Community Building Activity Ideas

This week we will be beginning our Phase II of programming for the ExpandED Schools program at The Island School. On Monday, students will begin their new courses (Graphic Novels, Robotics, Dance, Art, Athletics and STEM...just to name a few), where they will learn domain specific skills and vocabulary in order to conquer real world, authentic challenges.

As we begin, it is as important as ever to remember that classroom community does not just happen. Instead, it takes a conscious effort to create!

Here are a few tried and true activities to help bring this community to life:

1) The Name Game
As a high school teacher, it drove me crazy when in March a student would say, "I forget her name, but she had a good idea." How can we have safe learning environments, if we do not even know the names of all our peers?! The name game is a simple way to alleviate this issue. Have students stand or sit in a circle. Start and end with yourself (you will have both the easiest and hardest job, modeling that you are in it with them, growth mindset, etc.). Pick an adjective that begins with the same letter as the first letter of your name. Then put the adjective and your first name together, for example: Bashful Brittany. Now, move to the next student. Before he or she begins, the student must say all the adjective/name combos from before and then add his/her combo, for example: Bashful Brittany, Jolly Javier. After all students have gone, go through all the combos, starting with yours and ending with yours.

Students will often add silly reminders to help their peers, demonstrating one of the core elements of community. After the activity is done, feel free to complement all the things your students have already done to help each other out ("I really loved how many of you.... in order to help your peers succeed!"). Be sure to tie this back to community ("This shows that we are already committed to this class because...").


2) Symbols of Me
When I taught English, I used this activity as a way to introduce both creativity and abstract thinking. Have students pair up based on something such as month of birth, first letter of name, favorite color, etc. This will naturally mix them up, encouraging them to work with a new person in a non-awkward way. Then, have pairs trace the dominant hand of their partners on pieces of computer paper.

After all hands have been traced, begin by introducing what a symbol is ("A symbol is an object that means more than it's face value. For example, if I use a bird as a symbol, I am not saying that I am a bird. I may not even be saying that I like birds. Instead, I may be thinking of the qualities of a bird. This allows me to explain that I like to go to different places and that I enjoy freedom without using words). Now, instruct students to draw symbols of things that represent them. Challenge them to think about the colors they use, the objects they include, and even how they hold their paper! For younger students, you may need to provide a few more examples and provide some individual scaffolding.

When all the students are done, have each student present his or her hand. You can either have students explain their symbols or have the class guess what the symbols represent. Many teachers then cut out these hands and place them around their classrooms or paste them on their class rules.

At the end, be sure to tie this all up by explaining to your students that in a community we all bring unique talents, interests and personalities to the table.


3) My Name
This is an introduction with a literary twist. As a class, read aloud Sandra Cisneros' vignette, "My Name". Then tell each student to select his or her favorite line. Going in a circle, have each student read just his/her favorite line in a consecutive fashion. (If you have time, this is a great opportunity to talk about how many students picked the same or different lines). Then, have students make a list of the types of things that the character used to describe herself. Instruct students to make their own My Name vignettes using this list and more. (For younger students, a guided practice sheet--aka the frame of the poem with blanks--may be helpful).

Have each student read his or her poem to the class. Be sure to link this exercise back to a strong community ("While our poems are so different, they also have many things in common. In a community, we each bring different attributes to the table, but we also have so many things that unite us").


4) Where I'm From Poem
Following the same format at the My Name Activity, have students read, analyze and create their own poems based on Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon. This poem is a little more complex, so it may be better for older students. However, if you walk through the poem with younger students, you can definitely still use it!


5) All Over the Map
If you are working with a diverse population of students, this is a really exciting opportunity for them to share pieces of their personal and family stories. It also helps many students feel as if they are not alone. This activity also often leads to more stories, naturally allowing students to gain more information about their peers.

For me, I think this is a special activity because it truly embodies the idea that we are all on different paths, but at this specific moment in time, all our paths have crossed. Without getting esoteric, I think this is one of the most profound concepts that students can encounter, but I digress...

Start with a world map. Make a mark where you--or your family--are from. Have each student indicate where their family is from. If you have many immigrant students, feel free to let them explain when they came to America. Depending on your students, this can be as recent or as distant as you want it to be. It can also be as local or global as your classroom population needs. Make a mark on the map to indicate each child's response(s). After asking all students, have them look at the map and make observations.

Then, ask your students how this relates to our classroom community. If they are struggling, be sure to wrap the lesson up ("As you can see, we all have different paths that we have taken to get to this class in this moment. This is amazing, because it helps us remember that we are all different, but in this room we also have one thing in common: we are now from here too").

If you have access to technology and a projector/SMART Board, Piktochart has a GREAT--free--map feature that will allow you to highlight over specific countries and see the names of the students who are from that country).

What are your go to ice breakers/team builders? Comment below to add to our go to list!!

The Quickest Way to Learn Problem Solving: The Hour of Code

A buzz filled the air as I looked around my computer lab. Some students were so enamored with their work that they could not take their eyes off their screens. Some were excitedly pointing to other students' windows, sending helpful hints, explanations and sometimes just telling the answers. Despite the occasional cries of frustration, my students were hooked.

The Hour of Code was working its magic. 

Last month, all 269 of my Computer Applications students participated in The Hour of Code. While I was excited that my students were learning this key 21st Century skill, I was more enthralled by the metacognitive opportunity that these brilliantly crafted tutorials offered.

If you haven't hear of it, The Hour of Code is learning disguised as a bunch of games. Crafted by some of the top computer science minds and funded by a plethora of foundations and big names, the program is designed to help students independently acquire an understanding of the syntax and fundamentals of coding. After completing a series of tasks, students are presented with a certificate of completion.

Although it is not marketed as such, The Hour of Code is also a metacognitive gold mine! After my students completed the program, they were asked to reflect on the following two questions:

I ask questions like these after each and every unit. Most times, I get surface answers that lack serious reflection or insight. However, to my pleasant surprise, The Hour of Code lead to very different discussions.

After meeting with all 12 of my classes, the same strategies and themes emerged. They were compiled into the following chart.

(Brittany Spatz, 2014)

These strategies are sophisticated problem solving and critical thinking tasks, requiring that students work at the highest levels. These tutorials pushed my students to use the skills we use when we face real-world problems. Finally, The Hour of Code encouraged ownership of independent learning, while still allowing for collaboration.

Simply put, my students learned everything they need for life in just one hour. 

As I compiled the student reflections into our anchor chart, I found myself coming back to two main questions:

Question 1:
Why was it so much easier for students to identify patterns of thought when talking about coding?

I have many theories about this one, and I invite your input as well, but I have come to the conclusion that students find it easier to think about their own thinking when they don't think that they're learning... did you follow that?

In my masters classes, we have explored using video games in the classroom to facilitate conversations about thought, problem solving and critical thinking. As someone who was forbidden from having video games as a child, this option has never really appealed to me. However, there is no doubt that The Hour of Code, like video games, offers students similar situations.

Students are using complex skills without realizing that they are. This makes it less threatening and less confusing to explore their own movements.

Question 2:
How can we capitalize on this?

In our classroom, this chart has become a touchstone, an anchor lesson. We refer back to it often. We use it to provide us with the vocabulary and skills for learning anything new.

Moving forward, I can't help but encourage ALL teachers to try the Hour of Code. Teachers do not need ANY coding skills. They just have to be able to have their students get to code.org, and let it work its magic.

Then, teachers can step in and talk about what they know best: how we learn, how we solve problems, how we overcome obstacles, how we persevere.

Next year, I plan on starting the year with the Hour of Code, using it as the cornerstone of our class.

How will you incorporate this amazing resource?

How Are You Learning?

Over the past few weeks, my colleagues and I have spent a majority of our time discussing educational software, hardware and web tools. We have shared top resources, analyzed assistive technology, discussed potential pitfalls, and explained the systems our schools have in place to help teachers learn new programs.

However, there has been one, overwhelming sentiment that has arisen after each conversation:

WE NEED MORE TRAINING. 

Post after post, comment after comment, this theme rang true. So the question is:

WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL DOING TO HELP TEACHERS LEARN? 

At Frelinghuysen Middle School, we have a few key programs in place to help teachers acquire the necessary skills and exposure that help ensure the successful implementation of technology, (thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Educational Computer Specialist, Chrissie Flanagan).

FMS's Tech Programs

WEEKLY EMAILS -- FMS TechGoodies Update and Honorable Mentions
Every Sunday night, Chrissie sends out an e-mail with a number of new programs that teachers may be interested in, new applications that may help with our Chromebook 1:1, Atomic Learning tutorials that teachers may enjoy, and interesting IDE Portal PBLs. Chrissie then provides our staff with a brief explanation of each of her links.

PINTREST
As of this year, all the e-mail links bring us to Chrissie's Pintrest Boards! (Follow her!!) This has helped teachers access more specific content or explore new resources.

TECHBYTES
Since it is obviously not enough just to provide links, last year, in-house professional development was offered during our prep time. Chrissie would select key resources or topics, and present them throughout the week on a voluntary basis. This allowed us to go when we had a chance--if Monday didn't work, we went Wednesday. It also allowed teachers to attend the sessions that made the most sense for them--accounting for differentiated levels of teacher ability. These sessions also cleverly featured tasty treats--get it bytes, bites--which were an added bonus! (Learning + Eating = My Kind of PD!)

TEACHER ACADEMY 
Last year, our school also began taking advantage of a Teacher Academy, allowing expert teachers to provide peer-to-peer professional development. This has been a great way to build technology confidence in our building, showcase teacher-leaders, and--most importantly--expose our staff to a wide range of new information.

FMSCHAT
When I was first hired, once a month teachers participated in a focused Twitter chat run by our instructional leader. I loved this, but it lost steam following Hurricane Sandy. Hopefully, we can bring this back as a backchannel for professional development. Many of us also use the hashtag #FMSchat when posting relevant information on Twitter. (For examples, follow @BrittSpatz).

OLD SCHOOL SHARING
FMS has an incredible culture of sharing. It is deeply embedded in the norms of our building, but if I had to pin-point a specific reason for this, it would be that each week, teachers who teach the same grade and same subject meet in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The PLC format prioritizes collaboration as the foundation of successful teaching. (I also love the academic atmosphere that it fosters, encouraging constant learning and growth.)

After learning from the work that our ECS is doing and in the spirit of some good ole sharing, I'm attaching my Top 10 Web Tools infographic. Please feel free to use, share and reproduce. 

Click on the infographic to see it on the web.

SUGGESTIONS??
What does your school do to provide the professional development that is imperative for successful tech implementation? What do you want to see from your schools? Please feel free to share your ideas below! -Brittany