My Best Practices
2013 - 2014
I created a Smore for my EOCT class, as well as in my non-EOCT class, that contains a daily review question. The goal of this is to help prepare students for respective tests.
This month, as well as throughout the semester I have been striving to enhance my communication techniques with stakeholders. I love the opportunity to create newsletters, share specific feedback, and reach out to parents and students. Here are some examples of communication, including: course updates, due date information, emails, and phone calls.
Group Changes
This image was designed for parents and students to inform them of the requirements for a group change.
Course Update Newsletter
Smore is a great way to communicate with parents and students in an easy to read format. I find that I have many parents view the Smore on mobile devices.
Here's a course update example: https://www.smore.com/ambv
Though I am still a Twitter novice, I have used it to send some updates to my followers. I hope to learn new ways to use Twitter in the future.
DialMyCalls
This is an example of a phone call sent out to parents. It indicates concern about the student's grade. It is a great way to send a reminder call in between monthly checks.
Listen to an example here: http://www.dialmycalls.com/s/C85R2D2
Due Date 0 Stamp
I use this in the gradebook for a specific due date, when a 0 is entered. This provides parents and students with information about the 0, as well as the late work policy.
Spring Break Policy
I've kept this announcement in view for quite a while. Since students have so many questions, I made sure that I reviewed it often. I wanted to make sure parents and students knew this information ahead of time.
User Links
I have consolidated my Adobe recordings into a Padlet. This gives students a way to see summaries of the Adobe chats, while letting them see an organized visual display. I find this is easier for students who are visual learners, but also works for others as well. Here is my Padlet link:
Conditionally Released Announcements
This announcement connects the Odyssey to the Percy Jackson series. This is a great way to get students to relate a very old text to a more recent, familiar story. They often like the fact that similar themes appear in both.
Presenting Material Differently
This announcement was a way to present content information in a different way. Students may read about similes and metaphors, but this video gave them a visual demonstration of the figures of speech. When students have a connection they understand, they often have an easier time finding other examples.
Sharing Good Examples of Student Work
This Animoto is a visual display of student work. Students were instructed to create a new product, and then use persuasive writing to create an advertisement. These are very creative and I wanted students to see great examples of work.
March Madness
This is an example of a way to give students a new resource. I am always encouraging students to use Shmoop. This information came from the Shmoop Weekly Word (newsletter). I thought the connection to March Madness (a current sports event) might encourage students to look at Shmoop in more detail.
What's Due for You?
I have started giving students a list on Monday before a due date. I think this is helping to reduce the number of missing assignments. Posting this announcement the Monday before a due date gives the opportunity for students to work on schedule at the beginning of the two-week block, but provides a gentle reminder before the due date.
Classroom Bulletin Board
I use Padlet to connect my students to important information. I have found that it is an easy way to change information. I also like it as my bulletin board because it is eye-catching to students.
Connecting to our World
This announcement was an attempt to connect to current events, as well as past events. I was interested to see how many students had a connection to Mr. Rogers, and if there was an impact by his career.
Reminders
I think a weekly reminder of our Adobe chats is helpful. I am always hoping more students will show up for my chats.
Improving Discussion Feedback
I have made it a point this semester to give meaningful feedback in the comment box, as well as increasing my number of replies in the board itself.
Discussion Feedback ~ No Mistakes Made
Discussion Feedback ~ Mistakes Made
Frequent Responses
Furthering Discussions with Audio & Visual Resources
Short Story Comparison
By inserting a video version of our short story, I offered students the opportunity to compare/contrast the video and the story.
Current Event Connection
In this discussion board, students were asked to discuss one of the short stories from a psychologist's perspective. That is, what would the story (or the actions of a particular character) tell us about society, humanity, or human nature?
Many of the students discussed self-esteem and self-worth. I found this video related to Mr. Rogers and decided to see if students could make connections from text to society.
Many of the students discussed self-esteem and self-worth. I found this video related to Mr. Rogers and decided to see if students could make connections from text to society.
Remediation or Enhancement
For this discussion board, I inserted a Quizlet flashcard set. The set covered figurative language terms and examples. This is a great way for students to review without knowing they are studying. It reinforces the material and helps those who need remediation.
The Socratic Method ~ Utilizing Questions in Discussions
Norse Game Project
Character Social Media