QR Code Scavenger Hunt - A Fun Way to Assess Learning

Assessment comes in many forms and definitely has a place in education.  However, that does not mean that it always has to be formal, standardized, and boring.  Assessing is simply evaluating the ability of our students to master specific concepts.

Last week, our fourth grade math teacher, Mrs. Cummings, asked me to help her find some creative ways to assess and review geometry with her students.  After discussing, we decided that there would be three parts to this activity.

The first part of the assignment required students to find a real world example of a specific geometry term.  She gave each student a different term and then asked them to take a picture and email it to her.  Before allowing them to begin, she explained that their examples could not be obvious or expected.  For example, the student that received octagon could not take a picture of a stop sign and a student with sphere couldn’t take a picture of a ball.  They had to be creative and think outside of the box.

We were so impressed with the pictures that the students brought back.  They were very creative and took pictures of everyday examples of geometry. Below are some examples of my favorites.

The second part of the assignment was the true assessment.  Mrs. Cummings wanted to find out if her students really knew the vocabulary terms and which ones were still giving them difficulty.  We wanted the assessment to be fun but also meaningful and engaging.

After discussing several thoughts and ideas, we decided to put together a QR Scavenger Hunt.  First, we made up ten riddles (example: You've scanned your first QR code and now you are hooked, go the place where you check out a book). Next, we created a website on Weebly and created the QR codes using The QR Code Generator.  This morning I placed the clues in the correct locations and downloaded ScanLife on all of the tablets that we were using.

The students scanned the code and went to the location that was described by the clue. They found 3 numbered definitions at each place. They had a list of words and were asked to put the correct number by the correct term. 

This was our first attempt at a QR code scavenger hunt so I was a little nervous.  I wanted it to be successful so others would see how effective this type of learning and assessment can be if used correctly.  And I’m happy to report that it was a huge success!

While the students were searching for clues, I heard them saying things like, “This is so fun” and “I love this”.  They were also engaged in meaningful discussions about the terms and why they felt the answer that they had chosen was correct.  As I listened to them, I realized that Mrs. Cummings would be gaining the same information she would have gained on a formal assessment.  It would be obvious which students had mastered the content and which students needed to be retaught.

After the activity was over, I walked into Mrs. Cummings's room and heard one student ask, “Can we work on this during recess?”  Success!  Then I went into the teacher’s lounge and a teacher asked me what we had done and what something like this might look like for younger students.  Be still my heart!  The teacher had noticed how engaged and excited the students were while they were learning.  You couldn’t help but want to know what they were doing and more importantly, what they were learning.

Next week, Mrs. Cummings’s students will be blogging about their experience today.  This is an important piece to the learning because it gives them a way to reflect and find meaning in what they have learned.

I wanted to write about this activity because I feel like it is a true example of how we can be creative when teaching and assessing our students.  Meeting them where they are and providing meaningful activities provide the opportunities for real learning to take place.

I am so thankful that Mrs. Cummings thought outside of the box and wanted to do something creative with her students.  The learning that took place today was engaging, meaningful, and inspiring.

Finally, I would just like to encourage you to step outside your comfort zone as an educator.  Try something new and don’t be afraid to fail.  Your students deserve to learn in a way that is meaningful to THEM.  So step out on that limb knowing that even if it breaks, you will just climb back up the tree and try again!

Realizing the Power of My PLN

So, I've been a connected educator for a few months now.  I follow so many wonderful people on Twitter that it would be impossible to name them all.  It has changed the way that I teach and has given me the passion for education that I had lost somewhere along the way.

This week I was reminded of the power of my PLN - my personal learning network.  I chat with these guys every week, learn from their tweets, and share ideas.  When I have one of those days, I find encouragement and inspiration.  On my good days, I try to be the encouragement and inspiration.  This is how it works... teachers helping teachers be their very best every day.  We work together to give our students what they need to be their very best every day.  

Yesterday, I was able to visit the exhibits at TCEA.  I was so excited to see the latest and greatest with other educators from my district.  I was also very excited about meeting some of my PLN, my tweeps, my friends.  I couldn't wait to put a face the with the encouragement and a voice with the inspiration.  So right before I had to head out,  I was able to meet with Daisy Marino, Angela Moses, and Terri Eichholz.  We were only able to visit for a short time but it was just like meeting up with friends that I had known forever. We chatted about education, the weather, and of course the wonderful sessions that they had attended at TCEA. It was a great opportunity to connect and realize how blessed I am to learn from each one of them each and every day.  

I also feel like I am able to depend on my PLN to provide meaningful interactions for my students.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, Don Wettrick has been such a great mentor.  He has helped me learn so much about innovation in the classroom and giving my students an opportunity to try and fail.  He recently gave me the opportunity to share my story on his BAM Radio Network channel, InnovatED.   I am so thankful for his willingness to Skype with my students or share ideas when I have none.  I am so thankful that I listened to the Two Guys Show that night and decided to ask questions about Innovations and what that would look like in my classroom.  My teaching will never be the same!

Today, I was able to call on another amazing member of my PLN to provide a meaningful learning experience for my students. They are learning about technology in the classroom for their innovations project.  This includes the different tools and ideas being used in classrooms and then sharing those things with the teachers in our district.  They recently discovered augmented reality and wanted to know more about what it was and how it works.  I instantly thought of Brad Waid and wondered if he would mind sharing his passion for augmented reality with my students.  I sent him a quick tweet and he said he would be more than happy to help us out.  

Brad did such a great job sharing augmented reality and giving them examples of how it can be used in the classroom as well as the real world.  His excitement and passion for augmented reality created an authentic learning experience for my students that they will not soon forget.  As my students "hung out" with Brad today, I couldn't help but realize the power of Twitter and the amazing opportunities it has given my students as well as myself.

These are just a few of the amazing opportunities that I have encountered since becoming a connected educator.  Twitter allows me to have meaningful encounters with other educators that are passionate about the work at hand.  I cannot say enough about the importance of building and connecting with a PLN.  I am just starting to realize the power of my PLN and the role that they play in my classroom.  I can't wait to learn more and share more as I continue on my exciting journey as a connected educator!

A Lesson About Google or Googol?

Just need to reflect on today's lesson because I still can't believe how well it went and it had absolutely nothing to do with me but everything to do with the students.

Today was a day that I sometimes find difficult because I have first grade gifted students.  I often find myself scratching my head after my time with them and wondering if I am challenging them at all.  My previous experiences have always been with older students and working with younger students can be challenging to say the least.

But today was different. I have been reading a blog called Seeds for Learning written by Kimberly Hurd Horst.  On her blog she shares about Genius Hour with first grade students and how she has made this work.  I was in awe of her as I read about Genius Hour as well as a 1st grade EdCamp.  I had been using Genius Hour with my older students but was intimidated by the thought of allowing my first graders to tackle such an open ended project. I had introduced the idea but was hesitant to jump in.  However, the more I read, the more I realized that it was realistic to believe that my first graders could not only do this but they could do it well.

So today, I had two goals - introduce the Wonderwall to my students and show them the basics of using Google.  I had read about the Wonderwall at Seeds for Learning .  I read about how she allowed students to post wonders and then chose one to research together. And that's exactly what we did.  My students came up with wonders, we wrote them on sticky notes, and stuck them on the board.  I closed by eyes and chose one of the wonders.

The wonder:  When do numbers stop?

Our next step was to use Google to search for our answer.  We talked about the basics of searching and then I let them go for it.  Before long, we had found a website that they thought would be most helpful.  The website was about infinity and introduced another funny word - googol.  If you don't know (like me), a googol is a 1 with 100 zeros behind it.  Don't ask me how we were lucky enough to stumble across this but remember I didn't plan this at all. This was a random wonder written by a student.

We noticed that googol sounded a lot like Google but weren't sure of the connection until we visited a wonder on Wonderopolis and watched the video.  The wonder was titled How Many is a Googol but the video actually explained how Google was created.  It also explained how Google got its name and you guessed it, googol was their inspiration.  We were so excited to learn about how the words were connected.  I was excited that the random wonder that we had chosen tied in beautifully with the lesson and gave me an opportunity to talk about math and technology in a way that was meaningful for the students.

I feel like I am rambling on and this might not make any sense at all but I wanted to share because letting go of the reigns and allowing the students to lead the way, led us to a great learning experience today.  I no longer doubt that my first grade students can handle Genius Hour. We will move slowly and it will require patience but we can do this. I hope to share lots of exciting projects soon!

A Happy Classroom

As I watched this student share about his school experience, I couldn't help but wonder why we can't give every student the opportunity to be happy in the traditional school environment.  I asked myself why we aren't teaching students to be happy and healthy and what I as a teacher can do to ensure that my students are receiving the opportunity to be creative.

If you have read any of my blog posts, you know that we recently started Genius Hour in my classroom.  I honestly feel like this has given my students the opportunity to find what makes them happy and use creativity to explore their passions.  I am so thankful for my PLN because without them, I still would not know about Genius Hour and the impact that it has on learning.

Since allowing my students to be creative, I have noticed major changes in their ability to share, reflect, and create.  Just today, one of my students shared her one word for 2014 on her blog.  In reading her words, I realized that they have a desire to make a difference.  They long to change their world in ways that we can't even imagine.

I have spent the last few weeks taking in all that I can about finding ways to encourage this type of learning in my classroom.  I have been forever changed as a teacher as I have read the amazing things that people are using in their classrooms to give their students the best learning experience possible in spite of testing expectations and other challenges that are present in the traditional classroom.

I recently stumbled upon the 7 Habits of Healthy Kids.  I know these have been around for awhile and I had seen them before, but for the first time was compelled to use them in my classroom.  I think it was because of my new mindset...to ensure that my students are happy and exploring their passions in creative ways.

If you haven't seen these before, you can check them out here.  I printed out posters and posted them in our classroom so that we would see them every day.  We will be focusing on one habit each week and learning how to put that habit into practice.  If you would like a copy of the 7 Habits posters for your wall, I found a freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Check it out HERE.

I also read Classroom Habitudes by Angela Maiers and was inspired to implement these into our classroom as well.  Reading this book had a huge impact on my desire to change the way that I was teaching.  The book addresses habits/attitudes that give students the skills they need to be 21st century learners.  Understanding the importance of these skills has also given me the the tools that I need to ensure that students are happy and exploring their passions in creative ways.

I think I will always refer to this part of my teaching career as my awakening.  While I always knew that I needed to be doing more and giving more to my students, it wasn't until now that I realized how I wanted to do that.  I am still learning every day and definitely have days when it's hard and I want to throw in the towel.  However, reading blog posts like the one above reminds me that what I am doing is what my students need.  Watching them work on their Genius Hour projects with passion and drive gives me the boost I need to carry on and stay the course.  I can't wait to see what is still to come!

When was your awakening as an educator?  Have you had that moment yet when you realize what it is that you REALLY want for your students and how you are going to go about sharing it with them?  If you haven't, I would encourage you to take some time to do just that.  Happy students make for a happy teacher which in turn creates a happy classroom.  What will you do to create your happy classroom?

One Word...Change

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Change - this is my one word for 2014.  As I read several of the #oneword tweets yesterday, I was inspired to come up with a word for myself. I thought about it all day yesterday and slept on it.  As soon as I opened my eyes this morning, I knew my one word had to be change.  

I recently read a blog post written by Jimmy Casas on his blog, Passion...Purpose...Pride, titled Leaders Strive to be Tomorrow...Today. As I read his post, I realized that I have spent much of my educational career worrying about what others think and I have given others the authority to take away my passion. I have hesitated to do anything outside of what is expected for fear of being thought of as different or eccentric.  I have wavered in my resolve to share things like Twitter and my PLN because I knew that there would be those that would say I spend too much time working or I was trying too hard.  When in reality, it's not working...it's learning.  It's taking time to make myself better by learning from others...learning from some of the best in the world.  

Like Mr. Casas, another educator's comment helped me put things into perspective.  A couple of weeks ago, a past superintendent sent me a message on Facebook that redirected my thinking. Mrs. Kucera told me that I had "a passion for the work that lies ahead."  I immediately thought of what I had been teaching my students lately about finding their passions and how important it was to engage in activities that were meaningful to them.  Had I been hypocritical in asking them to do so when I wasn't even doing this myself?  How could I tell them to step out there and become innovators when I was too scared to do so?  Mrs. Kucera was right...I do have a passion for what lies ahead. So, why in the world have I been afraid to share that passion with others?  

So back to my one word...change. The definition of change is "to make or become different."  So, starting today, I will spend my career trying to make things different. Our education system needs to change.  Our students deserve change.  It's up to us to cause that change and make education different for students in our classrooms today.

In reading Jimmy Casas's blog, I was also reminded of Gandhi's words - "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  Being the change means not being afraid to think outside the box.  It means not being afraid to try new things and share them with others.  And most importantly, it means being yourself and taking back the authority to be excellent.    

Right before the break, I joined Twitter and began building my PLN.  I have learned so much from people like @donwettrick, @techbradwaid, @techminock, @techninjatodd, @daisyray215, @kleinerin, @joykirr, @paulsolarz, @terrieichholz, @venspired, and many more. While I have only learned from these wonderful people virtually by reading their blog posts and tweets, they have all played a role in my desire to change the way I teach as well the way that my students learn. They have inspired me to become different, to make things different...to change.

Thank you for taking time to read about my one word.  What is your one word for 2014?  Please feel free to comment below and share your word.  I would also love for you to follow my blog and/or follow me on Twitter.

Happy New Year!

Looking Back at 2013 - Becoming Connected

2013 has FLOWN by and here it is New Year's Eve.  While this has been a good year, I am believing that 2014 is going to be incredible.  I will always remember 2013 as the year that I became a connected educator.  Towards the end of this year, I started blogging, building my PLN on Twitter, and speaking at educational conferences. These things have completely changed the way that I teach and I am happier now than I have been in years.

Blogging has given me an opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with others as well as connect with other educators around the world.  Blogging allows me to be creative and open.  It gives me the space that I need to reflect and realize what I could have done differently.   While blogging helps me realize my weaknesses, it also makes me aware of my strengths.  Often as teachers, we focus on what needs improvement or how we could have taught a lesson differently. It's also important to focus on the things that we do well.  Share your successes with others so that they can learn from you.   I have started small, blogging once a week or every other week.  I'm not sure I'm doing it right, but I'm doing it and I'm convinced that it has improved my outlook on education.

Twitter, well, I can't say enough about Twitter.  Because of the wonderful teachers that I have met on Twitter, my classroom is forever changed. Engaging in conversations with other educators that are passionate about what they do makes my job much more fun. I have a sense of community and don't feel like I am going at this alone.  I make time to participate in chats which gives me the opportunity to learn from other educators while sharing things that are working for my classroom as well.  If you are an educator and not on Twitter, please consider checking it out. You owe it to yourself and your students to connect with some of the best educators in the world and you will find them on Twitter.

I also started presenting this year.  I presented at a couple of conferences early in the year but I was most proud about sharing at the TAGT (Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented) Conference in December of this year. I shared about how to use Edmodo to engage students even when they are not in your classroom.  It was a wonderful opportunity and I made some great connections.  It was fun to connect with some of my tweeps and other GT educators that are passionate about using technology in their classrooms.  I hope to continue to present and share with others even more in 2014.

I am always learning and I know that I have just scratched the surface of the amazing resources that are out there.  In 2014, I have many goals and aspirations.  If you are a teacher that is passionate about what you do everyday, I would encourage you to start blogging, join Twitter, and be willing to share what you know with other educators.  You have something to offer and we would love to learn from you.  Make the decision to step out on that limb...and then get ready to FLY!  Below is a word cloud that I created on Tagxedo from my 2013 blog posts. One more look back and now it's full steam ahead!  Happy 2014!

Teaching Resolutions

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Each year, I love to set and try to successfully live out my New Year's resolutions.  Some of them are easy to keep and others - well, not so much.  But there's something about that feeling of accomplishment when a resolution comes to fruition, whether it's losing that extra ten pounds or offering forgiveness to someone even when it is not deserved.

As a teacher, I enjoy setting teaching resolutions along with my personal resolutions each year. These serve as goals for myself as well as my students.  It gives me a drive and dedication as I finish out the school year.  For me, these resolutions give me the second wind that I need to go into the second semester with the same energy and excitement as I had at the beginning of the year.

This year, I've decided to share my resolutions.  I hope that they bring inspiration and motivation. I hope that they encourage you to persevere with boldness, creativity, and innovation in the classroom.  But more than anything, I hope that they give you a desire to be the best teacher that you can be in 2014.

Resolution #1:  I resolve to understand my students as individuals.

So often as teachers, we see our students as a class and not as individuals.  We set goals for our class, plan lessons for our class, and even discipline them as a class.  I think it's very important that we remember that our students are individuals.  They are all very different and will set upon very different paths as they navigate through life.  Some of them will go home to parents that love and care for them while others will go to bed hungry and dirty. Some of our students will go home and study for the test in the morning while others will babysit their siblings and just hope they can get to school on time.  They deserve to be treated as individuals in the classroom even when it is challenging.  Different circumstances should warrant different classroom experiences.  We can not continue to offer a one size fits all classroom experience and expect students to be successful. Most of our students long to learn and have an intrinsic motivation to investigate, create, and discover. However, if we fail to give them the opportunity to do so, we are not doing our jobs as educators.  

Resolution #2:  I resolve to engage my students in meaningful activities.

Planning lessons can be difficult when we are aiming for high test scores as well as meaningful activities that students will enjoy.   I am in no way a fan of standardized testing, but I understand that it is part of my job to teach the standards that are given each year.   While using workbooks and worksheets is easy and will allow me to check off the standards as I go, such activities are not meaningful to my students.  Instead, they give students the impression that my only goal for them is to do well on the test.  In fact, my goal for my students is to learn the standards that are given in a way that is meaningful to them as individuals.  I want them to have a desire to learn and to gain a curiosity about the world around them. In order to provide these meaningful activities, it is important that I understand and really know my students as I explained in my first resolution. Learning what makes them tick will give me the insight that I need to plan activities that will be relevant to them. Real learning and real understanding is not going to happen with worksheets but instead will happen when I purposefully plan lessons that give my students the opportunity to connect with the concepts that we are learning in class.    

Resolution #3:  I resolve to give my students the opportunity to explore their passions.

Just before Thanksgiving, I began reading about Genius Hour and Innovations on Twitter.  I have to say that this has reignited my passion for teaching and has given my students a motivation that is unprecedented in my teaching experience.  Because I have given them the opportunity to explore their passions, they are excited, driven, and engaged in their learning. I hope to continue to learn more about this style of learning and how to carry it out effectively in my classroom.  Since implementing passion driven learning in my classroom, my students are learning things about themselves as well as each other. Passion driven activities give them an opportunity to explore things that are relevant to them which results in students that are motivated to learn and interact with the world around them.  And that makes for one happy teacher! 

Resolution #4:  I resolve to help my students use technology to discover the world.
Technology is tearing down the walls of the classroom and allowing students to experience the world in ways that were once thought impossible.  As their teacher, I feel it is my job to guide them as they learn to use technology in new and exciting ways.  Giving students a voice by allowing them to blog or allowing them to Skype with someone in another part of the world changes their learning experience. We are able to take our learning from the classroom and share it with the world.  I have learned that technology integration in the classroom must be purposeful. Using technology simply for the sake for using technology is pointless.  However, using technology in an effort to give my students an authentic audience and a place to discover new things will give them opportunities beyond what we can even imagine.  I resolve to continue to learn about the incredible and surprising ways that technology is being used in the classroom. Continuing to be a connected educator is just one of the many ways that I plan to stay on top of technology in education and the ways that I can use it effectively in my classroom.

Resolution #5:  I resolve to encourage other teachers to make their classrooms a place for students to discover and explore their passions.
I am amazed every day at the number of educators that are not connected and do not know about the exciting things going on education today.  I hope to encourage many teachers on my campus and in my area to get connected and share what they are doing in their classrooms.  Just in the short time that I have been connected through social media like Edmodo and Twitter, my teaching experience has changed.  I am trying new things, sharing my experiences, and collaborating with other educators all over the world.  In doing so, my classroom has changed.  While change can be scary and intimidating, it can also be refreshing and invigorating.  One spark of change can light a fire of curiosity that will spread like wildfire.  I want to be that spark!

Thank you for taking the time to read my resolutions.  Feel free to comment and share some of your teaching resolutions.  I hope you all have a wonderful start to 2014!  Let's be awesome this year!