Artifact #2: Energy Website

During my unit design, I needed a way to push out information and activities to my students.  Usually I do this through Google Classroom, but instead I created a website that hosts the two lessons and all the resources the students need.  I am pretty proud of it, but it actually was pretty easy to create and my students were able to navigate it with ease.  The best part about it, is that it organizes the information for me too, so that next year, I'm not having to look up everything all over again.  Priceless!

My website link

Artifact #1: Energy Unit Design

For this assignment, I choose to do a unit in science.  Since I teach both 4th grade sections in science, I'm always looking for ways to spruce up our curriculum.  Our science program has an online component, but it is clunky and not student or teacher friendly in my opinion.  In this unit, I put together many resources that will help students learn about renewable vs. nonrenewable resources in a way that includes hands-on activities, videos, and a culminating debate.  Since this part of the unit doesn't have a lab or activity, it was the perfect unit to add a little pizazz to.

Here's the link to my Energy Unit.

Engaging E-Learning Reflection

This was one of my favorite classes.  It had a little bit of everything and was a great way to culminate the technology cohort.  I have learned so much in each of these classes, and this one was a combination of unit design where I was able to apply all that I had learned throughout these classes and new learning with Genius Hour.  I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to take these classes.  Coming back into the teaching world after being a stay-at-home mom was overwhelming, but taking classes in technology was the perfect way for me to gain back my confidence as an educator.  I now feel like I have the skills to utilize technology throughout my lessons in ways that engage and teach 21st century skills.

Genius Hour - Week 8

Post # 8 - Reflection

So this week is all about reflecting.  When we began this class and I was told we would be participating in "adult genius hour" I was skeptical.  I have tried Genius Hour in my class before and I didn't feel like it was very successful.  Now it is clear to my why.  By actually participating in it myself, I could see that I did so many things wrong.  So to my students - I apologize.  First, I didn't guide them at all in choosing their topic which is so key.  I didn't have a clear structure or even an end goal, and I also didn't have a way for them to share or really get help along the way.  In my defense however, this was before we had all the tech capabilities that we have in the classroom today.  Now, that I've actually done it myself, struggled through the process, and learned so much about myself and  my topic, I am so much better equipped to guide my students through this amazing process.  Here are my top five take-aways:

1. Guide students in choosing their topic/passion. Students shouldn't be expected to make this decision in 5 minutes.  Students need time to investigate, try out, reject, and settle into a passion.  Also, students may need help in focusing their topic or stretching themselves.
2. Let students know up front what the expectations are, but don't make them limiting. Give students a timeline of check-in's, blogging/journaling, and final deadline, but don't tell them how to present their learning or other limiting requirements.  Give students a chance to spread their wings.  There really isn't a topic that can't be pursued that won't lead to learning.  
3. Have a consistent way for students to follow, support, and be held accountable.  The blogging requirement did two things for me.  First, it made me do the work and keep to schedule.  Otherwise, I may have tried to do it at the final hour which would have not been an authentic experience at all.  Second, I truly enjoyed seeing what others were doing and getting their encouragement.  Students too, will have a dip, and others' encouragement can easily be the cure for wanting to keep going.
4. Split the time 50/50 between home and school.  When I attempted Genius Hour, I only had kids working on it at school.  To really be able to dig in, students may need to have access to materials and space not available at school.  For example, playing an instrument, building a bookshelf, learning how to play a sport, etc.
5. Require students to teach the class.  As I learned in this class, the final presentation shouldn't be about presenting as much as about teaching.  Students should be ready to tell what they learned and teach the class a little.  This will prevent "report" like presentations that lack passion which happens when students believe they need to turn in a typical school report or project.

Genius Hour - here we come!  Look for it in my 4th grade class this Spring!

Genius Hour - Week 7

Post # 7 - Getting Ready for Showtime

This last week I continued to work on cleaning out our basement, since this is the part of the project that is going to take awhile.  After meeting with our contractor, who appreciated my basement "blueprint," we were told that our basement remodel can start in July.  This has given me the final encouragement that I need to really work on the hardest part - cleaning out.  As I go through each section, it's a trip down memory lane.  My girls have enjoyed sorting through old toys like: Pretty Ponies, Barbies, American Girl Dolls, etc.  We're deciding together what can we donate and what can we put in our garage sale.  

As the girls were busy sorting through their old toys, I took the time to go through seasonal decorations, camping equipment, and other boxes.  My plan was to sort things into labeled bins and get them put on the shelves in an organized manner.  Here are the before and after pictures of our crawlspace:

Before

After

The other part of my Genius Hour project was using software to design the space.  I switched to a program called Cedreo.  I found this program to better is many ways.  One thing that was an improvement was the visibility of the dimensions and the ease of creating the rooms.  I also learned how to use another feature this week to take HD pictures of each room.  To do this, you move the "camera" to where you would take a picture from and then select the lighting option that works.  

These are HD pictures of the family room, that I learned to take using the Cedreo application.

For our class, I plan on sharing the different stages of my design process on a poster board with samples of paint colors, flooring, and a few of these HD photos along with a large printed blueprint.