Measuring Oracy with...Google Forms!

This year my school is really trying to work on oracy - encouraging students to participate orally through multiple turn-taking.  We as teachers are doing a lot to plan to get 100% of our students participating in discourse.  What we're doing to track our progress and monitor how students are participating is by measuring student participation.

Measuring student talk?  What?  If you haven't done this before, you're probably wondering what this looks like.  As an example, in a circle discussion, you might draw a circle on a piece of paper and label the circle with where students are sitting.  Then as the discussion occurs, you can note what is happening in the discussion: who participates, how they participate (add on, agree, disagree, etc.), and if students are participating in a non-verbal way such as hand signals.  It might look like this:



This is great.  You can easily see who participated a LOT and who did not participate at all.

This was presented to us at a PD opportunity, and I immediately thought: GOOGLE FORM!

I am terrible with paper, and every day the places where the kids sit changes.  With a Google Form, I could just list all of my students and possible ways that students could participate in a discussion.

This is AUGMENTATION!  How?

• I can more easily track data
• I can view trends
• I can aggregate data more easily based on: subject and language of instruction!

Since I teach in a dual language classroom, I want to see who is participating more in English vs. Spanish.  I can also check to see who may feel more comfortable participating in literacy or numeracy, small group or whole group.

The best part?  I have told my students that I am tracking their participation using this form.  I show it to them.  They WANT to see how they participated.  I have students whose job is to run my discussions, and about halfway through our discussion time, I show them who has not participated yet and their job is to find a way to get those students involved.

I showed this to the staff at my school and we now have teachers in grades as low as Kindergarten using this to track the quantity and quality of their students' participation in oracy activities.

I have only used this so far in whole group discussions, but I am now starting to use it in small group discussions.  Some students just don't feel comfortable talking in front of a whole group!  But this is an awesome tool that you can try to use to check in and really see just how much your students' participation in discussions grows and changes over time.

Your Voice is My Favorite Sound

Although my professor Dr. Amy Chivington taught me many things in my time at Otterbein College (now University) in Westerville, OH, one piece of advice has stuck with me all these years later:

Teachers are the best thieves.

Yes---it sounds so wrong, but she had it so right. Why reinvent the wheel? Why not learn from each other?

Last year, it was my goal to stop just being the "thief" who took from others....even though I still do that ALL THE TIME...but also contribute my own teacher voice out into the world. I started small by creating a professional account on both Twitter and Instagram. I shared small ideas and projects I was working on in my own room.  I also responded to another music educator who was looking for teachers to write short articles regarding music and technology. Very quickly these two small efforts connected me with other educators, companies and opportunities to continue sharing my voice.


1. You are amazing.

You can do it too! 

It might not always feel that way, but you rock your classroom on a daily basis. Your classroom is something to celebrate and share with others.

2. People are listening.

Educators can feel so alone but your tribe is out there. Sharing your story allows you to find other educators who can relate, help and even push you to continue to better your own craft.

3. Who doesn't like swag?

So many education and technology companies are responsive on social media. They love to see how you are using their product, how it can be improved and always have cool swag to share.

A note from Brian Yearling, the Instructional Tech Coordinator lucky enough to work with Katie in her Journey to Modification:

Katie has shared her voice in many places over the past year. She accomplished her goal of sharing in big ways. You can follow her on Twitter at @K8TMiller to connect with her in social media. Additionally, she has guest blogged on the Midnight Music blog on her use of Class Dojo and tips for managing one-to-one iPads.  She was also recently interviewed for the Midnight Music podcast on a project in GarageBand with book reviews that Katie did with teacher Jennifer Guckenberger.

Meet the teacher - Jillian Miller

I have been teaching in the district for eight years at Whittier and Lowell Elementary, mostly specializing in Mathematics.  When the district first rolled out 1:1 devices, I had 5 iPads to share with my whole class.  I would often find myself using the iPads for students to make simple videos, take photos of learners at work, and practice math fluency facts on some shiny new flashy app I discovered on Pinterest.  Since then, I have learned from my colleagues at WaukOne conferences, as well as some Google Educator professional development and have completely changed how I view and use technology in my classroom.  My favorite way to use technology? Break down walls.

 I have a passion for using technology to break down the walls in my classroom for many reasons.  First, there are so many people and resources bigger than us out there that I want them to be aware of.  My students have Skyped professional authors and illustrators as well as students from other states that have shined so much light on the world they live in.  Second, breaking down classroom walls have set a mindset of inquiry with my students.  When we did a Google Expedition of the phases of the moon, students were able to see a realistic view of the moon which prompted deeper thinking and questioning. Finally, I find students are extremely engaged.  My students have gone on virtual field trips to the San Diego Zoo and a live African safari and months later, still talk about it.  Even students who have behavior challenges are completely engaged in learning with virtual field trips!

I am very grateful for this model tech classroom coaching opportunity so I can continue to grow as an educator and discover more effective ways to break down my classroom walls!

Untethering

Untethering!

A journey of cutting the cord!

I had a recent triumph! I am finally untethered! I have recently taken the last steps to release myself from the cords that connect the desktop computer and the Smartboard. That hidden nest of tangled cords can have a subtle impact on teaching and learning. For years, these cords connected the desktop to the Smartboard. Connected the Smartboard to me. Connected me to the front of the room.  

Cutting the cord was made possible by the introduction of the new Smartboard TV into the room and willingness to let go of the familiar.

We have a new Smartboard TV in our classroom! I love it. My learners love it. Visitors love it.  This new board has great features! The board has its own built in “computer” with a browser, a digital whiteboard, built in mirroring, a remote file sharing feature and others. This board has allowed me to conquer the cords and become more mobile! I let go of the desktop, released the document camera and liberated myself to  move away from the Smartboard.

TRIUMPH!

This triumph was not immediate-it took time. We used the board for an entire year while learning the ins and outs and working out some of the kinks. I slowly replaced old functions with new ones and found workarounds with trial & error. Full use and untethering did not happen overnight.

Little by Little

I used the built in mirroring share feature while keeping the Apple TV plugged in and functional while getting used to the new built in share function.

I used the board’s browser to access Google Drive and all digital files while keeping the old desktop plugged in and available to use if needed. The desktop at its last classroom duty-it was used to play our Youtube study music playlist. The new board was not able to run the music in the background while another page was displaying.

I would suggest that others with an Apple TV and any type of interactive board give a try to cutting the cords. Take a couple of steps at a time. Reflect on the little successes along the way. Celebrate the moment you are able to become more mobile when displaying or teaching using your Smartboard. The journey, even if as lengthy as mine, is worth it!