Social Action and Surprising Current Issues in the Classroom

I have spent a lot of time this summer reading and educating myself on food, and nutrition. I have been interested for several years, as my son has several food allergies, so I am forced to read labels, and, for the most part, cook from scratch. A few years ago I read The Unhealthy Truth, by Robyn O'Brien, but mostly with my kids in mind. In the meantime I have gotten busy, have two kids now to make school lunches for, and have gotten lazy (not about the allergies, which are life-threatening, but about health choices that are not immediately life threatening).

 I have also been very tired, and just low energy, getting sick (just with colds) more frequently. Bloodwork last year didn't turn up anything, and the doctor had a conversation with me about stress management, and eating healthy. That rung true, but not quite. I didn't feel like I was under anymore stress than I have been, maybe less as my kids are both old enough to sleep well, I'm a more experienced teacher, was at a better school last year than the two previous years.

 Near the end of school a colleague was excited about the "Whole30" and the energy boost, health benefits, etc. I read up on that, experimented a bit (decided it was WAY too restrictive for without a strict reason or problem to solve). But that experiment and reading led me to more reading on gluten, and on other health myths/topics. Then a friend's doctor recommended the book "Eat to Live." I was intrigued and also read some of that. I found this more well supported, and backed by research, as well it made more sense to me logically, but is basically a vegan diet, focusing on salad, maybe 2 meals a day. I don't see that as feasible for me right now. But I did try to make some changes. In all this reading and thinking (which I only have time for in the summer), I came across two things that really got my attention as far as the classroom.

 1) The blog 100daysofrealfood.com (and the associated recipes, facebook page, etc. This is also about healthier eating, but from a little different perspective. What really stuck out to me, however, is that unlike a lot of the other things I had been reading, the author here emphasizes taking small steps (mini-challenges), and that any improvement is better, and that this does not have to be a 100% change. I think that is also an important lesson for our students -- take small steps to make changes. Any improvement is better in the big picture.

 2) I also stumbled across this book: The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids.  This is supposed to be written for teens.  A lot of it is about science -evaluating different studies, analyzing nutrients in our bodies and how our bodies break down and utilize various chemicals.  Now I really want to use this book with my students.  I'm trying to determine where in the curriculum it fits, and how best to do this.  Where I teach, I'm sure this is not a topic of why my students are very much aware, at all.  When I taught AP Environmental, several years ago, I did a similar unit and my students were completely blank slates before.  Such a far removed topic from their daily lives.  I would like to bring some awareness to ninth grade biology students, maybe through the use of this book.


I think I will start with writing a donorschoose.org grant for the book, but in the meantime I need to determine where in the curriculum it would go, and how I could use it.

Any ideas, send them my way :)

Worried About the First day of Class? Scavenger Hunt Exclusive Freebie

I have been getting my classroom ready for the upcoming school year, and part of that process for me is making up signs to mark areas with in the classroom that I want to be clear to students.  We get a lot of student schedule changes and transitions, and student attendance is not always great.  For those reasons, and because students have several classes to keep track of, I try to make procedures clear for them early in the year, and post reminders.

This is an exclusive freebie to my blog readers.  It is a set of signs and a classroom scavenger hunt that I use in my classroom. The files are in PowerPoint format, so that they are completely editable and customizable to your classroom needs as well.

Innovative Technology: Google Drive and Google Chromebooks

I have been meaning to blog more often this summer, and haven't done so. The last couple of weeks I have been deep into learning about Google Chromebooks and Google Drive (which I was familiar with) and how to use them in the classroom. My school is going to be a 1:1 Chromebook this year as part of a pilot program. I was asked to be on the technology committee, so I have been at many meetings planning logistics and rollout procedures, as well as staff professional development.

I have learned several things from this Chromebook experience, before school has even started, and I will definitely keep you posted as the year goes along.

1) Roll out and logistics procedures are critical for things to go smoothly.

We have spent a lot of time developing procedures for checking in and out the chromebooks, labelling them, determining what the procedures will be for late entry and early dismissal students, where they will be stored and how to access them, how to carry and store them, etc.  These clearly stated and communicated guidelines and procedures will (hopefully) eliminate a lot of problems later on. The same is true in the classroom!  It is so important to think through all of these details and what-ifs ahead of time, and to develop, organize, and communicate with your students.

2) Staff training, comfort level, and staff being on the same page is also critical.

The IT Department from the district came to do some training with us.  They began by stating that they expected people to be anxious and fearful, or opposed. Our staff was mostly not.  They were very excited.  We have a great staff.  However, I think a lot of the positive attitude was also due to keeping people informed ahead of time, providing resources and training so they are comfortable, and providing ongoing support and training so they  know they won't be lost.  I think people are much more likely to try something new when they are comfortable and feel successful in what they are doing, and know that they will have support.

Again, the same in true in the classroom!

3) I think this technology has the power to change the classroom, as we know it.

I used a smartboard, and powerpoint, but I don't use them extensively.  They are a great way to present graphics and diagrams, or do whole class instruction, but most of the best educational practices are not geared around whole class instruction with the teacher at the front of the room.  If you are using these technologies a lot, I fear that is what is happening.

Google drive, however, offers a way for teachers to spend less time copying and organizing work, and for students to keep their work organized.  It automatically saves, and teachers can provide templates or work to students to complete right in their Drive.  It also offers real time collaboration, commenting, and feedback, as well as research resources immediately in the hands of every student. It allows them to look up information, search for help, spell check, create documents, critique each other's documents, and watch videos or take notes, somewhat at their own pace.  They can go back and edit, go ahead, or re-watch something. I also see many opportunities for individualization and differentiation, from additional research questions to apps that allow text to be read, or making the screen size different or changing contrast.

I am really excited about this opportunity, and I hope my students are too!

Getting Ready for Back to School - Classroom Website Update

I am working this year on updating my classroom website. I have a very skeletal website from several years ago that has never gotten much traffic. This year, as we are moving towards more technology and 1:1 technology in my school, one of my goals is to update my classroom website and to make it useful and user-friendly. This led me to some tips.

5 Tips to Creating a Classroom Website....

Read the rest on our collaborative blog

Great Deal - Don't Miss It!

As you may know, TpT is having the annual Back To School Sale today and tomorrow.  My store is also on sale.  These discounts combine for a 28% discount.

I have taken advantage of this opportunity to create two new bundles in my store.  One is for all Biology items, and the other is for all the Earth Science items.  I have taken all of the related items, created one bundle, and am offering them to you at a discounted price.  As I add more items under each category, I will update the bundle, and the price will slowly go up. However, if you purchase the bundle, you will be able to continue to download the updated bundle (with any and all new products) for free. 

My biology items now value $45, the bundle is listed for $30.  However, during this sale, the bundle is $21.60.  That means today and tomorrow you can purchase any biology items that I create now or in the future for $21.60.

Similarly, my Earth Science items individually would retail for $65, but the package is listed for $40.  With the sale this package would be $28.80.  Any Earth Science items that I have created now or in the future (and I have some great ones in progress) for $28.80.

Immediately Useful Formative Assessment Freebie: Gift to You

Free Exit Tickets for Formative Assessment

As we approach the new school year, many of us think about what goals we want to set for the upcoming school year, or what we want to change in our classroom.   For many of us, we want to get a handle on what our students really understand.  We need to use assessment more thoughtfully It is too easy to get 'stuck' in the routine of teaching a lesson, assigning homework, but not taking the time to get feedback from students, on their understanding, or have students think about their own learning.  Here is a free and easy way to assess your student's understanding.

When and how to use them

One practice that I really believe in, and try to use consistently is formative assessment.  These may often be seen in the form of 'exit tickets,' but can also be integrated into the lesson as part of a transition, or closure to a topic.  It is really important to have students reflect on their own learning, and to get a 'pulse' of the class frequently, and long before a unit test. By then it is really too late.

In many cases administrators are looking for closure and student reflection when they observe your class.  Exit tickets or formative assessment are a great way to do that.

Download your freebie

Below is a four pack freebie of four exit tickets that I frequently use in my classroom.  They are downloadable as a pdf file, and print four to a page.  They are set to print four to a page.   Here is 
the link
. Enjoy!

These can be used to assess and determine if re-teaching is necessary for a small group, or for the larger group.  They can also be a critical time for students to reflect on their own learning, and to think about what they understand or don't understand.

Related resources

These are a sample of a larger pack of 50 (!) Exit tickets. The four in the sampler are general use (any subject) and could be widely used.

The complete pack of 50 Exit Tickets include these, and other general exit tickets, but also have an emphasis on science, so they include many general prompts (40 of the 50), but some prompts that are specific to science classes.

Another free resource!! 

For a free guide to quick and easy assessment, as well as a set of free introductory science task cards/bell ringers, click here.

I hope this really helps you and your students know what they understand.