Helping Students "Stick the Landing"

I don't know about you, but when I watch the gymnastics portion of the Olympics, I become an instant expert on the gymnast's technique and precision. One portion I'm exceptionally good at evaluating is the landing. Did she end with a solid dismount? Did he wiggle or wobble while attempting to maintain his balance? Was there (gasp!) a step forward/back/to the side? A gymnast can perform a flawless routine and be knocked out of the running for gold if she doesn't stick the landing.

Why is sticking the landing so important in gymnastics? Despite what you may believe from my couch-scoring of Olympic gymnasts, I'm not a gymnastics judge, but here's what I imagine a judge would say. First and foremost, sticking the landing is safest for the gymnast's body...but I doubt that is the reason it makes or breaks a gold medalist. The real reason, I believe, is two fold. First, it is the very last technique a gymnast can show a judge. It is the final opportunity to make a lasting impression. The middle might have been a little muddled, but if a gymnast can stick the landing, suddenly the muddy middle doesn't seem quite as severe. The gymnast exits the arena feeling more successful, and the judge is left with a more favorable opinion when processing the performance. Second, it is one more opportunity for the gymnast to demonstrate mastery, her control over her body. Gymnastics is precise. There are many ways to demonstrate that precision and control during the routine, but the only way to show it at the close is to stick the landing.

What does this have to do with the classroom if you don't teach PE or coach gymnastics? ASCD published an article this past summer entitled "Stick the Landing" where history teacher Tyler Reese connected sticking the landing to closure. Helping our students experience closure in the classroom is one of the more highly effective strategies we know for helping the brain process and store information. Students need effective closure for similar reasons a gymnast needs to stick the landing.

When a teacher provides a student with time for closure, both the student and the teacher are given an opportunity to stick the landing. In many closure activities, the student is given one more instance where he can demonstrate his knowledge to the teacher. This is turn becomes a moment of formative assessment, which allows the teacher to reevaluate next steps. When students participate in closure that is reflective in nature, they also move towards a deeper understanding of the content as their brains attach connections to the content. In this way, closure is the last chance (at least for the moment) for the teacher to help the current content make a lasting impression in the student's brain.

If you're not sure where to start, Reese provides three of his favorite closure activities: Around the Horn (a variation of closing circles), Negotiations, and Logo Galleria (a variation of a gallery walk). If none of these three strike a spark in you, don't worry; there are many ways to provide effective closure. Some methods take more preparation than others; some are quick in the classroom while others take a chunk of time. The important piece is to remember to do it regularly - and that doesn't mean just at the end of the class period. Closure is beneficial anytime you are concluding one piece and moving on to another.

A few that are often quicker and easier to implement are quick writes/journals (paper/pencil or digital), critical thinking exit ticket questions, and connection-based pair-shares.

Have a closure strategy that you have found to be very successful in assisting students stick the landing? Please share your ideas in the comments!

DWP Summer Institute 2015

The DWP Invitational Summer Institute is in the works! Very few details are out at this point, but here is what I know:

1. This has been some of the BEST PD in which I have participated. It is for ANY teacher who wants to look at using writing more effectively in the classroom. (The summer I participated, the teachers ranged from K-college, and included PE, science, social studies, and art, as well as English.)
2. The dates are set: June 8 - July 2, 2015. The group meets Monday through Thursday.
3. The ISI takes place on USD's campus. Typically, teachers can choose to commute each day or to arrange housing in Vermillion. (I opted to commute each day with another Sioux Falls teacher, which I really enjoyed. We were able to spend time bonding and processing the information from the day.)
4. One of our own SF teachers will co-direct - Meghan WoundedHead!
5. Teachers can earn 6 graduate credits for completing the ISI.

As I learn more, I will try to send out information. In the meantime, you can watch the DWP ISI website or contact DWP director Michelle Rogge Gannon at mrogge@usd.edu.

FREE Google Education On Air Online Conference

This spring, Google is hosting a free two-day online conference called Education On Air. Join other educators from around the world, and participate in online Keynotes, panel discussions, and mini-sessions. It appears to be the sort of thing that you can jump in and out as your schedule allows, so if you are unsure of committing, register just in case! Remember, it is FREE!

Friday, May 8: Leading for the Future (9 am - 2 pm CST)

The Friday online Keynote and panel sessions are marketed towards those in leadership positions (anywhere from admin to a team leader to IT), but the posted topics sound applicable to classroom teachers as well. The full schedule will be released in April, but here are a few of the currently posted sessions:

*Creating Student Ownership

*Fostering Innovation in Schools

*Making Technology Work for Learning

*Communicating Change

Saturday, May 9: Shaping the Classroom Today

The Saturday online sessions are meant to be convenient and applicable to the classroom teacher. As Google puts it, "run by educators for educators, designed to be immediately useful to you." Sessions range from 15-45 minutes, and they are led by Google Certified Teachers, trainers, and general Googlers. Again, the full schedule is set to be released in April, but here are the posted teaser sessions:

*Supporting Literacy in Early Learners

*Fostering Collaboration with Google Docs

*Empowering Digital Citizens

Register Here!

Spring Workshops at Augie

(Custom Ole shoes by Augie junior Brianne Bernard)

Augustana's spring workshops are close to wrapping up, but there are still a few left on the schedule if you are looking for a class. One in particular that might be of interest is All Things Macbeth, which will take place the weekend of April 10-11. Another option is Twenty Google Tools You Should be Using in Your Classroom the weekend of May 8-9.

Click here to see the rest of the spring line up.

Spring and Summer Workshops at USF

The University of Sioux Falls offers numerous topics for personal professional development. If you are in need of graduate credits for a lane change or renewal credits for re-certification, USF offers both opportunities for their courses.

Some of the upcoming offerings that might be of interest include:

*Writing from Middle School, High School to College (Starts June 3)

*Discipline with Love and Logic (starts June 5)

*Literacy and Gender (Starts June 8)

*Teaching with the Brain in Mind (Starts June 10)

*Grammar 101: Beginners to Advanced (Starts June 10)

Click on the links below to view the full spring and summer listings.

Spring Workshop Listing

Summer Workshop Listing

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference

"Since 2003, writers from all over the United States have gathered in an intimate lakeside setting with award-winning authors and teachers to practice the arts of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction."

This year's Northwoods Writers Conference is set for June 20-26, 2015. Participants will be able to "create, collaborate, and commune" on the lake at Bemidji State University. Throughout the week, participants will hear from and work with five authors: Aimee Nezhukumatathil (poetry), Tayari Jones (fiction), Matt de la Pen (YA fiction), David Gessner (creative nonfiction), and Joni Tevis (creative nonfiction). When applying, participants select their particular genre for workshop sessions. Other scheduled events include author readings, craft talks, consultations, and editor's talks. (See the whole schedule here.)

The full conference costs $545 if you register before April 15 or $585 after the early bird date passes. This cost covers all events and three meals. Participants can also opt to audit many of the events for $125. View more cost details here.

Application Deadline: May 1, 2015

Money, Money, Money

And now, a little ABBA remix...
 I grade all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
Not enough left for supplies; I don't know where I should apply
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan

Of not using inheritance from Gran

I'd win the grant applying brawl; My students, they would have it all... 

If you have an idea you'd like to try in the classroom, but the purchase of supplies is preventing you from diving in wholeheartedly, I'd encourage you to check out these two funding possibilities. It is never to early to be thinking ahead to next year!

Public school teachers can post details about their project requests on the DonorsChoose website. DonorsChoose, an online charity, makes the post visible to the world, and anyone from anywhere can donate to the posted projects. The organization maintains accountability to its donors by acting as the middle man. The teacher supplies DonorsChoose with a list of specific items; DonorsChoose then handles the funding, purchases the supplies, and ships the items directly to the teacher's school. Donors receive photos of the project/materials in action and a cost report. It is a win-win as they pursue what they refer to as putting the public back in public schools.

Newer Teachers: This particular grant "especially encourages" teachers with less than 7 years of experience!

The NEA Foundation offers two levels of Student Achievement grants: $2,000 and $5,000. Application deadlines hit three times a year: February 1, June 1, and October 15, and all applicants receive a response roughly two months later, so keep an eye on the calendar if you plan to apply for this one. The Foundation requires that the proposed use of the grant "engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter...and improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection." While applications from every teacher are considered, preference will be given to members of the National Education Association.

Get (More) Googly at the South Dakota Summit

Ready to get (more) Googly?

This June, Sioux Falls will host one of many EdTechTeam Global Summits that take place throughout the world. For two days (June 26 and 27), you can participate in a "high-intensity event [that] focuses on deploying, integrating, and using Google Apps for Education (and other Google tools) to promote student learning in K-12 and higher education."

The South Dakota Summit will be hosted at Sioux Falls Christian Schools. Throughout the two days, participants will experience Keynote sessions as well as eight choice sessions. The choice sessions range from beginner to advanced uses and applications of Google Apps.

Earlybird registration is open now through April 26 and costs $249 for the two days. (Both days include breakfast and lunch.) Standard registration closes on June 26 and costs $299. If you'd like to apply to go through the school district, you can access the Professional Travel Application form here. (It needs to be submitted by April 3, 2015.)

Ready to get (more) Googly? Click here to get registered!

The Power of Storytelling

"While facts and figures engage a small area of the brain, stories engage multiple brain regions that work together to build colorful, rich three-dimensional images and emotional responses. As we read stories, we quickly begin to feel as if what’s happening out there is actually happening in here. Each sensory image, sound, texture, color, sensation and emotion provides a hook for our brain as the story draws us in and maintains our attention effortlessly.

This is the power of a great story" (Melcrum).

Over the past 12 years, 99,649 people have shared their stories through 57,138 interviews recorded in the form of conversations by StoryCorps. These stories are broadcast via NPR's Morning Edition and StoryCorps' website, but their real focus is on preserving an oral history of a diverse representation of Americans as each conversation is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

These oral stories, however, can be more than just a way to preserve our American history and culture. Stories are one of the most powerful ways for us to learn. About people. About topics. About ourselves. They are also a way for us to learn about listening.

Through StoryCorps' website, we have access to hundreds of those stories to use in our classrooms. The topics range from family to history, romance to struggle to memory loss. Brain research tells us that the language of story telling helps information stick in the brain, specifically because it often connects information to emotion. (On the contrary, straight informational language tends to slip more easily from our brains.)

So why aren't we using more storytelling in our classrooms?

One way we can incorporate more stories into our classrooms is through sites like StoryCorps; those stories, however, are limited in topics and scope as there are only a finite amount available. Thankfully, StoryCorps recently launched a new website called StoryCorps.me, as well as Android and Apple apps. Their purpose? To provide "a way for individuals to connect in a meaningful way with those close to them, and to gain insight into the lives of others." What a fantastic way for students to tell their stories or make meaning of content through connections with their stories or the stories of those they know.

Once a student has access to the app, all they need to do is follow these steps:

1. Choose someone to interview
2. Select questions to ask (StoryCorps.me provides ideas)
3. Find a quiet place to record using the app
4. Record (and listen!)
5. Share the interview online via StoryCorps.me 

I can think of so many places this could work in the English classroom! Research topics could come to life. Students could explore themes from literature alive and well in the world around them. And through it all, they would be building dendrites while making all of those connections...and not even realizing it!

If you'd like to do some brainstorming on ways to use this in your classroom, please let me know! I'd love to toss around some ideas. And, if you can already see where you might use something like this, I'd love to either see it in action or hear about your results!

Happy storytelling!

A Juicy Bestseller

Ever thought of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as a juicy bestseller? That is one take on how the public might have perceived it back when it was published in 1850. Whether you teach the book or read it (and loved/hated it) back in high school, mental_floss has gathered 10 interesting tidbits to recognize The Scarlet Letter's 165th birthday. Go celebrate the birth of this juicy novel!

Brookings EdCamp Updates

If you haven't yet registered for the March 28th EdCamp in Brookings, here are a few reasons to do so soon:

1. It is FREE!
2. Because EdCamps are organic in nature, you could learn about something totally unexpected!
3. A dozen sponsors have donated prizes (averaging $100 in value).
4. Over 70 colleagues from the area are already registered.
5. You earn 7 CEU credits for attending the day, which gets you closer to recertification.

What are you waiting for? If I weren't expecting something big to happen around that date, I'd already be registered!

GET REGISTERED!

Impossible to Fail Quizzes?

An impossible to fail quiz? What would be the point in giving that?

Tom Mullaney, author of the Sustainable Teaching website, posted recently about why they just might be worth trying. From his perspective, this "quiz" is not meant to be a summative assessment. I would argue that it is not even a formative assessment since the teacher doesn't gain much feedback regarding student learning through it. The students receive immediate feedback, however. Thus, it is a non-assessing quiz (if that is possible).

So what exactly is it if it is not an assessment? An impossible to fail quiz is a learning tool, it provides students with immediate feedback, and it is in fact quite impossible to fail. It is a digital quiz that customizes the next step based upon correct and incorrect answers. If the student responds correctly, the student moves on to the next question. If the student responds incorrectly, the student is instructed to view a video reviewing that particular concept. Then the student tries the missed question a second time. When the student correctly answers the question, the student then proceeds to the next one. (Try/view an impossible to fail quiz here.)

Clearly, it is not an assessment because every student should (in theory) earn a perfect score by the end of the quiz. The purpose lies not in assessing student knowledge but in giving students an opportunity to test their knowledge and practice as needed. (How in-depth the practice goes depends upon the teacher creating the impossible to fail quiz.) In theory, each student will eventually correctly answer each question because he/she either knew the material or learned the material through the review videos.

Think you might be interested in giving one a go in your room? Mullaney posted a very thorough tutorial on how to create an impossible to fail quiz using Google Forms. If you give the impossible to fail quiz a try, I'd love to hear about your experience!

The Role of a Teacher

Click on the image for 44-seconds of food for thought regarding the modern role of a teacher.

Beyond Google Presentation Templates

Tired of the templates provided in Google Presentation? SlideCarnival offers 26 free templates for you and your students to utilize and customize in Google. While 26 isn't a huge number, at least it is a place to start...

Once you find a template you'd like to use, follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Options" sprocket found on the black "Google Slides" bar at the bottom of the template.
2. Click on "Open Editor." (This will open a "View Only" version of the template in your Google Drive as long as you are already signed in.)
3. Under File, select "Make a Copy."
4. You should now be able to utilize and customize the template as you desire.

Are You Ready to Be a Creativist?

Know what that squiggly orange circle(ish) shape means? It means that you are a creativist, which was a new term to me. Being a creativist means you have a growth mindset about creativity, and you want to develop it in a way that brings meaningful change to the classroom.

Creativity + Activist = Creativist

The team at creativist.io wants to help you develop your inner creativist through empowerment, awareness, and practice. Starting on March 16, creativist.io is hosting

It is a 21-day challenge where each day begins with an email. Each email "contains a task that encourages a productive and successful way of thinking in order to be a more creative and modern teacher." Following each task, participants are to post about their day on Twitter and/or Google+, thus creating an online community of creativists where they can share thoughts and gain peer support.

What's the catch? There is a cost. It is $21, and 10% of it goes towards charity. You also have to be willing to commit about 30-minutes per day to the challenge and be willing to get a little uncomfortable as you challenge yourself to grow creatively. This is not an opportunity to receive quick-fix-tips and lists of "creative" websites to use in the classroom. Growing your creativity is a process, and the 21-day challenge is designed to make the practice of creativity in the classroom a habit.

What's the bonus? Because one of the creativist.io ladies (Melissa Goodwin) hails from our area, participating South Dakota teachers are offered one graduate credit from the University of Sioux Falls.

To get all the nitty-gritty details, click on the "Empowerment" image above and visit the creativist.io Google+ Page.

Go get creative!

Exploring Credibility Through Hoax Sites

Many teachers already utilize hoax websites to help students think critically about website credibility. Here are a few of my favorites, as well as a few that are new to me. (Click on the images to access the websites.) If you have used others that have worked well in the classroom, please share them in the comments.

Please remember to always preview resources before using them. If you plan to use any of these websites, double check that they are still active and that the content is appropriate for your audience. (Links to hoax websites tend to die as the creators discontinue maintaining them.)

Google Tap

Caribou Clear Coffee

Annncng: Twttr (Basic Free Service - Can't Use Vowels)

Order Meringue Instead of Making It!

Vacation on the Moon!

Don't Miss...Scenic Mankato, MN!

The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

Dihydrogen Monoxide

RYT Hospital

Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie

Sorcerer's Apprentice Registration Posted

The Dakota Writing Project has posted the registration document for the annual student creative writing camp: The Sorcerer's Apprentice. The camp is March 27-28, but early bird registration is due March 16. Read more about the camp in this previous post or visit the DWP website.