Writing to Change People's Minds

Twas 2 days before Winter Break and all through the class……

Usually this time of year there are so many distractions that it is hard to believe that there is any meaningful teaching/learning going on.  This year it seems especially true, we have students who are wound up for the holidays, terrified that it is the end of the world and still reeling from the effects of the Newtown tragedy and Super Storm Sandy (no relation).

Is it any wonder that teachers would just love to plug in a movie or phone in a lesson?  In fact the opposite is true, now is the time that teachers reach into their bags of tricks and work to provide the most engaging lessons of the year.  I happened to be invited to just such a lesson yesterday in Joe Pizzo’s ILA class in the Black River Middle School in Chester, NJ were students were actively engaged and excited to learn.

Joe’s students were starting a new unit on persuasion (Imagine that!  Before a vacation!).  He invited advertising and media producer Mr. Rea, a parent, to come and show students how ads were created and how they are written to “change people’s minds.”  What a great lesson!  The students were all fascinated and had so many great insights regarding each of the commercials he showed.  We were all riveted as Mr. Rea explained the production of commercials for Volvo (seen in the Superbowl!) and Coppertone (filmed in Costa Rico!) and dissected the components used to appeal to their intended audience.   The students were highly engaged in the activity, peppering Mr. Rea with questions and observations.  He demonstrated how company’s ad campaigns range on the “rational” to “emotional” spectrum  and how the components of the commercial – images, music, script, etc all contribute.  Of course, Mr. Pizzo expertly tied in all of these aspects with the components necessary to write a good persuasive essay.  Students will begin their practice of these principles as they create their own 60 second commercial for their newly assigned free choice reading.  I could tell that they were inspired and their minds were reeling over the possibilities.  This “book report” was now building persuasive writing skills, integrating technology, connecting career opportunities and had captured student’s imaginations.  I cannot think of a more powerful, relevant and authentic way to teach students how to develop the “power of persuasion” than to tie in the everyday media whose job it is to “change people’s minds.”  Using a member of the community to teach it?  Priceless.

Implementing BYOT: A Great Critical Thinking Activity

I love to visit classrooms this time of year. Both students and teachers are excited and hopeful about what they will be doing in the coming year. This year the Mt. Olive Middle School will be implementing a new BYOT program. Starting in November, students in grade 8 and 9 will be able to Bring in their Own Technology and use it in their core content area classrooms.

This of course brings up a number of issues from all kinds of perspectives. Melissa Blitzstein, teaching a new course called 8^th Grade Seminar (focusing on research and writing skills) and Cynthia Cassidy, Media Specialist (ultimately involved in the implementation) decided this was the perfect opportunity and high interest complex topic they were looking for to kick off student researching and writing! What a great way to involve students in authentic and relevant problem solving!

They recognized that successful implementation of a complex undertaking like BYOT, requires a true collaborative effort by parents, policy makers, IT personnel, curriculum specialists, teachers and administrators, each of which have different issues and concerns that need to be addressed. Although there is information about other districts' implementation, every district is different. Different demographics, budgets, staff members, etc. all play into the program’s success.

Why not let students take a crack at it?

Blistzstein and Cassidy developed a great activity based on these Key Points in English Language Arts from the Common Core Standards:

· The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest grades.

· Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in depth research —is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis and presentation of findings is so often critical.

Students began the project by researching BYOT programs and their successful implementation then selected a perspective to represent in the collaboration. Roles included 8^th grade student, parent, teacher, and US Department of Education. Cassidy and Blitzstein posted the problem and perspectives in the SCAN tool at TregoEd. When I walked into the classroom, the students were highly engaged in the discussion using the private online discussion tool which walks them through SCAN (See the issues, Clarify the issues, Ask, what’s most important, and Now, what should be done?). Of course, you do not need the tool to have students go through the process, but it is a powerful way to get ALL students in on the conversation!

Students at work!

They had written logical arguments based on their perspective and were using sound reasoning and relevant evidence to support their claims. Their issues ranged from cheating and possible theft of devices to bandwidth and teacher training! Their research had added depth to their understanding of the situation – giving true authenticity to “Research –short focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace)” as this was precisely the work that had to be done “in the workplace.”

Developing a plan

As I circulated around the room, many were working on the last step where they were creating some great suggestions for policies and actions that will address the concerns that their classmates had brought up. They were talking about insurance policies, collecting IP addresses, classroom rules and board policies. They understood that they now had valid input in the district discussion and would have an understanding of both the “what and the why” of district policies that would be put in place. They had a plan! (We can only hope that those who were tackling this problem in the district were using the same process. District leaders trained in TregoED’s Situation Appraisal would find the process would result in great decisions and a sure fire implementation plan)

High interest=high engagement

It was exciting to see how engaged kids were in the research and the writing when given a high interest problem that touched their lives. They took their roles seriously as they knew their input would be heard through Ms. Blitzstein.

How have your students been involved in the success of your BYOD or BYOT programs? Do your students take part in school problem solving?

Getting Motivated

Looming over my head as I vacationed on the back of a Harley making a loop through the extraordinary countryside of Northern California was the deadline of making a one minute video on “Motivation and Learning.”  As we zigzagged along the coast, through the redwoods, to the top of a volcano, I could not help but wonder.  I wondered what those crops were, why there were cows on the top of a mountain, how those seals could be comfortable on those rough rocks.  I wondered about how all of those pears got pollinated (they self-pollinate), how they get from those trees to my grocery shelf, how the weather could change in the matter of a mile.    Then I realized that I was surrounded by the perfect example of motivation and learning:  curiosity.   It was not just me wondering, I traveled with a group of lifelong learners, they too were people who were inspired and awed by the vistas and curious about how it all came to be.  As we traveled, we asked questions, looked things up, and wondered out loud. 

We wanted to know more! 

Curiosity and enthusiasm are great motives for learning.  Can you replicate the motivation and inspiration that we felt in the classroom (can you say Harley field trip?)? 

 Here are a few things that you might try:

1.  Share your enthusiasm.  You don’t need to show them your online digital photo album of your summer vacation, but why not show them a picture or two and have them wonder with you?
2. Share their enthusiasm:  Let them share a photo (vacation or otherwise) that will make you wonder. 
3. Keep it real – I know field trip planning has gotten quite complex, keep the trip simple-just take your students outside and give them a two foot plot of grass to explore!
4.   Make kids wonder - As a science teacher, I had a number of “discrepant events” videos, demonstrations and activities that I used as grabbers in the beginning of a lesson.  For example- you can tri-fold a piece of tissue paper (we used to use the tissue that came in between the ink and the paper in a ditto master:).   Set it up like a chimney and light it on fire from the top-it will burn down and the ash will fly up.  Like a magic trick, it makes them wonder and ask “how did you do that?’ – a first step in critical thinking and developing the motivation to learn more.
   Technology now puts resources and learning at our fingertips.  You can use all sorts of media to get kids motivated and increase the learning by having the research tools in their pockets.

How do you get kids motivated to learn?

Resources to get Kids to Read, Write and Reflect on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, we traditionally thank those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Do your students see the connection to their lives?  Having students connect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to their daily lives is a great way to develop an appreciation for freedom and the democracy that so many have died to protect.

 Integrating the Common Core

Integrating the Common core with the many resources that are available can get your students reading, writing and thinking.  With these resources, we can move beyond the “What freedom means to me” five paragraph essay and have them:

• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research (W9)
• Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence (W7.1)
• With the added bonus of focusing on “discipline-specific content” for social studies (WLHST 8.1)”  (Common Core State Standards Initiative)  

Making the Connections

The Bill of Rights Institute features thought-provoking lesson plans, links and resources connecting current events with the Constitution.  Have your students explore the following:

Is there a difference between searching a student’s locker or backpack and searching their phone? 

Should people be able to stand their ground, as in the case in Florida?

Take a look at “Current Events and the Constitution”  for information on internet piracy, airport scanners and illegal searches.

Or “Bill of Rights in the News”  for lessons on stand your ground, occupy protests or GPS tracking.

Have them read  Education Week articles:  “Students Under Arrest?”  to spark the discussion of bringing police in to deal out discipline in schools.

Or  “Can schools legally block Internet sites?” Can it be argued that it is the same as book banning? 

Check out these free SCAN lessons at TregoED.org to have your students explore topics from different perspectives in an engaging online discussion platform:

A New Approach to Remembering Pearl Harbor- Have students debate the merits of looking at history from all perspectives. Check out the Collaborize Classroom Topic Library for some great discussion topics to enhance this lesson. 

Locker Searches and the Fourth Amendment- Remind students of the freedoms secured in battle by looking at their connection to the Bill of Rights.

More Memorial Day Resources:

Memorial Day Lessons from NEA.

Video:  The History of Memorial Day in 3 Minutes

Video writing prompts on volunteering and bravery from Teach Hub

Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made to maintain the freedoms guaranteed to us in our Constitution.  How do you help your students understand and exercise this freedom?

Keep on Teaching: Great EOY Activities

My first principal (I broke in quite a few over the years) had a few tenets that he swore by.  One of them was “DON’T STOP TEACHING” (this was before capital letters were considered offensive).  At the end of each year, he had a (typed) memo that he gave us with a list of 35 things that you had to do to get your last paycheck:  inventory your room, collect books, turn in summer address, turn in your technology (which consisted of an overhead and filmstrip projector) and a host of other things.  Tucked in amongst those items at item # 17 was “DON’T STOP TEACHING.”  It was good advice, students were bored with busy work or erasing the marks out of their books.  I found giving them meaningful collaborative tasks (besides erasing the blackboard/whiteboard/hard drive), kept them learning and kept me sane!

 Now is a great time to break out some simple technology infused activities to jazz up your final days.  Here are somethings I have tried:

Vocab Videos:  Borrowing the idea from the Vocab Video site that features great videos done by students to illustrate SAT vocabulary words, I had my students make a short video for any of the vocabulary words we used all year.  Using the videos from site as a model, my understood the basic format expected.  They came up with great, creative work, using webcams, cell phones or whatever video equipment and Windows Movie Maker.   We shared them in class and have saved them to share with future classes.  A great review for them, appropriate for any subject area, and you can even have students vote on them using www.polleverywhere to award Oscars.  Your students will be engaged until the last bell of the last day!

Want to keep kids writing?

There are more than 59 different engaging tools at readwritethink.org.  You can have students make comic strips, do “Eye on Idioms,” write poetry, generate trading cards for characters, etc.  These simple and engaging tools even come with lesson plans!  They do not require registration, just send them to the site and they are off!

You could have students write a newspaper article/press release  about all they accomplished this year and use the very simple “newsclipping generator”  to turn it into a newspaper clipping.

How about keeping them reading?

You’ll find lots of great articles geared for kids interests at tweentribune.  Students will find highly engaging articles in their area of interest:  fashion, food, movies, animals, school, science, health, sports, technology, US or World.  Articles, geared to kids, range from teachers eating bugs (who would not want to read about that?) or elephants playing harmonicas.   Have them find an article in their interest area and write a blog entry on it.

Looking for some Math activities? 

Have them watch some of these Mathsnacks or develop their own?

 

Looking for more low tech?

Check out these Top 12 Effective End of the Year Activities from Teachhub.  You’ll find a great list of ideas to chose from. 

Of course, students love using social media type tools like the SCAN discussion tool at TregoED or CollaborizeClassroom.  You can engage your students in guided online discussions on issues that concern them – like locker searches, bullying or cell phones in school as they read write and think critically.
New blog:  Check out "Engaging Activities for the Home Stretch" for a few more suggestions and take a look at these great sites to keep students engaged in the final hours!

The bottom line is that getting students involved in engaging tech infused activities can “keep them learning” until the last bell has rung.  What has worked for you?