Screencasting Our Train of Thought

My name is Tala Pirouzian and I am a student teacher in the English department at Beckman! As a former student of the school, I love reflecting on the educational changes that have occurred over the past few years. One change that I find to be powerful, valuable, challenging, and engaging is the role of technology in the classroom. As my mentor teacher, Erin Thomas, and her tech coach, Crystal Kirch, discuss when and how to bring the tech into the classroom, I am continuously reminded that the purpose of using technology is supposed to be to support students’ learning by making instruction more engaging and effective. Thus, I have found it to be a form of litmus test in that before a teacher uses a tech tool they determine: what purpose does it have? is it the right tech? how are students going to experience and learn from it? how is instruction going to be enhanced?

One lesson that I am eager to share with others involved using a new (new for me and my students this year) tech tool, “Screencastify,” in order to analyze author’s craft. As students develop and practice their close textual analysis, we added a new layer to their annotation and analysis by asking them to use the “Screencastify” extension. This tool was supposed enhance student learning in that as they “draft talk” their way through their analysis, they will be better equipped to write about it.

First, I posted a model screencast (about 5 minutes) in which I commented on why I annotated specific parts of the passage and then authentically verbalized my analysis of the passage.

Here is a screenshot of my sample. Feel free to listen to it here.

During the lesson, my students students selected one of nine passages from the text to annotate using Google Drawing or Kami, and then they used the “Screencastify” tool to make their “thinking visible.” This is one of the most significant and valuable parts of this lesson in that the tech tool gave all my students the opportunity to voice their thoughts and understanding. Furthermore, they were all using the content language as experts in the discipline would! As I watched and listened to their screencasts, it was like a window into their reading minds. Sometimes we highlight or mark the text without taking the time to rationalize and reflect on it, which also leaves the teacher asking why did you annotate what you did? Or what made you think that? This tool asked students to explain what they were highlighting or marking, and why.

Here are some sample screenshots of students’ annotations, which they provided a screencast of:

The screencasts range from 3-5 minutes. Following this, the students used their annotations and screencasts to write a short close textual analysis.

Here is a sample written work (with peer feedback):

As I reflect on this lesson, I realize that such technology not only serves to improve students’ digital literacy but also enhances their content skills in that they are annotating the passage using Google Drawing and Kami, communicating their interpretations and organizing their analysis via the “Screencastify” extensions, and then creating a written product. This offers students a chance to demonstrate their learning in different ways.

I definitely recommend this tech tool to others because it truly does make thinking visible in an innovative and effective way. I am so eager to try out different technology in the classroom and read about the ones you all are using!

Evolving (Darin Hallstrom)

This is in a series of posts by teachers in the TUSD Connect Fellowship for the 2015-2016 school year. I hope you enjoy reading their reflections on the impact of technology in their classroom, specific tools and strategies that have made a positive impact on teaching and learning, and their goals moving forward.

When I first started teaching, I promised myself that I would be an innovator…and I have been.  But, this year, my growth has been exponential, and the impetus for that growth resides in my role as a fellow.  

Crystal Kirch, my DLC, will tell you that the word “purposeful” has driven our work this year.  For instance, I am not interested in blindly adding a tech factor to my lessons, or using technology just to be different and edgy and current.  The technology I have incorporated this year has aided my instruction – or I have not used it.  Rather, I have developed lessons solely because of the learning opportunities that the technology allows.  If an app will allow me to provide students with more immediate feedback, I’ll use it.  If a website will allow my students to collaborate more effectively, I will use it.  If software exists that will allow my students to learn with greater facility, I’ll use it.  These principles have guided me this year.  Fortunately, apps and websites and software DOES exist that will allow my students to learn and grow with greater ease, and incorporating them into my curriculum has been the most rewarding work I have completed.

A few examples…

Formative:

This is the website I use most often simply because it works so well for feedback.  I can immediately see the progress my students are making on writing assignments, and I can help them modify and improve their work before they submit.  The assignment below was an evidence-gathering activity used in conjunction with The Old Man and the Sea unit in my Freshman Transitional English class.  Timely feedback is critical in this class because most students are not as adept at writing as they should be.  It is incredibly beneficial to correct writing and grammar errors as they make them; doing so helps students learn to make modifications in their own grammar and syntax.  For example, my typical procedure for a Formative assignment is to 1) introduce the assignment, 2) model the assignment, and then 3) allow students time to start.  After 5 - 10 minutes, I’ll log in to “Live Results” on Formative and start reviewing students’ work.  It never fails:  Almost immediately, I will observe a “teachable moment” that I will bring to their attention.  I’ll project one or two students’ work on the screen and then commence the compliment/issue/problem. In the example below, for instance, I used the partially completed student examples to discuss the effective incorporation of quoted evidence into an argumentative literary analysis.

Verso:

A terrific app for collaboration.  The assignment below was a collaborative effort involving three or four students per group.  Immediately after submission, students were able to evaluate the work of their peers anonymously (each was color-coded only when viewed in class) and determine superior and exemplary models.  The comments students offered were carefully contemplated as well.  It was extremely meaningful for students to have their opinions taken into consideration in the evaluation process.

Newsela:

I am routinely looking for insightful, relevant articles for my students to read, and this website provides them.  In addition, the fact that the reading level can be adjusted is incredibly helpful.  For example, I will adjust the reading level for my English 1 Transitional class to account for their language facility.  I do not automatically adjust the level to the lowest level either.  Instead, the lexile is adjusted based on the complexity of the article and the purpose (annotation, comprehension, etc.) The good news is that the articles do not get “dumbed down;” the content and message remain the same.   

Kami/Google Classroom:

After an entire year of searching for an effective annotation tool for text and poetry, Crystal introduced me to Kami.  Kami is an app you can find in the Chrome Web Store; it gets connected to your Google Drive so you can open PDF files with it in order to annotate. The annotations can be highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, text boxes, comments, or drawings.It has a terrific, easy-to-use interface that my students adapted to almost immediately.  It syncs perfectly with Google Classroom, making it both easy to use and easy to grade.

PearDeck:

I really enjoy PearDeck; it may replicate my style of teaching better than any other app I have tried. A significant part of that feeling comes from the fact that the teacher can control the pace of the lesson on PearDeck.  I can control the slides and the flow of the questions.  Therefore, when we are completing an activity like the one below for example, where the students need to consider possible symbols and metaphors in The Great Gatsby before casting a vote, this opportunity becomes essential.  Why?  The one drawback to many apps is what I call the “behind-the-screen” factor:  Too many students simply put up the screen and disappear.  I want my students collaborating and talking and communicating and sharing.  PearDeck allows me the control to encourage discussions rather than simply having kids “disappear” to complete an assisgnment before the end of the period.  I can delay the next slide or I can push it through, based on the level of discourse in the room.

How do you want to continue to grow next year?  What are your goals and plans for progressing from where you are now?

I am definitely going to continue my growth next year.  Although I am a little worried that my time will not be as well-managed without a set weekly appointment to discuss technology, I am bound and determined to keep innovating.  I can keep myself motivated and focused on change.  In addition, I have forged new relationships with other teachers - in and out of my department - who are enjoying similar levels of innovation and experience with apps and websites and new tech-based teaching styles.  It is gratifying to collaborate with others - even if they are completing a math lesson as I plan a poetic deconstruction.

My plan for next year is two-fold:  I will continue to find apps and websites that supplement my teaching style and my objectives, and I will continue to utilize those tech aids I discovered and implemented this year.

What impact has the Tech Fellowship had on your teaching practice?

I sincerely cannot overestimate the impact that the Tech Fellowship has had on my instructional practice this school year.  The weekly appointments, the regular check-ups, the opportunity to keep a journal, the reflective requirement … all of it has combined to provide me with a lifetime of technology assistance in just one year.  Best of all, however, has been the guidance and support provided by Crystal Kirch.  She is the consummate professional:  approachable, knowledgeable and capable. I am often amazed at her willingness to assist.  Best of all, she does so with a steady focus on student achievement.  Working with her, I am often reminded of one of my favorite quotes:  “If you are too comfortable, you will never change.”  Crystal respectfully makes you just uncomfortable enough to want to change.  With great facility and endless expertise, she demonstrates that there is a better way for kids to learn, and she provides the support and patience and time necessary to make that change happen.  Honestly, this has been one of the best years in my 25-year teaching career, and I owe a tremendous amount of that credit to her influence.

My name is Darin Hallstrom. I have worked as a public school instructor for 25 years.  I love my job.  I work very hard to make lessons meaningful and purposeful for my junior Honors and freshman Transitional students at Beckman High School.  My room is always open; please feel free to come by and watch my amazing students learn and grow.

Follow me @DarinHallstrom

Teaching with Technology: Reinvigorating Pedagogy in an English-Language Arts Classroom (Tracey Kent)

This is the first in a series of posts by teachers in the TUSD Connect Fellowship for the 2015-2016 school year. I hope you enjoy reading their reflections on the impact of technology in their classroom, specific tools and strategies that have made a positive impact on teaching and learning, and their goals moving forward.


Technology has had a noticeable impact on my classroom this year. It has afforded me greater efficiency and reinvigorated somewhat calcified pedagogical knowledge. For my students, it has increased their productivity, accountability, and engagement.

This year, technology has added to my efficiency as an instructor in various ways. In terms of managing the requisite influx of writing assignments, Google Classroom, Goobric/Doctopus, and Turnitin.com have helped to make me a more efficient grader so that I can provide timely writing feedback to my students. Google Drive’s “Suggestion” mode has made leaving digital comments on student work just as easy as writing them by hand. The customizable nature of rubrics via Goobric/Doctopus and Turnitin.com also allows me to give directed feedback to students that pinpoints areas that need improvement. While it has definitely been an adjustment, scoring online is something I feel has improved my efficacy, and as a result, my students’ learning. I also believe that my efficiency with delivering content knowledge has improved with technology. Tools like Haiku and Pear Deck permit me to hone in on the necessary content and become more strategic about the way I deliver such information. These tech tools have helped to effectively disseminate content and have forced me to rethink pedagogy. Although much of the essential pedagogy remains unchanged (pair sharing and group collaboration and lecture all remain as effective instructional methods), technology has allowed for a reinvention of some of what is considered “tried and true.” For example, TodaysMeet and Verso provide another avenue for collaborative discussion. Pear Deck brings interaction and accountability to lecture. Google Drive helps with editing and revision. Ultimately, I have discovered that technology can enhance existing pedagogy by making it more efficient and engaging.

See the end of this post for some examples of my lessons utilizing these tools.

Technology has also impacted student productivity, accountability, and engagement in my classroom. With the aid of technology, students are able to produce more, in that certain activities once bound to class time are no longer confined to the classroom. Online discussion boards like Verso allow for conversation to continue outside of class, which extends discussion activities. Students are also able to produce differently with technology. For example, instead of using a poster, students can use a Google Drawing for a visual project. The change in how and where assignments are produced inevitably leads to increased engagement and student learning. I polled my junior honors English classes about how much the various tech tools we have used this year enhanced their learning, and approximately 80% said that Google Drive and Google Classroom greatly enhanced their learning while 73% said these tech tools “positively impacted their interest” in learning the content. 




Furthermore, sites like Actively Learn, Curriculet, and Pear Deck hold students accountable. With these tools, students cannot passively listen to a lesson or read a chapter. They provide the teacher with valuable feedback to help modify and refine instruction. In a survey of my sophomore class, 72% of students said that online reading tools like Curriculet or Actively Learn engaged them in their task because it helped them to better understand the information. One student wrote “ I think it was more engaging because there were questions to be answered as we read and it helped us to focus on what we were reading and remember.” Ultimately, I believe that student learning was positively influenced by my use of technology this year.

In the future, I plan to continue to explore what technology has to offer as an instructional aid. Technology aids instruction and learning in myriad ways, but it is important to remember that there is no replacement for good teaching. Much of my experience as a Tech Fellow this year has reinforced that idea. The process of building purposeful lessons and reflecting on teaching practice is what makes an effective teacher. Though technology brings new ways to engage students and greater efficiency, the content and pedagogical knowledge of a trained, living-breathing teacher is a combination that is not replaceable. Students need teachers who teach them how to learn and think, and technology can be a tremendous asset to skilled teachers who know how to use it to complement instruction.

Here are a few of my favorite lessons from the year and how the technology supported the learning goals.

Google Docs / Google Classroom / Goobric / Doctopus

Student essay with teacher comments submitted to Google classroom: Students completed an essay on The Glass Menagerie using a Google doc that they submitted to Google classroom. This enabled students to complete a peer review activity in which they were asked to highlight topic sentences, evidence, and commentary. They were also asked to provide a comment with the number of sentences of analysis and commentary. Then, students made corrections, de-selected highlighted text, and submitted the assignment again to Google classroom. Here I scored it using the Goobric/Doctopus extensions and made similar comments on their work.

Student essay rubric attached with Goobric/Doctopus in Google classroom

Google Drawings

Student group project Google drawing: To learn rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos, etc.), my sophomores were asked to design their own app and market their product to their classmates. They are asked to create their own advertisement and “commercial” presenting their product. During their presentation, they must provide a visual aid (Google drawing) that incorporates various rhetorical strategies.

Verso

Verso discussion: Students were asked to post a comment to the discussion board before class after reading an excerpt of Thoreau’s Walden. Before the start of the period, I grouped the responses according to those who agreed or disagreed with Thoreau’s central argument. In class, we reviewed the comments on Student Mode (student comments are anonymously displayed) before we began a discussion of the specific techniques Thoreau uses to espouse his position.

Pear Deck

Sample Pear Deck lecture on Modernism : To introduce the literary movement Modernism, I asked my students to review content on Haiku. The following day, I used Pear Deck to ask students to demonstrate their understanding of the information read for homework. For example, they were asked to define key terms from the reading. Pear Deck enabled me to make a lecture-based lesson more interactive, in that I was able to check for understanding throughout class and display and clarify student answers. At the end of the lecture, students received a “takeaway” transcript from Pear Deck in their Google drive containing the answers they provided as well as the slideshow itself.

Actively Learn / Curriculet

Actively Learn reading assignment: My sophomores used a site called Actively Learn to read some of the core works (Lord of the Flies Chapter 3 pictured below) Students are guided by questions as they read; these questions cannot be skipped, ensuring that students slow their reading pace to aid in comprehension. The screenshot shows student responses and the way in which I scored them.

About the Author: Tracey Kent has been teaching English at Arnold O. Beckman High School for the past nine years. A lover of learning and literature, Tracey received a Bachelor's degree in English, a single-subject teaching credential, a Master's degree in teaching, and a Master's degree in English literature all from the University of California, Irvine. Teaching combines Tracey's passion for literature, writing, and grammar (yes--even grammar) with her love of learning. She delights in helping to nurture her students' sense of curiosity and nourish their intellects. Tracey is enthusiastic about all forms of expression--literature, art, film, music--and it is this appreciation of culture that most informs her teaching. Technology's impact on art and culture fascinates Tracey, and she looks forward to discovering ways in which she can use technology to help enhance students' literacy.