I wanted to compose this post soon after the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) America’s Institute, but with my twin brother’s wedding, launching a new LMS at Elizabeth Forward School District, and a toddler entering his “terrible-twos”, I finally had the opportunity to reflect on the experience. The ADE Institute has been over for over ten days now, but I thought I would share some of the highlights and takeaways from the best Professional Learning experience that I have ever attended... Let’s backtrack a bit…On April 3rd, I received the news that I was accepted into the ADE Class of 2019. The ADE program was created to “recognize K–12 and higher-education pioneers who are using Apple technology to transform teaching and learning”. When I first learned about the program from fellow ADE (not to mention National History Teacher of the Year) Joe Welch, I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of. I remember constantly looking at the ADE website and wondering if Apple would ever open the application process (It's embarrassing, but it took about a year to realize that new ADE classes occur every two years). When the news came that I was accepted into the Class of 2019, I was beyond excited. In fact, it felt like the excitement of Christmas morning, or a Pittsburgh Penguins playoff victory. Numerous people sent me congratulatory emails & tweets and told me that I was in for something special… They were definitely right! However, as the beginning of the Institute approached, I began to really question if I belonged in this group of educational rock-stars. If you are on Twitter and you follow an excellent teacher, administrator, or educational pioneer, chances are that they are an ADE. Did I really belong with these, as the ADE website describes, “trusted advisors, passionate advocates, authentic authors, & global ambassadors”??? Enter my ADE Institute roommate, Ben Kalb, ADE Class of 2017. Before the institute, Ben reached out and I soon found that we had a lot in common. Not only is Ben a runner, but he’s also into Liverpool FC, and is a dad. In addition, he could possibly be one of the funniest individuals that I have had the pleasure to hang out with. From the beginning, Ben became a pseudo-mentor at the Institute. During the first dinner, Ben introduced me to so many new people. Ben seemed to know everyone, including some giants in education like Anthony Johnson. If you don’t know who Anthony Johnson is, do yourself a favor and check out this article/podcast… you’ll thank me later! It was during these moments that I really began to feel the sense of family within the ADE community. One of the high-points of the Institute occurred when Ben gave his Showcase presentation. During his three minutes, Ben described the “imposter syndrome”, or the belief that you are not talented or creative enough to be included in a program like ADE. It was reassuring to know that Ben had similar anxieties that I had prior to his first ADE Institute. Ben went on to share his story about the Podcast that he co-hosts called Vrain Waves. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not listen to many Podcasts. However, I can honestly say that I am hooked to Vrain Waves. If you are a teacher, administrator, or just looking to be entertained, you have to check out this podcast! I am so thankful that I got the chance to meet Ben because he is definitely an amazing educator and a great friend! #Rise-N-Grind. On a completely different subject, I was shocked to see how many of the developers and engineers from Apple attended the ADE Institute. I was able to attend multiple sessions that were led by the developers and team-members of my favorite applications, like Keynote & Garage Band. Not only was it really cool to meet these geniuses, but I was amazed by how open they were to teacher input and advice. For example, Jay Welshofer, the Senior Product Manager for iWork, shared how teacher feedback brought some new features to Keynote. Even more surprising was the way Jay casually told the audience to email him questions or ideas and that he would respond ASAP. It was this type of genuine care for educators displayed by the Apple Team that really made me appreciate Apple Education even more. There were so many other amazing events at the ADE Institute (Battle Mania, Showcases, the Pitch, General Sessions, etc.), but I think the best part was the attendees. Besides the individuals that I already mentioned, I had the opportunity to connect, share, and learn from some of the best. Chuck Langston & James McCrary are two guys that I really came to know and admire. I had the opportunity to be in some workshops with Chuck, and he is a technology genius. Some of his ideas from the Pitch Session that we attended were remarkable. Besides his knack for unique ideas, Chuck was also a great person to bounce ideas off of. Chuck runs a really cool project out of his department that hires students as tech employees… think about the power of a program like that! James McCrary is the epitome of southern hospitality. James is a Director of Technology and also a host on the Virtual Reality Podcast. I really valued the conversations that I had with James, especially hearing about the workshops he attended. It obvious from these conversations that James is really passionate about being in the realm of education. Both Chuck and James were full of tangible advice as I begin my new role at Elizabeth Forward, and their dedication to enhancing their skills in order to improve their school district was obvious. I’ll put it like this… Chuck is a brand-new father and still came to the Institute, while James basically needed to battle a hurricane to make it to the Institute. Finally, the ADEs that hail from Pennsylvania were also inspiring. I have to give a special shout out to David Diokno from Apple for introducing me to the Pennsylvania ADEs. In addition, David provided great wisdom and advice for a few “next-steps” after the Institute. I really look forward to working with David in the future because I know that we are going to do great things. I already mentioned Joe Welch, but I am really excited to see where a potential collaborative project with Joe might lead. Also, thanks to Jessica Garrigan, Khelia Dunkerly, Erika Moser (Who also had an amazing Showcase) Holly Jackson, Jenny Mitchell, Holly Jackson, & Morgan Cave (OK, not all are from PA, but they are totally amazing) for their great stories, welcoming personalities, and sage advice. Not only was I really impressed by their work at the institute, but if you are looking for some creative ideas to use in your classroom, please check these amazing educators on Twitter. The ADE Institute was the best learning experience that I have ever been a part of. I left the Institute feeling that I was a part of something bigger and a member of a really innovative & supportive family. Thank you, Apple Education, for bringing so many passionate educators to one place, and really inspiring me as I embark on a new journey in my own educational career… Thanks for reading.
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It has been awhile since I have updated the American History Blog. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to do a better job with posting the outstanding work of my students. Since the beginning of the school year, this group of Team 8-1 students have been such a joy to work with! The enthusiasm and creativity that these students put on display has been very inspiring. I could spend a lot of time describing the different learning experiences and projects that our students have completed, but that would call for a very lengthy blog post. In this post, I figured I would provide an update on a relatively new classroom endeavor of mine and also highlight some of student success stories… Personalized Learning and Student Voice & Choice is not a new idea in the realm of education. In fact, I am willing to bet that many educators promote these ideals in their classroom on some level already. This school year I really wanted to take the idea of Personalized Learning, or instruction that meets the individualized needs of each student, and Student Voice & Choice, or allowing students to have a say on how they learn and display mastery, to the next level. Last school year I took the plunge into turning my classroom into a flipped learning environment. From reading the blog posts from last school year, you would see that this flipped classroom approach was a mixture of success and valuable learning moments as an educator. When I reflected at the end of last school year, I still felt that I was still dictating the learning experiences of my students. I really wanted to dive into the idea of each student coming into my room and having a true say in their American History experience. This school year, I still incorporate some aspects of the flipped classroom. I provide the opportunity for students to engage in videos outside of class and to use actual class time to display their understanding of a topic. However, I found that many students still preferred the instruction to be done in person. Therefore, I have tried to blend the flipped approach with traditional classroom pedagogy. Most of my efforts of this school year has focused on personalizing my lessons and asking students the simple question, “What/How would you like to learn?”. I am very fortunate to have access to a plethora of technology in my classroom. The use of Apple iPads (1 to 1) has really helped promote personalized learning. For example, after students interact with a video or I finish a presentation, I ask students to complete a “concept check”. These are questions that ask students to relay the most important information on a particular lesson. I normally give these on Socrative, Near Pod, and eBackpack. Depending on how well each student scores will determine their next step in the learning process. Students who are still confused about a topic normally meet with me in an individual or small group setting. It is during this time that I identify the area of confusion and the students and I discuss what our strategy should be going forward. While this is going on, students who are ready to explore a topic further are given choices. These choices are sometimes created by me, but often I ask students to preview a unit and identify individuals, events, or themes that interest them. From there, students have a choice on how to display mastery. For example, student choices can look like:
Sometimes, students will offer proposals to me on what/how they can further explore. I am still tweaking my classroom routine for this procedure, so if any educators have any ideas, I would love to hear them! Obviously, my students enjoy having agency in how they learn the American History content. As an educator, I really enjoy watching the students pursue a topic that they are interested in. One challenge that I continue to face is the pacing of this approach. Our students take various amounts of time to display mastery and therefore it can be difficult keeping track of where students are in their learning experiences. Enough about me… let’s highlight some of the awesome work that my students have displayed! A fan-favorite of my students is using the green-screen space in our iCreate Studio to create video projects. This school year, I presented students with this challenge: How could you effectively advertise the English Colonies? Students took this challenge and ran with it. Students created brochures, posters, 3D products and videos. In a House Hunters type of project, students designed, filmed, and edited their videos. Students used their iPads to film their advertisements and iMovie to edit their creations. These projects did revolve around primary source material from the Gilder Lehrman Institute. I posted several pictures and videos on my personal Twitter of the amazing work of my students! Recently, students participated in a Breakout/Scavenger Hunt focusing on espionage during the American Revolution. Using the Smithsonian Learning Lab, I provided students a lesson on espionage, specifically focusing on spy-techniques and the Culper Spy Ring. Students really enjoyed examining the Culper Code Book and coding their names and deciphering messages. The following day, students participated in a Breakout/Scavenger Hunt. This activity included:
Check out the pictures below to see the students in action! I promise to do better updating the Team 8-1 American History Blog! As usual, our Team 8-1 Students have been immersed in their study of American History since my last Blog update. Below I have described a few “highlights” since the last update. Enjoy!
Breakout Edu: One of my favorite lessons to design for my students are the Breakout Edu Challenges. If you are not familiar with Breakout Edu, please check out their website! In this Breakout Challenge, students used their knowledge of the Culper Spy Ring, an espionage organization that operated during the American Revolution. Prior to the Breakout Challenge, students used a collection on Espionage during the American Revolution that I curated on the Smithsonian Learning Lab. The collection contained the history of the Culper Spy Ring, including key individuals and espionage tactics that were used during the time period. In addition, the collection contained the Culper Code Book! The Culper Code Book was used by the Culper Spy Ring to send coded messages to George Washington’s headquarters during the American Revolution. The Culper Code Book contains approximately 763 numbers that represent words, people, and places. There is even a detailed explanation on how to create a coded message for words that do not appear within the Code Book. For the Breakout Edu Challenge, students were divided into teams and used the Culper Code Book to locate hidden messages and clues located throughout the school. The clues were often in the form of primary sources, often authored by George Washington and Benjamin Tallmadge, the leader of the Culper Spy Ring. Students also used UV light to read messages in invisible ink and also used the HP Reveal (the new version of Aurasma) application to find clues using AR. When students located all the clues, they put their information together to unlock the Breakout Edu box! American Revolution Projects: Although we have moved past the American Revolution, students continue to work diligently on their American Revolution Projects. Several class periods have been dedicated for students to research their topics of choice, and to plan/design their projects. I am very excited to see the final outcomes of these projects. To give you an example of what students have been creating for the American Revolution Project:
Thinking Routines & Hyperdocs: I recently finished a book titled The Hyerdoc Handbook and wanted to implement some of the books ideas in my instruction. I also thought it would be a good idea to pair the Google Hyperdocs with Thinking Routines that my students have been exposed to throughout the school year. To accomplish this, I asked students to examine the Articles of Confederation and use Thinking Routines developed by Harvard University’s Project Zero. These Thinking Routines, such as see-think-wonder, the explanation game, lab protocol, and headlines allow students to really engage in their thinking and also share their thinking with their peers. We used these Thinking Routines with an iBook that I created on the Articles of Confederation. In addition, students used the Apple TV station within the iCreate Studio to work collaboratively through a Google Hyperdoc powered by Google Slides. I personally enjoyed taking a “backseat” during this activity to watch and listen share their thinking with their peers. Constitutional Convention: Each school year my students and I participate in a Constitutional Convention simulation. In the past I used resources from a Constitution Role Play created by the Zinn Education Project, but this year I developed a few of my own resources for the simulation. The Convention begins with students randomly picking a delegate that attended the Constitutional Convention. Students then complete an assignment that requires a bit of research on their founding father. Students use the Teaching American History website to explore the delegates in order to gain insight on the background and beliefs of their delegate. Of course, many students want to play the role of Alexander Hamilton, but students are often surprised by the interesting facts of other “less popular” Constitutional Convention attendees. Students are then introduced to the “Burning Issues” that face the country in the late 1700s. Issues such as Shays Rebellion, slavery, debts, war bonds, voting requirements, government structure, and representation are introduced. Students then begin to form their opinions on these issues based on the beliefs of their delegate. Students meet with the delegates from their region (New England, Middle & Southern) to share thoughts and opinions on these issues and then read primary source letters from their constituents. Students dawn "Hello My Name Is.." tags and refer to one another as their chosen delegate. I used primary source material from Gilder Lehrman and George Washington’s Mount Vernon this school year with great success! Students read their constituent letters... by candlelight, which sheds more light to the country's situation in the late 1700s. Students then begin the "dealing session" with delegates from their different regions. During this session, students attempt to form potential compromises with their fellow delegates. Students are then introduced to Parliamentary Procedure in order to have a “orderly” debate. It was awesome to hear students begin their arguments by saying “Be it resolved…” and “I would like to amend the motion to read…”. I also participate in the Convention by dressing up and acting as George Washington. Following the debates, students then voted on each of the “Burning Issues” using the Poll Everywhere application. Finally, each class period compared their Team 8-1 Constitutional Convention with the actual Constitutional Convention. I was very impressed with my student’s enthusiasm and engagement throughout the simulation! I also wanted to give a special shout out to Education Team at WQED for hosting the Design Lives Here event. This school year, several students and I participated in this event that introduces students to the design process and elements of engineering. Leading up to the event, students participate in several design challenges and then work on creating an invention and a pitch for their invention. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about what my students would create, but I ended up being so pleased with their invention. Students invented an improved neck pillow that consisted of adjustable arms to hold a cell phone. Students used a variety of recycled materials, and incorporated a 3D printer to print their cellphone case design. During the actual event, students traveled to the WQED station and participated in three awesome design challenges with students from local schools. Students also had the opportunity to meet with local engineers and inventors to ask questions and learn more about opportunities in design, engineering, etc. Finally, students presented their inventions to a panel of judges. It was so obvious that the Education Team at WQED put so much thought, time, and energy in the event! My students and I had an amazing time and I am already looking forward to next year’s event! I hope this Blog Update finds everyone doing well! I apologize for the large gap between Blog Updates… as you will see our Team 8-1 American History students have been quite busy! Over the past few weeks, our students have been investigating the American Revolution. The American Revolution is one of my favorite topics to teach about! I have attended numerous professional developments, seminars, and trainings that pertain to different aspects of the American Revolution. To introduce key background information of the American Revolution, students participated in a Gallery Walk. Our Gallery Walk involved students moving to different stations and reviewing the source information at each station. In addition to primary & secondary sources at each station, the majority of the stations include a brief video on the Ed Puzzle application! Before students moved to a different station, they answer a Station Question on a giant piece of background paper (see the pictures below!). This question is normally opinion-based, and students are able to see how their opinions match up with those of their peers.
Students were also provided a choice on how to explore the first major battle of the American Revolution: The Battle of New York. Students could use animated maps to examine troop movement and strategy during the Battle of New York. Students also had the choice to act as General George Washington in an activity that I like to call, The Battle of New York: What would You Do? In this activity, students are provided with different scenarios that General Washington faced at the Battle of New York. Students explained how they would respond to each situation and then compared their responses with how Washington handled the scenario. In addition to our Gallery Walk, students used the iPad application called Flipgrid. Flipgrid allows an educator to pose a question for students to respond. In American History Class, students were given the following question, “If you were present during the early years of the American Revolution, would you agree more with the Loyalist or Patriot perspective”? Students then used the Flipgrid application to record their explanation to the question. One of my favorite aspects of the Flipgrid platform is that students can view their peer’s responses and also comment on the response! I was very impressed with the students’ responses… although we did have quite a few Loyalists among us! Following our Gallery Walk & Flipgrid activity, students then had a choice in how they further explored the American Revolution. Going along with our Flipped Classroom and student choice, students chose between the following:
George Washington’s Mount Vernon is a wonderful source for any teacher of American History. I have used this website for primary source material, video lessons, teaching with objects, and much more! The Winter Patriots video series is one of my favorite resources from Mount Vernon! The series portrays the Trenton and Princeton campaigns in great detail. In addition, the series is highly engaging, and students really become engrossed into the action. In my American History classes, I upload the videos and place these in the Ed Puzzle application. On the Ed Puzzle platform, I am able to embed questions for students to respond to and also other pieces of information that students may find interesting. Being a 2017 PBS Digital Innovator, I often use PBS Learning Media. One of my favorite resources from PBS Learning Media is Hamilton’s America. This series explores the life of Alexander Hamilton and features prominent historians such as Ron Chernow & Joanne Freeman. In addition, Hamilton’s America also includes actors and actresses from Hamilton the Musical. Students watched a short video clip in this activity and answered a few concept check questions. Then students were given the lyrics to the opening song of Hamilton the Musical. Students deconstructed the lyrics in order to gain insight on Hamilton’s upbringing and to compare the information provided by Hamilton’s America & Hamilton the Musical. We then looked into a few interesting individuals of the American Revolution, including Benedict Arnold. Students were provided with information on Arnold’s background and his contribution during the Battle of Saratoga. We will explore Benedict Arnold’s treason in the days to come! We also looked into critic of George Washington and discussed why some would want to replace our leader of the Revolution. Since our students enjoyed our first Galley Walk, I created another Gallery Walk for students to participate. In this Gallery Walk, students explored foreign involvement of the American Revolution. Students investigated individuals like the Marquis de Lafayette and Friedrich von Steuben. To aid students in their exploration, I included video from History Channel: The Story of Us and the song Guns and Ships from Hamilton the Musical. Last Friday, we took a break from our investigation of the American Revolution and celebrated South Korea Culture Day. Students participated in a Quizlet Live competition that centered around Winter Olympic sports. In addition, students played the traditional South Korean game called Ddakji. This game involves students learning simple origami-style folds to create a perfect-square. The object of the game is to throw your square on the ground in an attempt to flip their opponents square over. Although the game sounds quite simple, you can ask our students that it is rather difficult. Congratulations to all the class period winners! Over the past few days, students actively investigated Valley Forge. Students were presented with the following question, “If you were a soldier at Valley Forge, would you have quit?” To answer this question, students explored the historical background to Valley Forge and also performed document analysis on primary & secondary sources related to Valley Forge. One of the students’ favorite sources came from Dr. Albigence Waldo. Dr. Waldo’s primary account provided a vivid account of the harsh conditions that George Washington’s army endured during their stay at Valley Forge. Currently, Team 8-1 American History students are working diligently on their American Revolution Project. Students could choose any topic related to the American Revolution and then conduct research on their topic. Espionage, women of the revolution, weapons, and specific battles are popular project topics this school year. Students are using an index-card system to record their sources and information and will use their research to create a project of their choice. Students submitted project proposals earlier this month and some of the proposals that were submitted included: reenactments in the one-button studio, website creation, iBook creation, and infographics!
Team 8-1 Students have just finished participating in one of my favorite activities of the school year: The Boston Massacre Mock Trial! In this simulation, students assume the roles of lawyers, witnesses, and jury members to reenact the trial associated with the Boston Massacre. The preparation for the trial is quite extensive. A couple of years ago, I created an iBook on the Boston Massacre. Every year I have updated and added to the iBook, and students use this as a resource to become familiar with the events leading up to and during the Boston Massacre. Once students explore the iBook, which includes interactive images, several videos, and self-assessments for the students, students then sign up for a role in the mock trial. Students assume the roles of:
The Lawyers and Witnesses worked for several class periods creating their opening and closing statements and witnesses testimonies. These students were provided primary source material from Gilder Lehman & the Smithsonian Learning Lab to gain more information on the case and the individuals that they were portraying. For example, students were provided the sworn statement of Captain Preston and the propaganda engraving produced by Paul Revere. The members of the Jury used their time by analyzing primary sources related to the Boston Massacre from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Students also spent time rehearsing and fine-tuning their arguments for the actual trial. On the day of the trial, many of the students decided to dress the part:
Acting as the judge, I helped facilitate the trial, but the students stole the show! I was so impressed by the arguments that students presented to the members of the jury! The evidence that students also presented was awesome. One student brought in rock-filled snowballs and demonstrated how these could cause serious harm to the British soldiers. Other students created presentations on Key Note to add a visual aspect to their arguments. As the judge, I normally can predict who will win the case, but this year I had difficulty with my predictions. When it came for members of the Jury to deliberate, I walked these students out of the courtroom and we discussed the points of the case. The jury members reviewed the testimony, arguments, and evidence presented by both sides and then debated on who they thought should "win" the mock trial. In 3 of my 4 class periods, the British soldiers (Preston, Montgomery, and Kilroy) were found innocent of their accused crimes. As I mentioned before, I was so impressed by all of my students, not only for the hard work they put in during the preparation for the trial, but also by the enthusiasm they showed on the day of the trial! Following the Mock Trial, Team 8-1 students took a Virtual Field Trip to Lexington & Concord via Google Expeditions and our Virtual Reality Head Sets. As an educator, I really enjoy this technology, because it allows students to see a glimpse of these important locations of American History! Students also were able to view minutemen in action during this Google Expedition. Following the Virtual Field Trip, students were given two primary sources related to the Battle of Lexington. Using these primary sources, students gave their opinions on who they believed fired the first shot, better known as "The shot 'heard round the world". Upcoming: Over the next couple of days, students will be investigating the different sections of the Declaration of Independence. Then we will move to our unit on the American Revolution! I am currently working on some activities that incorporate Hamilton the Musical, along with possible ways to use 3D Printing in our American History Class... stay tuned! I hope everyone is enjoying their Holiday Break and ready to ring in a very Happy New Year! Since it has been several weeks since I updated the Blog, I wanted to share the happenings in Team 8-1 American History. Since my last post, students have concluded their investigation of the French & Indian War. This school year, I created a HyperDoc powered by Google Sites to share the events of the French & Indian War. The Google Site also included videos, numerous images, and primary source material related to the French & Indian War. The Google Site included an interactive image using Thing Link that asked students to assume the role of art historians! If you have not checked out the French & Indian War Google Site, you can view it here! Following the French & Indian War, students successfully completed their Chapter Four Exam on the Growth of the Thirteen Colonies. Once again, I was very impressed with the scores on these exams... keep up the great work everyone!
Currently, students are examining the Spirit of Independence. In this Chapter students will look into the individuals and events that bring on the American Revolution. Keeping with our Flipped Classroom approach, students continue to watch videos created/edited by yours truly, and then come into class prepared to complete activities of their choice. For example, in the first section of our new chapter, students were introduced to several different acts/taxes levied on the American colonies. To help organize this information students had the opportunity to create different types of graphic organizers. Students also had the option to apply this knolwedge in a Letter to the Editor activity. Students assumed the role of a disgruntled colonists and wrote a letter to their local newspaper on why their fellow colonists should support non-importation agreements. I find it awesome when students can apply the information that I provide in my Flipped Video Lessons to any assignment, especially when it involves creative writing! Another choice that our students and I enjoyed involved using Apple Clips. Apple Clips is kind of set up like Snap Chat, well at least that is what my students say. Apple Clips allow users to record short videos and add different effects, such as filters, stickers, emojis, etc. Apple Clips also contains a very useful caption options, so that students explanations within a clip appear on the screen. I asked students to use Apple Clips to explain the following:
Currently, students are preparing for our Boston Massacre Mock Trial! To prepare for the Mock Trial, students investigate the Boston Massacre by navigating an Apple iBook that I created. The iBook contains several interactive features, such as multiple videos, image galleries, 3D models, and interactive images. From there, students are assigned roles for the Mock Trial. These roles include:
I also wanted to give a special shout out to every student in my homeroom that helped with the holiday Door Decorating Contest. We did wait till the very last minute, but we did end up being named Best Overall Door! Using the Tech the Halls theme, Homeroom 212 incorporated an app that allowed users to Face Time Santa and also include Augmented Realty through the HP Reveal application! Well done everyone! I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday and is getting excited for the upcoming Holiday Break! Since my last blog update, students in Team 8-1 American History have continued our investigation of Colonial America. In addition, students have also completed their Document Based Question (DBQ) responses. I was extremely impressed by the responses submitted by our students. Learning how to properly analyze, cite, and craft a DBQ response is a new skill for all 8th graders at Elizabeth Forward Middle School. I was specifically impressed by the way our students utilized the documents to support their claims. In addition to DBQs, our students have participated in several activities/simulations over the past few weeks:
In addition, students also continued to explore and investigate different primary source material from our Colonial America period. For example, students spent several class periods examining different sources related to the Atlantic Slave Trade. The sources that students analyzed were provided by the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, including an reading from Olaudah Equiano. Equiano’s account provides a detailed picture of what it was like for enslaved Africans to journey across the Middle Passage. Students also participated in an activity based upon George Washington and the Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior. Several years ago, I participated in a professional development sponsored by George Washington’s Mount Vernon. At this professional development, I was introduced to the text titled, Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior. The story goes that a young George Washington copied out the rules found within this book in order to be more informed on how to act in social situations. While some of the rules are a bit dated, most of the rules still apply today. In our activity, I had students select a rule, and then create a visual for the rule. Students could either draw their rule, or use the StoryBoard That platform to create their scene. If you have not checked out the StoryBoard That website, please do! It is an awesome tool that my students really found engaging and fun! Students then rewrote their rule in a way that makes sense to us today. Once again, I was very impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm by our Team 8-1 Students. Currently, students are investigating the French & Indian War. This is one of my favorite topics, because a plethora of events occur within the Pittsburgh area. So far, students have viewed several video clips from The War that Made America program that was created by PBS. In addition, students have used tools like Google Earth to view specific sites (such as Fort Necessity & Fort Duquesne) related to the conflict. Some students have also taken on the challenge of analyzing George Washington’s journal entries that pertain to his journey to Fort LebBoeuf. In this activity, students perform document analysis on the journal entries, and then use the journal entries to create a map of Washington’s journey. This week, students are using a Google HyperDoc to examine the events and outcomes of the French & Indian War. A HyperDoc is a digital document—such as a Google Doc—where all components of a learning cycle have been pulled together into one central location. Instead of using Google Docs, I decided to make a HyperDoc using Google Sites. The Google Site that I created includes different forms of media from different platforms, including:
This is my first time using the HyperDoc method and creating a Google Site, and I would definitely appreciate any feedback. You can check out the Google Site here! I also wanted to give a special shout out to my homeroom for another great Power Block session. Students were given yet another team-building task, which included using pieces of cardboard to build a Rube Goldberg type of device. Be sure to check out the pictures below to see what the students came up with! Our Team 8-1 American History Students have completed their Chapter Three: Colonial America Projects, and I must say that they were AWESOME! If you will recall my last blog post, students were given the opportunity to select a project to complete based upon the content covered in Chapter Three: Colonial America. Essentially, students had the opportunity to complete one of the following:
The majority of the students decided to tackle the Colonial America Commercial. Students first designed a script/story board with their peers. Students then used the One-Button Studio or my pop-up green screen to film their commercials. The majority of the students decided to edit their videos using iMovie, but some groups decided to use the application known as Touch Cast. If you have not checked out Touch Cast, do yourself a favor and explore this application. The students, who used this application, were very impressed by how easy it was to add effects and edit their commercials. The final commercials were so impressive! Students incorporated so much information from our study of Colonial America. It was obvious that the students also had a great time completing this project. A special shout out to the group of students who filmed their commercial in the style of The Office! Several groups of students chose to design a brochure using Google Docs. Since every single student has a Gmail account, it is very easy for students to collaborate with one another on the Google Doc. I really like this project, because it asks students to not only design a brochure, but also complete outside research on topics that were not yet discussed in class. One of the best parts about watching the students complete their brochures is seeing how each individual group builds their final product. This project is also helpful because it provides students with time to work on their computer operating skills. The majority of our students struggle typing on a computer. The Colonial America brochure allows students to work on typing and formatting on a laptop. This school year, I decided to incorporate an art piece to the Colonial America Project. The directions for this project were purposely vague, but basically students who wanted to use their artistic skills could create a “piece of art” based on the Chapter Three content. While only a handful of students decided to complete this choice, the final results were spectacular! I am always impressed by those who can draw. I do not possess a single artistic trait, and therefore I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a piece of art. Some students decided to draw the first interaction between the Pilgrims and Native Americans at Plymouth. A student drew a scene based on Jamestown’s Starving Time. Another student created a massive map on the New England colonies and drew diagrams of the colonial sites. It was truly inspiring to see these students put their abilities to work! Following our Chapter Three Project, we investigated the Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692. Using an Apple iBook that I created, students were introduced to the witch trials. Students were then asked to create an infographic based upon the contents of our iBook. On Halloween, students used our brand new Virtual Reality headsets to visit Salem, Massachusetts. Our Virtual Reality headsets utilize the Google Expeditions platform. The best part of using the Virtual Reality technology is the reactions that the students have when we move from each scene of the expedition. I am so excited to use this technology throughout the school year! We also completed another Breakout Edu Challenge! Using primary and secondary sources from the Salem Witch trials as clues, I designed a Breakout Edu Challenge. For this challenge I used Breakout Edu’s digital platform. Although there were a few minor technical issues with the site, students still enjoyed navigating the clues and unlocking the final locked box, which contained their Halloween candy! Students are now working on their document analysis and preparing to write their first Document Based Question (DBQ) response. Students will be analyzing primary and secondary sources related to the witch trials and organizing these documents to craft a convincing argument to what they believed was the cause of the Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692. The students of Team 8-1 American History have moved out of the Age of Exploration and are currently investigating different aspects of Colonial America. I was very impressed with our Chapter Two Exam scores! To prepare for our Chapter Two: Age of Exploration Exam, students participated in a review that included sidewalk chalk! Students went outside and were given the task of drawing the exploration routes of European explorers. Students also identified the locations of ancient civilizations on their sidewalk chalk maps. In addition to going outside, students also used the iCreate Studio space to review for the Chapter Two Exam. Students used the Apple TVs to participate in a Quizlet Live review game. In addition, our class used the large televisions to play a Kahoot review game. As I mentioned before, I am very impressed with the results of the Chapter Two Exam and the total work that students put forth in our first chapter of flipped learning!
Following the exam, students investigated the differences between primary and secondary sources. This school year, I am excited to have the ability to use the IXL platform for American History content. The IXLs that we will be using this school year will help reinforce concepts taught in school and featured in our Flipped Learning videos. The Social Studies IXL are set up differently than Language Arts and Math. There are several stages or phases that students need to complete in order to master the IXL. These IXLs should not take long to complete. If your student is struggling with the IXL, please have their student come and see me either during homeroom or Team Time. To help reinforce the differences between primary and secondary sources, students participated in a Breakout Edu Challenge. A Breakout Edu Challenge is essentially like an Escape Room. The difference is that students are attempting to unlock multiple locks to open a box that contains a prize. In our Breakout Edu Challenge students used their knowledge of primary and secondary sources to locate clues found within my classroom. Students used these clues to unlock different types of locks. Students used a variety of tools, including a black-light flash light to discover the clues. Congratulations to all of our winners! Our new chapter relates to Colonial America. Recently, students had the choice to conduct a Missing Persons investigation based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke, or to investigate cannibalism that took place at the Jamestown Colony. Those students who chose to examine the Lost Colony of Roanoke used a Weebly Website to investigate different theories behind the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony. Students also examined primary source accounts based upon the Roanoke Colony. At the end of their investigation, students selected one theory that they believed made the most sense and wrote a response citing specific evidence that aided their conclusions. The students who decided to investigate the cannibalism at Jamestown navigated a collection of resources from the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Students discovered how archeologist discovered the human remains of a Jamestown colonists and the disturbing signs of cannibalism found on this individual’s bones. Students also saw how forensic anthropologists used the colonist’s bones to reconstruct the face of the colonist. Currently students are working on their Chapter Three: Colonial America Projects. Students have three choices: 1. Film a Colonial America Commercial that advertises one of England’s colonies 2. Create a Colonial America Brochure on Google Docs that advertises the English Colonies. 3. Create a piece of artwork that relates back to content from Chapter Three: Colonial America. I am very excited to see what the final products of these projects will be. After conferencing with each group, I am confident that I will be impressed! Check out our next blog for some pictures and videos from our Chapter Three Colonial America Project. Team 8-1 Students have been doing great things in American History Class! As we approach the conclusion of our investigation of the Age of Exploration, below are a few of the “highlights” from the past two weeks:
Students continued work on their Chapter Two Choice Boards in conjunction with our Flipped Classroom approach! I was very impressed by the work that the students have submitted, especially the Pokémon Explorer activity. Last school year, my students were obsessed (and admittedly, I was too) with Pokémon Go, the virtual reality mobile device game. I thought it would be a really engaging classroom activity to combine our investigation of European explorers with the Pokémon craze. Students designed Pokémon Cards, but instead of the pocket monsters, students created cards for the explorers that we have discussed. I did not expect to reuse this activity, but I was surprised to find out that many students still played Pokémon. On these Pokémon Explorer cards students included the following:
The majority of our time in American History was dedicated to a Historical Cold Case Investigation . Our mystery centered up the destruction of the Inca Empire by Francisco Pizarro. I presented this activity almost like a murder-mystery. Students worked in investigation groups to determine how a group of several hundred Spaniards, conquered and destroyed one of the largest empires. Students examined People of Interest and began to investigate evidence behind the destruction of the Inca at the hands of the Spanish. The evidence that students used came from a National Geographic broadcast named Guns, Germs, & Steel. While in college, I read Jared Diamond work titled, Guns, Germs, & Steel and was excited to find the television broadcast of the book. Students examined how European advances in technology and exposure to disease led to the conquering of the Inca Empire. Students shared their findings with their investigation teams in order to form a better picture of how the Inca Empire collapsed. The students concluded their investigation with a writing exercise where they showcased their knowledge and attempted to put this Historical Cold Case to rest. Students participated in a pre-writing strategy that involved creating a giant outline for their response (see the pictures below). I was very impressed with the level of explanation that students utilized when writing their final responses! On Friday, September 29th Officer Jordan Angelo presented a lesson on cyber safety. Officer Angelo and our students discussed the risks of specific applications and how to remain safe using social media applications. Officer Angelo will be a guest within our classroom throughout the school year and we all look forward to the useful information that he will pass along! For the upcoming week, students will be:
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Mr. Steve Hartnett
Mr. Hartnett will update the Room 212 Blog with classroom updates on a regular basis. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @ MrHartnett212 Archives
July 2019
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