Putting the Pieces Together on EdPuzzle

"Why" and "how" are two critical questions to ask when lesson planning. Identifying the purpose of each learning activity and then reflecting on the mode of instruction become essential in helping students authentically learn and apply key concepts. Two years ago, I was out of the classroom for three days in a two-week span for the IHSA State Speech finals and a two-day conference. Missing that amount of class time in a short window made me nervous - primarily because I was in the middle of teaching Shakespeare plays to both sophomores and seniors. Not being face-to-face with students to help them tackle the complex language and the unique writing style made me very unsure of how to proceed with sub plans. Could I have students watch a movie or complete an arbitrary writing assignment? Yes, but disrupting the flow of the unit might distract from my learning objectives. Also, inserting a project or activity at that time might have felt more like busy work than authentic learning.

We have all been out of the classroom for one reason or another, and often, even with the best subs who are very familiar with the building and students, coursework does not always get completed. Wanting to clone myself so that I could be in two places at once, a feat I wish I could sincerely accomplish at least three times on any given week, I turned to Google. Searching for an edtech solution to help me be in two places at once, I stumbled upon Edpuzzle - a tool I had used once or twice with TED Talks but never thought too deeply about how I could use this tool beyond that initial purpose.

Popular Video Channels
from which to pull content.

So why EdPuzzle? EdPuzzle is a video-based webtool. With the ability to pull a video from YouTube, Kahn Academy, TED Talks, Numberphile and more, teachers can either use already created material or create their own interactive videos to help students learn concepts, master and review ideas, or actively engage with a video in ways they could not previously engage. Teachers can also create their own videos and make them interactive through EdPuzzle.

Initially, my problem was that I was going to be away from class and I needed to be present. EdPuzzle allowed me to find audiobook versions of Shakespeare text, record my explanations of the text by inserting audio notes, and assess my students throughout to measure comprehensions. It allowed me to be present in spite of my physical absence. Also, EdPuzzle tracks students' completion and scores their multiple choice and true/false answers automatically. While I was at my conference, I was able to screenshot the record of students not watching their video for the day and send an email reminding them that 1. Google (or the Internet) doesn't lie (and I know you're not working), and 2. Please get your work done because there will be a quiz when I return.

EdPuzzle tracks how many times segments of the video are watched, rewatched, and grades multiple choice questions. 

Upon my return to class, students reported that they enjoyed reading through Shakespeare in this manner, as opposed to reading the play out loud. They said listening to a professional audiobook helped them make more sense of Shakespeare's message. EdPuzzle helped me solve my problem, but how else could it enhance classroom learning for me? 

1. EdPuzzle allows absent students to receive the same instruction as students present in class.

This past year, I had a few students with chronic absences. Students were frequently not in class, and as a result, they were missing valuable content learning - especially with writing. To alleviate this problem and help these students learn while they were taking care of personal issues, I started flipping my writing lessons. I would still complete mini-lessons with students, but instead of speaking live, I would turn on the video. I included multiple choice formative checks and even had open-ended discussion questions built into my EdPuzzle lesson, which would allow us to stop and discuss as a class, but I would play the video instead of directly teaching so that my lessons were recorded for everyone. Students who were absent were required to go back and watch the video, and some students even chose to watch the video again to help support their learning. Everyone received the same instruction in person or remotely, thus ensuring that students had the tools they needed to be successful.

2. EdPuzzle videos can be viewed as a whole class or individually.

Last year I started watching EdPuzzles as a whole class because when students are plugged in too often, the classroom can begin to feel isolating. Since we were all watching the same video, we could watch, learn, and talk through the concepts being presented together. This method worked very well when teaching Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. My EdPuzzle lessons were filled with application questions in which students had to make the connection between their lives and the characters, agree/disagree with character choices, analyze specific lines, and determine Shakespeare's commentary on society as a whole. Students were asked to move each time we had a discussion question, find a new seat, and talk to a new friend before we discussed the question as a class. The reading became very interactive, and the engagement increased because they were moving, speaking, and apply what they were reading/hearing. Viewing a video as a class enables me to keep students more engage and at times, allows me to almost be in two places at once as my audio recorded voice shares notes that then become echoed by my live instruction. I have almost found a way to clone myself.

3. EdPuzzle allows students to rewatch and review essential concepts.

As teachers, we have all had a moment, or one hundred moments, when we review instructions or teach a concept, and two minutes later several students ask a question that was just taught. Better yet, I love when I read instruction about a paper assignment to students to ensure they have no questions, and then they ask, "How many quotes do I need in my paper?" Then another student in the class will chime in with a "Dude - she just said that!" Oh, teacher life!

When teaching key writing concepts during the I-Search Unit in Junior English, I was often frustrated with students asking the same question several times over. Sometimes students sincerely need help, and I am happy to reteach and revisit lessons, but sometimes, the best lesson we as teachers can do is to challenge students to find their own answers. With writing mini-lessons, I started having student rewatch specific videos before I would follow-up with them. They often time could answer questions, and the repeated instruction helped critical concepts to resonate more.

4. EdPuzzle has quality, already made material for teachers who are looking to try something new.

I have also had a few teachers who were going to be absent from class need a quick lesson plan that they knew their students would be able to complete. In both instances, I have recommended EdPuzzle to them. When looking for a fast lesson that is going to be meaningful and easy to assess, EdPuzzle offers so many rich experiences for students to make connections to concepts, learn from other experts, relate class material to real-life messages, and it's fast. Assessments are already built into many videos, and teachers can even customize these questions or add more questions. With a few clicks and a preview of the video, teachers can have their lesson plans done quickly, which is a great backup for an unexpected sick day. I have never heard a teacher disappointed with what EdPuzzle had to offer.

5. EdPuzzle is a great tool for blended and flipped learning.

For any teacher looking to flip classroom instruction or build in blended learning experiences, EdPuzzle is wonderful because students can complete them at their own pace and from any location. Using video allows students to learn and relearn concepts until they are mastered. EdPuzzle allows teachers to monitor progress, assess their comprehension, and make instructional decisions based on the result. The grade book feature on Edpuzzle is easy to track and provides a great deal of useful data, which will help classrooms shift from the traditional setting.

BONUS: Students can become the teacher and create their own EdPuzzle videos and projects.

I have not had students create personal EdPuzzles yet. I know a science teacher who has done this and loves how students can teach key concepts and share their videos with their peers. This use of EdPuzzle is a personal goal of mine for next year!

Overall, EdPuzzle is a phenomenal tool that has many uses in the classroom. They also offer some great PD experiences for teachers. Recently, I completed the EdPuzzle Coach PD course. As I take on a new role in my school, I have started to view instructional practices and edtech through a more critical lens. I ask myself, "How would other teachers view this tool?" and "Why this tool?" I truly believe this is one instructional resource teachers should have in their toolboxes and am excited to try and find more ways in which to use it to support student learning.

Having Fun with Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is a critical part of education as it measures learning and provides valuable information to teachers about student comprehension and mastery. When the words formative assessment and professional development are uttered in the same sentence, a collective groan can often be heard bellowing from the staff office. This month, I was charged with the task of encouraging colleagues to make assessments a little more tolerable and dare I say fun? With articles such as 56 Examples of Formative Assessments  and 55 Digital Tools and Apps for Formative Assessment Success, the options for making formative assessment more enjoyable seem more exhausting than exciting. 

Reflecting upon the needs of my colleagues and the tools most commonly being used, I wanted to keep the list of options concise and instead focus on when and why to use these tools as opposed to what to use. When exploring the vast options of outstanding (and free) tech tools, the sheer number of possibilities seems to deter people instead of encouraging the adoption of new methods of formative assessment. The most common tool heard (which is unmistakable by its memorable theme music) when walking the halls of my school is Kahoot. The students still find it appealing, the music does incite an unstoppable head nod, and teachers find they can create a Kahoot quiz with relative ease. While I do love to incorporate Kahoot as a quick opener or a fast refresher before a quiz, I find that the game has a few limitations, which is why I selected a few other tools to combat these restrictions and provide simple solutions to my colleagues. 

1. Quizzizz

Quizzizz and Kahoot are incredibly similar, which has discouraged me from using Quizzizz until fairly recently. While it is possible to share a Kahoot with students for them to play on their own, it is a bit of a hassle as Kahoot requires two screens - one for the questions and one for the responses. Quizzizz alleviates this issue as it combines both screens into one, which makes single person play more accessible. Also, Quizzizz has a button to share directly with Google Classroom, which makes assigning it for homework or optional play smoother. Also, Quizzizz allows teachers to express their creativity and include the use of memes (which can be designed personally or simply generated from Quizzizz). My students are OBSESSED with memes, and this formative assessment tool makes reviewing material funny and downright sassy when students select an incorrect response. Again, this tool is similar to Kahoot in several ways, but it has a little more flexibility, which means that the game does not necessitate class-time to be played. 

2. Quizlet Live

So many teachers have been utilizing Quizlet for the flashcard feature. A considerable amount of colleagues have even allowed students to play the games that are automatically generated by Quizlet to help review key vocabulary and content. Few teachers have played Quizlet Live with students as it requires a minimum of six students to play. It is not a game that an individual can test on his or her own. What I love about this tool, however, is that it requires no additional work from a teacher aside from pressing the Quizlet Live button, the game automatically and randomly groups students, and the game requires actual conversations and collaboration to successfully win. Quizlet Live is a fast-moving experience and definitely gets the crowd burning for learning. 

3. Socrative

Socrative seemed to be popular among early adopters of technology in my school. Since the use of Google Suites has increased, the need for a quizzing tool like Socrative has decreased, but one feature provided by this webtool offers a unique benefit to teachers, especially during an observation. Socrative allows teachers to generate an automatic exit ticket or automatic question (free response, multiple choice, or true/false), which makes gather both qualitative and/or quantitative feedback immediate and personal. Socrative a great tool for this reason and seems impressive in spite of its easy implementation.  

While I love these four tools, I am always eager to learn about fresh and captivating webtools that increase student comprehension, engagement, and also provide meaningful feedback to improve instruction and learning in my classroom. Recently, another teacher shared Recap, which allows students to summarize what they learned at the end of a period or unit, which has many great features including emailing videos to parents and creating a highlight reel for the class. This tool also asks students to rate their own knowledge. New formative assessment tools like this one are being created and shared all the time. Other favorite formative tools include: Google Forms, Padlet, TodaysMeet and GoFormative. While it is often difficult to stay informed of the most popular and practical tools for formative assessment, having some knowledge of a few critical tools can certainly make learning and gathering valuable knowledge of our students more fun! 

Using Feedback to Make Assessments More Meaningful

This semester, one of my goals has been rethinking feedback - how I give it, how I maximize the impact of feedback given, and how I can produce more meaningful feedback for my students. So often, we as teachers spend hours of our lives reading through student responses, adding comments on papers, and correcting grammar only to find our labors tossed into the recycling bin, or more accurately, discarded into the digital cloud since most of our students' papers are now submitted electronically. Feeling the disappointment of my comments not reaching my students one too many times, I began to reflect on why I provide feedback to my students. This form of communication with students is utilized because it shows that I care about my students as readers, writers, and thinkers. Providing a detailed reflection on their work in a time-efficient manner can foster my relationship with my students and allow me to identify their strengths as students and people. Furthermore, I craft comments with the intention of encouraging growth and engagement, but if students aren't reading my comments, then all of this effort is for naught.

How do I solve an issue that goes back well beyond my time as a teacher? How do I ensure that my students are receiving their feedback, and more importantly, how do I ensure that they are processing that feedback in a manner that will improve their academic abilities? After a quarter of reflection and attempts of personalizing my feedback, here are my conclusions:

1. The more immediate the feedback, the more effective it is. 

I grade believe in grading papers quickly. When I have an assignment to grade, such as a literary analysis after finishing a novel, I tend to forgo sleep. Instead, I stay up by the glow of my computer screen or better yet, I set an alarm and wake up especially early to complete a half class set of essays before school begins. This practice is slightly unreasonable, and my husband has since learned that we plan our lives around grading as much as possible, but I believe that this practice is critical. When I grade an assignment quickly, it shows my students that I value their work. Their achievement matters and the work is still fresh in their minds. The more immediate and direct the feedback is, the more likely they are to care. If two or three weeks pass, they will have long forgotten the assignment or no longer care to revisit the content that has since been replaced by a new text or a new unit. Immediacy also surprises students. They aren't expecting feedback yet, but when they receive it promptly, they are more likely to care and more likely to be interested in what is said.

To make this process a little more feasible for educators, tech tools such as Permanent Clipboard, Google Keep, or Auto Text Expander allows grading essays at a faster rate to be a more realistic goal. When a teacher can craft a comment bank, he or she can provide more detail, begin to recognize patterns in student work, and even insert links for students to gather more information. Other ways to provide more immediate feedback is creating automated feedback such as inserting comments on a Google Forms quiz, adding personalized comments in Google Classroom, or creating more student driven formative assessments in web tools such as Quizlet, Kahoot, and Socrative. No matter the type of feedback or assessment for which a teacher is providing commentary, the more immediate the feedback, the more invested they will be in what these comments say.

2. Feedback should be delivered in a variety of ways. 

Feedback does not always have to be extended written feedback by the teacher. Feedback can come in several forms - it can be illustrated, comments can be coded by the teacher and students, and it can even be audio. Effective feedback can be delivered via voice comments or screencasting, a method that I have discovered my students appreciate (or at least a form to which they pay attention). Diversifying how one provides feedback is also rejuvenating for the teacher.

Diversifying formative assessments can also provide great information to teachers and students. Formative assessment is a fast and effective manner with which to provide students with feedback as to where they stand individually and in comparison to their peers. Using Google Quizzes to illustrate their percentages and talk about their understanding is a great tool. Kahoot, Socrative, PollEverywhere, and other similar tools also provide feedback, encourage discussion, and also make learning a little more fun. When students have a variety of tools to show them what they know and remind them of what they still need to learn, it can create a dialogue between a teacher and students, motivate students, and drive instruction. Formative assessment does not need to count in the grade book, or it can. This type of assessment is flexible and provides such valuable feedback to teachers and students alike.

3. Formative assessment does play a significant role in the outcome of summative assignments. 

Scaffolding and chunking assignments can help students to create better final products. Whether it is writing a paper, comprehending a major concept, or crafting a presentation, providing students with feedback along the way through formative assessments can help students to redraft their work, make corrections, and increase understanding. As a means of striving to use a larger variety of formative assessments in this quarter, I decided to break down a writing assignment into more of a writers workshop, and the process yielded significant results.

For the paper assignment my sophomores recently submitted, I used daily face-to-face conferencing, screencasting, and traditional written feedback. I set clear and specific formative checks into the writing schedule. Throughout the process, students were more engaged, completed their work, and showed measurable growth from the previous paper assignment turned in early in the quarter. They knew what was expected of them and could articulate what areas in which they still needed help (i.e. quote integration). By providing a variety of types of feedback, students seemed to understand what I was expecting more and were more willing to talk about their writing with their peers. While providing this feedback took more of my time and felt tedious, I was encouraged by the results I observed in my students on a formative level and when I graded the summative draft. Chunking the paper into smaller formative assessments was tedious and time-consuming, but I found that when students were engaged in this process, I had better results. Finding ways to tie formative assessments into larger summative products can help students to grow and produce better summative products.

4. The more personal the feedback, the more likely students are to engage with it. 

During this quarter, I have attempted to find a way to encourage my students to interact with their feedback. If I'm spending the time to provide it, I want students to view feedback as meaningful. To encourage students to look at my critiques, I've started creating a highlight reel using Screencastify to point out repeated mistakes and give an overall summary of what I found with their writing. Creating videos only about 90 seconds to two minutes long, I have found that students are far more likely to open the documents that I have commented on and look at the comments after hearing my voice and watching me point out specific annotations on their papers. Yes, this does take some time, but it has encouraged students to reexamine their work. Screencasting works better on shorter writing assignments and projects than it does for longer essays, but it is another tool to make feedback personal.

Note: VideoNot.es and EdPuzzle can provide teachers with ways to annotate videos if students are submitting a video project. I have seen history and science teachers create powerful feedback using these tools!

5. When feedback is given, students should be held accountable for reading and interacting with their feedback. 

So often because of time I find myself skipping this step. Also, when I allow students to revise, few students take advantage of this opportunity unless it is required. One idea that has helped increase student engagement with formal comments is requiring that students comment back on my feedback. For longer assignments, this might be too involved. An alternative might be to have students comment on repeated mistake or a specific number of annotations. Another tool I use to encourage student reflection is using Google Forms to encourage targeted self-evaluation and reflection. Asking students to grade their own work, justify a specific a grade that they believe they deserve can be a meaningful process. Students are often honest about how diligently they have worked, talk about strengths and weaknesses, and will share areas in which they need more help. As with any assignment, this process can be time-consuming, but when students process their learning, it is time well-spent.

Providing feedback is such an important part of our roles as teachers. Finding ways to make it more engaging and efficient is a passion of mine. Not only does improving the quality and speed of the feedback process make our jobs a little easier, but it also makes our efforts more meaningful.

Fast-Paced Feedback: Using Technology to Provide Student Feedback

In a fast-paced world, providing direct and immediate feedback to students is critical. As students submit papers, projects, videos, and other products digitally, the ability to give unique and meaningful feedback becomes easier with technology. Feedback allows students to learn from mistakes, grow as thinkers, and recognize their strengths/weaknesses as learners. When feedback is specific and returned quickly, it becomes more relevant and beneficial to students. Providing commentary also allows teachers to evaluate student progress and develop a rapport with students. While I do not always enjoy the grading grind, I believe it allows me to know my students as learners. To make the grading process more efficient and effective, I have embraced technology to help manage my workflow while making my critiques more meaningful to students. As my district officially goes 1:1 next year, I have started evaluating what types of tools are easy for instructors to utilize and how these tools can reduce the time in between submission by students and return by teachers.

When deciding what extension or webtool to use, it is important to consider:

1. The product. Is this a Google Doc, video, presentation, etc.? What students create can vastly change the type of feedback that students receive and the approach to grading. 
2. The weight of the assignment. If this assignment is formative or on the smaller side, feedback might be more generalized, and thus a simpler tool might be more effective. If this is a summative assignment or a final project, a teacher may consider more time-consuming approaches to feedback and even multiple tools depending again on the format of the project. 
3. The student. Each student has a different preference and style of learning. For students who are auditory listeners, a screencast might be a much better means to deliver feedback. For visual learners, being able to link to assignments, diagrams, presentations, and videos might be more helpful. Again, the nature of the assignment and the product itself must be considered in this situation. 

Extensions and Webtools:

Permanent Clipboard

Permanent Clipboard is an amazing extension that allows teachers to predetermine frequently used comments into a bank that can be inserted into a comment in a Google Doc, Presentation, or any other application that allows you to add comments. This extension has cut my grading time in half. I have created a list of common grammar mistakes and inserted hyperlinks into the comments to provide students with more specific feedback and resources that they can use to answer their grammar and formatting questions. I have also hyperlinked lessons and videos from my class that contains specific lessons from our class specific. Linking these resources encourages students to revisit lessons as needed and at their own pace. To make feedback more direct, I will add comments specific to paper prompts or projects that I use for a particular assignment that I will later delete from my Permanent Clipboard because they are only relevant to a given assignment. Again, this tool has made it possible to provide specific feedback and additional resources while significantly reducing my grading time. Here's my list of general comments that I have shared with colleagues to help them begin creating their tailored list of comments for students. 

Kami (or other PDF annotators)

Kami links to a Google account and allows individuals to annotate PDFs. This tool has been helpful when annotating readings with students. Kami permits users to add text, highlight in multiple colors, insert comments, and even insert shapes. The extension has made significant improvements since the start of 2017, too. What I find most helpful about the upgrades is that a user can insert clickable links that viewers of the annotations can access. Again, using links provides teachers with the option to link resources on the web, classroom documents, and even videos which can greatly improve students' understanding of specific topics or learning objectives. Once annotations or grading has been completed, the document can be saved, shared, or downloaded. Being able to share annotated documents with students allows teachers to give feedback to a variety of written documents, pictures, graphs, slideshows, and other products produced by students. 

Kaizena

Kaizena has changed drastically since I started using it. Originally is was much more of an annotating tool and now has evolved into a complex tool that lets teachers have more direct conversations with students. Teachers can create groups to share feedback on group projects, presentations, or other collaborative assignments. This tool makes it easy to voice record comments and even create video recordings of feedback. I have used this mostly with paragraph responses and short writing with my lower-level students, who will watch a three-minute video but won't read written comments. Kaizena now even allows teachers to create lessons and broadcast them to students. While I have not used this feature, I see potential with grammar lessons and revisiting writing skills that students find difficult. This product is awesome and again links with Google Accounts and even Microsoft Accounts. It is certainly worth using and has a great deal of potential. 

Screecastify or Screencast-O-Matic

Screencasting is a wonderful approach to providing feedback to auditory and visual learners. Screencasting allows teachers to walk students through the evaluation process. I have used screencasting when evaluating portfolios, websites, and other visuals (such as inforgraphics or presentations). What is also nice about screencasting is that it is relatively fast. The entire process is only a minute or so longer than the actual act of grading. Students truly enjoy listening to the videos and often want to respond by speaking to me directly, emailing me comments, or adding comments onto the YouTube video that is sent to the students. Also, students often express how helpful they find this type of feedback. 

Diigo

Diigo is another tool that allows users to annotate a webpage. What makes this tool different from other annotating tools is that it allows users to archive the webpage at a designated time. Being able to save a particular page at the moment is essential during the drafting process. Using Diigo in this manner is helpful when providing formative feedback to students during the drafting stage. Diigo annotations are also easily shared with an individual or a group, which can be advantageous in a variety of settings. 

Vialogues

Vialogues is an interesting product. It permits users to annotate YouTube videos, create channels to be shared privately, publicly, and among groups. Teachers and students can also have a dialogue on a particular YouTube video, thus allowing feedback to become more of a conservation than a one-way delivery of information. I have not used this a ton with students in my class but have used this with my Speech Team students. It would certainly be helpful for video projects and even for annotating video recorded classroom projects. Vialogues opens the door for unique and meaningful feedback on videos and presentations. Using this tool is an excellent way to engage students using a multi-media approach.

Technology is always changing, but as it evolves, various webtools and extensions provide countless ways to deliver specific and timely feedback to students. As technology becomes a more integral part of learning, it is so critical to always be learning and seeking new ways to enhance the evaluation process can only improve the student experience and increase student achievement. 

Providing Students With Video Feedback

Screencasting has to be one of my favorite ways to communicate with students outside the classroom.  Each time I have utilized screencasting tools to provide students with feedback, they have expressed that they enjoy seeing as well as hearing critiques, as opposed to just reading written comments.

When face-to-face interaction isn't possible, being able to provide students with direct feedback that includes tone, pitch, and inflection can prove to be very meaningful and useful. Screencast-O-Matic and Screenr are both very user-friendly and can be shared directly to students.  Both of these screencasting tools create videos that can be uploaded to YouTube, making sharing with students effortless.  I have found screencasting beneficial when evaluating online portfolios and providing large group feedback after major written assignments such as a literary analysis paper after reading a novel.  Seniors especially seem to enjoy online feedback because it feels more tangible, especially for visual and auditory learners.  They can watch how I am assessing their work.   *Note: Screencastify is now a Chrome extension that works on Chromebooks!  While I have yet to create an assignment for students to screencast their peer edits to other students, this is definitely on my must-try lists!*  Here are a few samples of sreencasted feedback:

• Monologue Portfolio Feedback
• Speech Portfolio Feedback
• Screencast about Using Screencast-o-Matic

When working with Google Docs, the app Kaizena can be used to comment directly on a student's writing. Using Kaizena allows an individual to comment directly on a specific word, line, or entire section using both one's voice and written comments.  In addition, the evaluator can insert videos or other forms of media.  The information is available to the student in the comments section of Google Docs. I found this type of feedback useful when grading short paragraphs and informal writing assignments.  In three minutes time, I can grade a paragraph and provide more feedback than spending five minutes writing comments that are less detailed.  If students are going to revise their writing, this also provides a visual guide for students through this process.

In my Senior Speech classes, I have also used video feedback to analyze student projects and presentations. Throughout the semester long course, I require students to watch their speeches and reflect upon their performances.  As such, I record their speeches, upload them to YouTube, and email the URL to students.  When students complete a group debate that involves the entire class, I have edited individual videos together, providing direct feedback on each section of the debate.  This has allowed me to thoroughly address the strengths and weaknesses of individual speakers as well as the group as a whole.  Once this process is completed, I share my "play-by-play" with students and then have them reflect upon their individual and group performances. This feedback is then saved and shared with future students, providing them with a better understanding how to successfully complete the debate assignment by learning from the work of others. Here are a few examples of my "play-by-play":

• Play-By-Play Part One
• Play-By-Play Part Two
• Play-By-Play Part Three

While finding and familiarizing oneself with web tools and apps that can allow a teacher to provide video feedback can be time consuming at first, I have found that video and voice feedback can be a major time-saver.  In addition to saving time, each time I use this method to assess students, I hear them watching the videos in class constantly!  While people usually do not enjoy the sound of their voices, and I am certainly one of those people, I do enjoy knowing that students are receiving the feedback that I have taken the time to provide.  When they can see, hear, and read feedback, they seem more inclined to process what has been shared and make improvements / revisions to their work, and that is certainly a reason to hit the record button.

Using Google Sites to Create Digital Portfolios

Before going one-to-one, I have always wanted to create online portfolios with students but did not have the ability to do it because of limited lab time.  Last semester (Pre-Chromebooks), I did have my Drama class create a digital portfolio for a monologue project that we worked on and share with class in Michigan. On a side note, if you have not tried to collaborate with another class in another region, state, or even country, I cannot say enough about how great this experience was for my students!

The Monologue Assignment involved creating a Google Site, providing some background information about themselves, draft and create a monologue, and then perform that monologue.  During this process, students peer-edited with the Michigan class and made comments on their videos afterward.  While we were limited with the amount of class time that we had to work online, my students were very creative with their projects and enjoyed working with an audience outside of our high school.

To evaluate the students' websites, I used Screencast-o-Matic to provide feedback and guide them with making a website that was professional and user-friendly.  For many of my students, this was their first time creating a website.  As a result, we had many conversations about what it means to be professional and how the "real-world" would perceive their work.  In addition to developing students' 21st century skills, sharing their projects encouraged them to provide feedback others through digital means.  The more they read drafts and watched final performances, the more they were able to reflect on their work.  This metacognitive process encouraged students to talk about how they could improve their work in the future. Also, students were able to address how the skills used during this assignment could be used in the "real-world".

This coming semester, I hope to expand the ideas behind this project in my Speech class.  As students are continuously writing speeches, performing, and reflecting, I hope to help them build a portfolio that demonstrates their strengths as communicators, showcases their work, and encourages them to engage in self-disclosure in a very digital world.  In addition, my hope is that creating a digital portfolio in their high school speech class will help them to be better prepared for the college Speech/Communication course that they will inevitably have to take at the collegiate level.

As I reflect upon the reasons to create digital portfolios, I have come to the conclusion that digital portfolios provide a place to...

1. Organize Student Work.

On the first day of class, I plan on taking a class picture and will use ThingLink to create a place to organize student website URLs.   Then I will have students upload their work for each unit onto separate pages.  I will create a template for them to follow, making organization easy for both them and me.  Having one image with links available to everyone will making creating and assessing these portfolios more manageable.  In addition, students will be able to navigate to their peers' pages and learn from their strengths as well.  Organization is crucial when teaching in a one-to-one classroom, and modeling organization to students can help them develop their own organization system as well.

2. Share Work With Real-World Audiences.

When work is online, it is accessible to anyone with the link.  Students will be able to view each others' portfolios throughout the semester and can share their work with others outside of the course.  Especially when parents or mentors are the subject of a speech, these online portfolios will be a great place for students to pass their work on to those who matter.  While I do not have a class lined up to collaborate this semester, I hope to find a class to collaborate with at some point this semester to provide the same experience that my students had last year to this upcoming set of students.

3. Monitor Student Growth/Progress.

When work is organized in one location, it is easier to recognize the improvements made throughout the semester.  In a class that has a strong emphasis on performance, keeping videos of speeches and reflection documents in one place allows students to continuously review and reevaluate their strengths and weaknesses as speakers. It is my hope that students will use these portfolios to monitor their own progress throughout the semester.

4. Practice Using Important 21st Century Skills.

Being able to navigate Google Apps and create a website are important skills that future employers will want students to be able to do.  By practicing creating and sharing their work through digital means will encourage students to refine important skills. In addition, sharing their work online is a part of the new Common Core State Standards, which require that students"use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products" (CCSS).  Creating a portfolio in class not only align with CCSS, but it also provides students a safe place to practice and cultivate technology skills for academic purposes.

5.Practice Creating a Portfolio.

In a recent graduate program, I had to create an extensive online portfolio to demonstrate my knowledge.  Students will most likely need to create some sort of digital portfolio in their post-high school endeavors either as a means of demonstrating proficiency, or they may even create portfolios a way to apply for future careers.  The more practice they have in this process, the more prepared they will be for obtaining careers and other opportunities in the future.

Digital portfolios can be used for a variety of purposes and in a variety of ways.  I am excited for the opportunity to work with students every day on creating one for my senior-level Speech course, and I am hopeful that this will be a meaningful and growing experience for us in 2014!

The Genius Hour

Speech Camp this year became a week of cultivating leadership and communication skills, instead of explaining the 14 individual events in which students will actually compete during the school year.   I'd say "oops" but I could not be happier with how the week turned out.  This past week, we built transferable skills that will lend themselves nicely to the regular season and fostered relationships with students that will help us find material/scripts that reflects their passions, interests, and skills.  So we did not spend a lot of time "doing" Speech Team, but we were successful in developing their ability to use words and critically think in a 21st century world.

The theme of camp revolved around the power of words and the ability we all have to creatively and accurately express ourselves to those we encounter.  On Wednesday, I had students complete their first-ever Genius Hour, asking them only to show how they change the world they live in each day.  As a precursor to this activity, I gave them ten seconds to draw a picture, using a sheet of paper that had only a circle printed on it.  Then, they had one minute to finish/enhance their drawing.  What was most impressive was that some students started to fold the paper, write words, and even tore the paper to create something original that reflected their personalities.  They thought outside of the box quite literally.

After processing this experience and considering how we choose to express ourselves every day, students spent two minutes thinking about how they impact the world. Watching them fervently scribble their ideas, create lists, and yes, even draw to express themselves, students shared their creations with small groups of five to six people. Then, they had two minutes to decide how to combine their ideas and plan how to utilize the hour.

Once time was called, students grabbed flip cameras and ran out of the Media Center doors. One group remained in the Media Center and created a maze that students went through to emphasize the idea that "the journey is the real reward", but the rest decided to create videos. As the hour dwindled and students began to frantically sign onto computers to edit their work, the results began to take form. When given an open-ended challenge to create change, these students' originality shined through. Not only did the Genius Hour allow students express themselves, but it also taught them that they can problem-solve, create, and demonstrate high levels of knowledge in a short amount of time. They can collaborate, utilize technology, and use their voices to influence the world in which they live. While the hour expired quickly, what they did accomplish was amazing and inspiring, even though technology and time created obstacles. Their final projects were touching, funny, and reflected their personalities.

I was impressed by the quality of work that they created, but more importantly, I was touched by their comments during our reflection time. Because they had a short time to accomplish the task, they learned that they needed to be flexible, utilize listening skills, solve problems quickly, and be willing to work together. They also bonded with their teammates, collaborated, and had a positive time doing it. They had fun and shared their messages with their peers (and the world in which they live). The final projects were beautiful, but it was the process that taught them these lessons. As the students enthusiastically crawled through the maze in the Media Center, earning rug-burn like badges of honor as a team, they demonstrated that the journey really is the reward.

Resources for the Genius Hour:

• The Genius Hour homepage
• Genius Hour Live Binder
• 80/20 - The Google Model