pinned, and are quick to tell me what the temperature is outside as we prepare for recess. My sports oriented kids have the Sports App pinned, and love keeping up with the latest scores of their favorite teams. Many times I hear morning conversations about sports as they are turning on their computers and looking at the live Sports tile. 

They love being able to pin their favorite websites to the start screen. As we go to different sites that the kids know we will visit frequently, they pin it to the start screen for quick access.

Being able to organize the tiles to suit their needs is another highlight to these kids, once they figured out they could move them around. They each have come up with their own unique way of arranging  the tiles, and frequently rearrange them during free time. Some have websites on one side, and productivity tools on another. Some have the Apps that they visit lumped together, and then websites mixed in with the tools. The great part of this is that EVERY Windows 8 Start Screen is different and represents the individual response to learning.

Here are some of our Windows 8 Start Screens - as of April 9...

By being able to personalize thier start screen on the computer, these students have taken ownership of  an aspect of their learning. They are feeling in control of what they are doing, and where they are going. Something so small as choosing the background color has excited some of these students and made them WANT to work on a project or practice math facts on an interactive website. Pinning the class Blog to the start screen has motivated them to write more entries and comment more frequently.

This is just one little piece of the Windows 8/ 1:1 computing experience that is having an effect on student engagement and improving student outcomes!

For some of these students who were not engaged in their learning, and were not excited about math or writing or reading....a personalized start screen on a computer is making all the difference. They are excited to start their day, turn on their computers and see where it will all lead.

Technology as a tool - Students Gain Control of their Learning

      Technology as another classroom tool....I have had many discussions over the past few weeks about how technology doesn't make you a better teacher, but is just another tool to enhance your teaching. Through these discussions, I have done a lot of self reflection on  how my teaching practices have changed over the past 3 years.
        As discussed in this blog, I have been able to implement a 1:1 classroom this year, through a partnership with Microsoft and Dell. Was I excited to have a computer on every child's desk? Yes, but was it the computer I was excited about, or the possibilities?  Through what I have accomplished so far this year, and some discussions I had this week with my colleagues and one of our Microsoft Partners...I am able to put into words what is happening in my classroom this year.

 My students are in control of their learning. 

They are taking ownership of what they are accomplishing. 

They are realizing that I am not the only teacher in the classroom, and they are becoming more responsible for their achievement. 

They are asking each other questions, and not waiting for my questions.

      Could these goals be met without technology in the classroom? Probably...but by putting technology tools into  the hands of the students and "giving them the power,"  (previous post about "Giving Away the Power") they are pushing themselves beyond what they thought they could do, and they are doing it through collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

     One of my most recent projects was an in depth study of a famous Virginian. The students chose an individual that was important to Virginia and U.S. history, and began the research process. In previous years, we researched together using books, and online encyclopedias. We took notes and then wrote the traditional 5 paragraph essay about our person. This year would be different...the students were in charge of how they would share the information about their person.  The essay did need to be completed, as it is a curriculum objective that needs to be introduced at this level, but beyond that...the students were encouraged to use all of the tools (and some new ones) to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained through research.
     The outcomes were incredible. The students went beyond the traditional encyclopedias to find information. They used Bing searches to take them to historical sites and found primary sources about their people. Students accessed newspaper articles about the more recent Virginians, did virtual field trips to the homes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. They read the complete speeches of Patrick Henry, they looked at photographs of segregation during the time of Oliver Hill and the Brown v. Board of Education court trial in 1954. They were in charge of their learning and they were able to find information that was important to them, without waiting for me to show them!
     After taking notes and writing the essays, the students began to decide how to share their information with their classmates in a "different" way. One of the new tools that I wanted to share with them was Thinglink.  This site was introduced to me when I attended the F.E.T.C. conference in January in Orlando, Florida. By using Thinglink, students use a photo as a starting point and "link" other pieces of information to the photo. Viewers of the photo can scroll over the photo and "touch" the live links to learn more.  The kids had a great time with this, and there was no hesitation in how to do it. I did a quick explanation and they were off and running. Some examples of their Thinglinks are below:


Oliver Hill - lawyer for Brown v. Board of Education


James Madison -



George Mason -


John Brown -



     The fourth graders had a great time with these, and were able to choose what to share with their classmates. They then posted them on Edmodo, and were able to share with each other. The students then viewed their peers' projects and commented to each other. (Social Media in the classroom is another topic that I hope to soon blog about).

     After completing Thinglinks, the students still wanted to share more.  We decided our Final Project to end our research would be a movie. Each student would create a movie using Photostory3 to share what they have learned about their famous Virginian. Before opening Photostory, the students had to determine what would be in their movie. I encouraged them to reflect on ALL of the technology tools that we have used thus far, and incorporate many different forms into their final presentation.

     Some of the tools that they chose to use were:
- PowerPoint slides converted to Jpegs to be inserted into Photostory
- using Tagxedo.com to create a word cloud representing their person, and saving it as a Jpeg
- using Superlame.com to add speech bubbles to a photo
- Using Microsoft SmartArt to create timelines of the accomplishments of their individuals
- using photos found through their research
- recording their voice as a narrative tool in the movie
- choosing music reflective of the time period in history to add as background in their movie
- choosing transitions that wouldn't be too busy or detract from the visuals
- using the motion features on Photostory to emphasize certain aspects of their images

The students completed these projects in a 4 hour time frame. It was done in one school day, as a cumulative project to end our research unit.

Here are some of their movies:

Jack Jouett - the Paul Revere of Virginia

George C. Marshall

Robert E. Lee

Maggie Lena Walker

    Their movies were also uploaded to the Edmodo class page to be shared and viewed by their classmates.

Our research project was complete. 25 famous Virginians were studied, and 25 famous Virginians were shared. I stood by the side and provided guidance as needed. The students made the decisions, found the information and shared. They viewed each others work, asked questions and made thoughtful comments. 

Am I teaching the same fourth grade curriculum that I taught 3 years ago? Yes. Is technology a tool in my classroom that is being used to enhance my instruction? Yes.  Are the students more actively engaged and feeling empowered in their learning? Most definitely so!!

Our next project will be "Geo-Squared" - Exploring Geometry within Geography! Through a PBL approach, my students will work in collaborative groups to review the basic Geometry concepts and search for them within our world. They will then decide how they will share this information with their peers and the community, using technology as a tool. They will have opportunities to investigate Geometry in nature and landforms, historical structures, present day architecture, and everyday items that we encounter in our daily lives.  These investigations will be done using digital photography, artwork, and video.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the students will create, as they explore the world around them!