Hello Readers,

 

How is everyone? Recently, I have learned about Cosmopolitianism in my grad class. It made me think to use technology more and to use it more creatively. I really want my students to communicate globally. I would love to have them have meetings and connections with people around the world. This would make them learn about different cultures and communities. When we are able to learn more about our differences, we learn that they make us unique. One of the ISTE standards, is to have our students to be global collaborators. Global collaboration is easy with technology beacuse we can use Twitter or blogposts and push out these resources so people can search for it using a hashtag.

I found some articles that teachers can do to make this happen:

1. https://www.weareteachers.com/encourage-global-perspective-classroom/
2. https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2018/11/how-to-set-up-a-connected-classroom-across-the-globe

 

Here is a Short clip of this  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BS5U8AZYPQ

 

Over the summer, when I start planning for the year, I would love to make this apart of my themed units.

 

Hello Readers,

I have been tasked with re-designing one of my units in my 6th-grade math class. Teaching ratios is the one unit that I dread teaching every year. So, instead, I would rather redesign, so that I get a better passion for teaching it.

If there were no rules in teaching, I was thinking about how would I teach this to my students, then suddenly I had a brilliant idea, which I have done on a smaller scale, but could be done on a larger scale.

I would delete lesson plans, worksheets, and activities/practice and have my students create/make recipes every couple of days. Students would look at recipes, make some food/drinks, reflect using SeeSaw, collaborate with others, and look at others’ designs. The students could show the world their products and talk about them.

Students would answer questions related to the math content on SeeSaw and get assessed formally and informally. We would learn how to talk using ratio language and understand equivalent ratios which are some important 6th-grade math standards.

I have done this before with just chocolate and strawberry milk, and the students looked at the different intensity levels of the syrup by examing different ratios of milk and syrup. You can go to Twitter and see what I did a couple years ago.  https://twitter.com/K8Mustangs/status/1040624806398488576?s=20 

 

Hello Everyone,

I recently curated a prezi with a colleague (Monica Lynch) and we learned about the Learn by Design model. This model is about hands on activities to reach students. Also, using the students’ past experiences and having them analyze/conceptualize the topic.

Here is the link to our presentation: 

Also, I enjoyed learning about this design because it helps engage learners in the content and at least middle school studentst enjoy using the learn by design model. I plan on using this model when I redesign my ratio unit for my 6th grade students.

 

Hello,

Recently, I surveyed former students to get information regarding their 6th grade experience. I asked them two questions. One being – Name one challenge in 7th/8th grade, and the other being Name one thing you learned in 6th grade.

Below you will see their results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were results were all over the place, which is fine. I actually believe their results should be all over the place, because each student is different and their needs would be different. Some students love math and learn it quicker than others.

This gave me insight on what skills they remember and what skills they are still having trouble with. I can see that multiplying/dividing are still skills that should be practiced often as students are still using those basic skills in 7th and 8th grade math.

It is interesting to gain student knowledge. They are the consumers of the math, so their input should be valid and asked often. When we gain their input, we gain trust, and they get input in their education.

 

I posted this timeline of tech in regards to teaching with technology. When I first started with my student teaching experience, technology was available for every student and also each classroom had a SMART board. We could use various websites, and there was a makerspace for students to use technology and engineering skills.

When I started teaching at Lincoln K-8, my first year, technology was sparce. We had computer labs we could use and IPADS to rent, but they were rented often.

When my second year of teaching began, I got a donors chose funded for a few tablets to use in the classroom. When I got them, I did stations often so that students could each use tablets and we could instruct in small groups.

Then the district started buying laptops and carts for each classroom, and then each student was able to have their own technology to use. At first, I started using it every day because it was a new, shiny toy ,but then I had to evaluate its purpose and balance it with other activities.

I believe using technology, teachers should use it with purpose. Often I use it for my students to practice a skill, while I am working with a small group. I believe small group instruction is the new wave of the future, and students like small groups.

When COVID-19 hit, I really had to use to technology to teach; however, I was not afraid of technology, but teaching in a live meeting was not my style. I got used to it this year, but it is deffintely different. I would say our students are over using technology because of 1st semester was mostly remote, but then we are our district is wanting us to use programs like IXL and DreamBox, but those are online.

Logging off – BJamirson

 

I posted this visual in one of my grad classes to demonstrate my current teaching practice and grading practice.

I am focusing on a mastery grading framework. I teach the students a skill, then allow students to practice this skill. Sometimes it is a required practice for a homework grade, and other times I give them a variety of ways to practice this skill.

When students feel confident in this skill, they take a formative assessment when they feel ready.

I believe the biggie here is when they feel confident and do not force a quiz or assessment on them when they do not understand the content.

Also, allowing the students to practice in their own way, allows them to decide what is best for them.

Hello Everyone,

HOMAGO (hanging out, messing around, and geeking out) is a different way to explore technology, but I feel like it is a way we explore technology. What I mean is that when we work with new technologies, we tend to mess around with them and geek out with them by telling our peers about them.

For example in my daily life, I bought a Nintendo Switch over the Summer. I have never had one before, so I had to mess around and hang out with it. I had to “play” with it. Then once I got comfortable I would geek out with it. I would play with it all the time.

Now time to take this framework to the classroom. My team teacher does this in a way with her online science curriculum. It is entirely online, so she has them play with the website for the first few days so they can explore it and see what it has to offer. Also, I do this with our Learning Management System for our students with online learning, which is Microsoft TEAMS. If you have ever used it, you know that you need to play around with it.

One tip I would take away from this experience is giving students time to mess around with new technology. Whenever I introduce new websites or any new kind of “tech toy” I will give my students the opportunity to just play with it. This idea of play gives students the time to learn and make mistakes without being penalized with a grade. I think our students need that now more than ever. Especially with education changing completely, students need some time to “play” and learn.

 

Thanks for reading and HOMAGO ON my friends, and keep playing…

 

BRANDON JAMIRSON

 

Here is the video of the app! 

 

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Let me know how I can help  you get started with this app!

Hello Everyone,

 

I talked about screencast-omatic earlier, but the app that I am truly in love with is mmhmm.

Here is a video about the product.

I like the fact that I can have my face/body in my presentation as well.

I am having trouble sharing my screen on my MAC with this. I bought home my Elmo from school, and I wanted to share my face and my notes at the same time, but this has been a challenge.

 

We went back to remote teaching starting tomorrow until Jan 15, so I wanted to take notes and be more interactive with my students, so this app will help. I can share within my TEAMS meeting.

 

I will post a video in a little bit showing you exactly what I am trying to do!

 

Hello Everyone,

 

 

I attended a Connecting the Dots web series a couple weeks ago (Nov 11), and I have been reflecting on the presentation about building relationships with students in the middle school.

The first presenter talked about our digital presence and teaching this to students. Also, one take away was using this resource to see who’s ground it is. I can not remember the website, but I really thought that was a good way to name that group of people.

Also, side note, he used an app that I have been playing out with called mmmmmh (it is called that so you can say while you eat) LOL!!!

The next presenter is from a junior high and gave tidbits of information that she uses in her classroom to help build that relationships. A few takeaways:

1. 1. I love the questionnaire that she uses with her students. Two questions that caught my attention was name an adult at school that you trust and talk to. I think this is so important in middle school, and tells the teacher this teacher knows this student. Also, another one was pronoun usage and can I use these pronouns in front of others. It is important for us to use appropriate pronouns for our students, but also use them in front of others.
   2. My second take away was using different verbiage instead of saying kids are “low” or using words that do not capture our students in the best light. For instance, instead we could say how can we change our instructional practices to meet our students.
   3. Also, I love that she used incorporated different cultures in her surveys. It is important for us teachers to know those sort of things.
   4. I love the state of class exit slip. She gives her students a google form to fill out in case there is information she needs to know about the status of her students and class.

 

 

Overall, it is just made me think about our students in a different light, and just some extra steps I can take to build stronger relationships with our students.