Genius Hour and 20% Time are unique approaches to both the work and school environments. After reviewing the course content and also reading the article “The 10 Most Asked Questions about Genius Hour and 20% Time Projects,” I determined several key benefits. First, Genius Hour and 20% Time connect to foundational Standards of Mathematical Practice that all mathematics teachers should strive to include. These standards are MP3, constructing arguments and critiquing reasoning, and MP4, modeling with mathematics. While many mathematics teachers are focused on their content area standards for standardized testing, it is essential that they encourage the Standards of Mathematical Practice in order to help students build key skills. By implementing Genius Hour or 20% Time projects, teachers can guarantee their students are experiencing the important skills.

Secondly, Genius Hour and 20% Time encourage independence among students. As described in the articles, through these approaches, students are able to create their own learning paths. This attribute can be helpful in my classes that are standardized-test focused. Often, students complain that they feel like the only focus of the class is for the Algebra I Keystone Exam. This is true of most of their Keystone assessed classes since such an emphasis is placed on these exams. Genius Hour and 20% Time can be a way to bridge the content with their own independent learning opportunities so they have more freedom.

Lastly, Genius Hour and 20% Time are excellent models for 21st Century skills students may need in future jobs and careers. From brainstorming to designing, presenting to receiving feedback, and finally to the revision phase, students are practicing the very steps they may need one day in the work environment.

Even though Genius Hour and 20% Time bring many benefits into the classroom, there are also several hurdles and challenges. First, teachers may question the best ways to grade work completed through the projects. At the end of the day, most teachers, like myself, have a numerical gradebook and are accountable to administrators, parents, and students for the numbers entered in to the gradebook. As suggested in the article, rubrics are a great method for grading work done through the Genius Hour and 20% Time process. Furthermore, the teacher should take the time to establish a process with students, outlining expectations, so students know what they should accomplish as they work through the project. It is the process that matters with these types of activities. Keeping students informed of the grading process from the very early stages will help them achieve. Secondly, another struggle teachers may face is in gaining the support of families (and also administrators). Teachers implementing Genius Hour or 20% Time may be challenged by families that either (1) think their students should focus only on the course content and not “waste time” on other endeavors or (2) question the teacher as to whether they are providing lesson plans and a structured class environment. Some solutions to this hurdle would be for teachers to send home a letter or correspondence about the classroom approach and also keep families fully informed each step of the way. This can be done through newsletters, an online website, sharing student work, or inviting parents into the class at appropriate times. Hopefully, once parents view the positive learning environment and the development of their students’ skills, they will be supportive of the project.

During the COVID-19 school closures, my district held online classes through both Zoom and also Google Meet. Most district teachers began using Zoom, which was used for most professional development meetings, faculty meetings, and other organizational gatherings. However, since our district operates on the Google Apps for Education platform, teachers of younger grades gravitated toward Google Meets instead of Zoom meetings. I have used only Zoom meetings for online teaching, so my reflection will be based on these experiences.

      Zoom has many benefits when it comes to using the program for virtual classrooms. To begin, Zoom can be used on a variety of devices. Even though students were encouraged to attend classes using their Chromebooks from their homes, I had multiple students attend via cell phones or other mobile devices in cars. While this is not ideal for educational learning, attendance from an alternative device was better than not attending at all. The flexibility of the Zoom platform made this possible.

      Secondly, Zoom has an easy interface for participation with many features. Students can select what type of view of the class they would like, audio features, visual features, and chat features. As I used Zoom more throughout the closures, I continued to discover more tricks and tips for the program.

      Lastly, Zoom was user-friendly when it came to sharing my screen and projecting my lesson to the students. With multiple screen-share options along with compatibility with my school’s annotation software and our laptops, my lesson displays showed up well. Furthermore, Zoom enabled me to help students focus on the main steps to math problems and key information on the screen. By zooming in and out, using original annotations and screen-specific features, students were able to receive a tailored delivery experience to help them learn.

      Zoom was not without its challenges. While not unique to Zoom, connectivity continued to be an issue for some families in our district who live in the most remote areas. These students, along with some teachers, had to come to school to get WiFi from the parking lot to be able to participate online. Also, Zoom’s chat feature was at first tricky to figure out. For teachers brand new to the Zoom platform, it was only by word of mouth that we learned about students’ abilities to chat with each other during the lesson. Knowing that hidden messaging may be occurring, most teachers changed the chat features so that students could message only the whole class or the teacher. Additionally, it is very easy on Zoom for students to accidentally – or purposely – distract the class with noises or images on their screen. They can control their audio and visual unless the teacher turns it off. Our district does not require that cameras be turned on, so most teachers resulted to the default settings which turn audio and visual off for students when they first join.

      As described above, most of the challenges have been solved. Students and teachers were offered WiFi through the school if their location did not support Zoom. With the change of some simple settings, most chat, audio, and visual distractions can be managed. However, there is one challenge that teachers are still working through whenever classes are remote. When the teacher is busy instructing, focused on their screen, students have on several occasions blurted or displayed something inappropriate. Often, it is detected only when other students report it. Depending on the screen display, it may go unnoticed by teachers. In one case, what was shared was very inappropriate and hurtful to another student in the class. The teacher reported the incident, but since we are unable to record our Zoom lessons, there was very little to go by for tracking purposes. The only potential solution was to run through the students’ screens using our Go Guardian account and attempt to track down the student by their screen activity. It turns out that the student actually was participating through an outside account and device, so the school was unable to determine the culprit until another student provided information. If anyone knows the solution to this type of interaction, let me know!

      In general, I look forward to finding more creative ways to use Zoom. I think it is a skill set that develops with more use, and I am impressed with what I have learned so far!

Even the best professional development offered by a school rarely incorporates simultaneous learning and collaboration by teachers from around the world. However, using Twitter as a professional learning network can accomplish this task. Using Twitter as a professional learning network has many benefits.  Twitter links educators and professionals in the field of education from countless backgrounds, schools, and regions. With hashtags and small snippets of text descriptors, Twitter can point teachers to the exact information they want without a large amount of searching.

5 Pros of Using Twitter as a Professional Learning Network:

1. By connecting through the right hashtags and following the appropriate accounts, teachers can find relevant and current information quickly. The most recent uses of various teaching strategies or tools, for example, can be determined by looking at the most current Tweets.
2. Since Twitter is a place where professionals of the field of education connect, it is also possible to get insight and help from individuals with whom you might otherwise never connect.
3. Twitter is time effective. In just a few minutes, teachers can scan the latest news from the areas of education that interest them the most and determine if there is something they want to pursue. This doesn’t require hours of meetings or PD.
4. By using Twitter to form a professional learning network, you are also able to gather insight into how teachers are responding to the current needs of their students in similar situations and settings. For example, current events (weather, policies, initiatives) that impact classrooms influence teaching methods. Another teacher might be incorporating something that will help in your classroom immediately. Traditionally professional development does not have this immediate reaction to factors.
5. Twitter also provides (mostly) authentic feedback. Have you ever sat in a professional development session and wondered if the content being introduced has been used or effective anywhere? Even though users of Twitter need to be wise when selecting information online, teachers can still read comments, retweets, and other reviews of ideas shared in Tweets.

5 Cons of Using Twitter as a Professional Learning Network

1. One drawback of using a social networking site for a professional learning network is that there is an increased risk of becoming distracted while searching through content. This is especially true if you use a personal Twitter account for professional reasons. It can be best to separate into two accounts so you can keep track of the time when you are searching for educational content.
2. Since Twitter is an online platform, it requires a user to have a device that is up-to-date enough to handle the platform and also to stay current on technology in order to participate. It is possible that someone misses out on learning something valuable because they are unable to participate.
3. Users must be wise online consumers, able to sift through distorted facts or figures and identify the true valuable information. Teachers using Twitter as a PLN should watch out for persuasive text or connections between posts and individuals who might try to promote a tool or idea for their own gain.
4. Teachers must also be careful about the information they share. Even though teachers like to share their experiences online, it is essential that they keep student information and school identity secure so as not to create a safety concern or even violate any laws.
5. While using Twitter for a PLN, teachers need to be realistic evaluators of their own content curation. It is easy to follow pages and people with whom you agree, but teachers should be willing to reach out and try new things and investigate new ideas.

In one way, Twitter can be used for professional growth in education because it is a quick and efficient way for teachers to gather information on a specific need or area of interest. If teachers have a concern in the classroom, they can find comments, posts, and resources with a quick search. Regular, ongoing monitoring of Twitter can lead to enriched ideas and plans for the classroom.

References:

Flickr in the Classroom

Admittedly, when I was first asked how I could use Flickr in my mathematics classroom, I found it difficult to develop an idea. Aside from simply enhancing documents and presentations with accent images, I wanted to incorporate Flickr in an educational manner. So much of mathematics is visual in nature, but perhaps the only place I have ever seen a picture representing a perfect square trinomial, for example, is in the textbook. This problem, however, directed me toward an exciting opportunity for using Flickr with my secondary mathematics courses. Most of the time, students struggle with finding motivation for mathematics because they fail to connect the concepts to the real world. Flickr is the perfect place to find these pictures.

One key way I could use Flickr in the mathematics classroom is to ask students to search for images that represent the principles we are learning as they can be found in the world around us. This activity would need to be completed in sections and steps so students can focus on one math idea at a time. For my students learning in-person, they could bring a copy of the picture to class where we could display them on a wall. In a way, this would function as a word wall without the words. Students could also upload them to a class website, an online public shared space for the class, or even compile them using a platform like Wakelet. Examples include: parallel lines in nature, perpendicular lines in nature, parabolas in nature, etc.

A second key way I could use Flickr in the mathematics classroom would be as part of assessments. On self-developed tests and quizzes, I could include images from Flickr that connect to the content. Students could then provide a short response explaining how the image relates to the skills they have been learning. This type of task would promote critical thinking skills and also expand the ways students are assessed to diversify from the traditional computations.

Lastly, I could include matching elements in assessments through Flickr. To promote depth of knowledge and advanced analysis, I would use Flickr images to create a matching component to quizzes and tests. Students would be asked to match images that share something in common. The common trait would be rooted in the mathematics principles we are learning.

Now that I am thinking of ways to use Flickr, I see that actually there are many more ideas than I originally considered. I plan to explore Flickr more to see what math-related concepts can be demonstrated through available images in ways that promote student understanding and learning.

Check out my image below from Flickr exemplifying parallel lines in nature!

Zeevveez. (2014, October 23. ) Parallel lines. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/15607886522/in/photolist-pMduTL-M8W2H6-2g7mt4m-bdJdsP-MUUysX-HJ4ZeQ-2iDWDz6-2nbmvft-DeAXXx-9fSmhR-SpHbPQ-8vMxxq-2bDwhj9-27aw5iD-6dumKQ-5TBRMe-o7urZn-ai77uT-B84aw-biz2yt-brr9YR-TuPFHZ-jcUK1G-e1z6rp-SpHQQQ-ew4G1-2kzXs-cvhE2y-mVoo8D-pdECL4-2grNph6-9vFKYk-G8utJy-8ywzi-a2mu6b-844nxh-TGcqWD-4oJUT6-pgfr3j-2grMXt7-7uHsBE-agSVTE-DLHocQ-5hK5in-5KoHsC-7p2sKf-64bJj5-2hLRcv7-DdrhQ-o6gNfF

As our course content clearly explains, online tools and platforms make collaboration more possible than ever. This ongoing sharing of information has major implications for teaching and learning.

For teachers, there are multiple benefits. First, teachers can include collaborative components even for students who might be learning remotely, are absent from class, or are enrolled in different sections of a course that do not meet together at the same time throughout the day. No longer are physical boundaries setbacks to collaboration. Furthermore, since anyone can edit information on a collaborative shared platform, there is a greater emphasis and urgency for students to think critically about what they are sharing. Unlike spoken words which can be difficult to track down once said, typed text on a shared page, for example, can be traced back to its original editor. This is a positive attribute, though, since it encourages students to think about sharing the most critical and accurate information. Additionally, the teacher is not the only individual responsible for mediating content, as all contributors can check what is posted and provide feedback or edits. For teachers, there is the added benefit that that is a wide variety of free online collaborative platforms, so teachers can select the one that best meets the needs of their class and students.

For students, there are also multiple benefits. Some students are more comfortable sharing their insight and input online than they are in the classroom. These students might flourish when it comes to collaborating in a virtual setting. Also, students do not need to know computer programming or high level technical skills to be able to participate online. They can contribute to an online collaborative project through a few basic user-friendly steps.

When viewed on a larger scale, the idea of everyone sharing knowledge in a collaborative environment is a huge step for an educational model. No longer does the model seem to be teacher-focused. Instead, the path to learning is a journey where everyone – teachers and students – is working together to share their knowledge and help others advance. Each member of the learning community is important and has a critical role that can be used to assist others. As a group, the learning community works to make sure the most accurate and complete information is shared. What a great step toward learning!

I chose my Algebra I lesson plan on Point-Slope Form to use with a social bookmarking component. You can access my lesson plan through the link at the bottom of this post. The red text in the lesson plan highlights the new elements that I added, which include a Symbaloo requirement for students to collect resources and websites they find on one of the three forms of a linear equation.

I chose this lesson plan because it concludes a three-part unit on forms of linear equations. Students will then take an assessment on the three forms. As part of a review activity, I thought Symbaloo would be an effective way for students to gather helpful resources for other to use when studying one of the three forms.

One of the advantages that I predict will occur is that students will be more engaged in review. Typically, review in a mathematics classroom looks like a worksheet, calculator, and pencil. With this activity, students are truly involved in sculpting and directing their review process. One disadvantage is that students might end up including resources that are either not helpful or even not accurate. It will be important that the teacher monitors student choices to make sure they are mathematically sound and also instructive to others.

Link to lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E8pcDXSIcogzrKiCAm_BT38tUxvy6-f7/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107918299674459771390&rtpof=true&sd=true

Article 3: Padlet as an Education Tool: Pedagogical Considerations and Lessons Learnt

Source: ResearchGate

Author: Ann Deni and Zainor Izat Zainal

Date: December 2018

Relevance of Source: This academic exploration study was found through a research database. It is a scholarly conference paper.

Summary:

                For my third article, I searched for a scholarly review of Padlet. A review like this is hard to find, since tools like Padlet are often written about in blogs or magazines. However, I then found this research report discussing the best practices to use with Padlet. Specifically, the focus of this research was to determine the teaching of communication skills to second year degree skills. While the target of this article might not be the same as my classroom, it still provides thoughtful insight and considerations about using Padlet in an educational setting.

                The authors begin with a discussion about the globalization of education and its demand to diversify.  Written even before the COVID-19 shift in education, the authors state that with the globalization came the rise of Web 2.0 technologies. While Web 2.0 technologies make learning approaches flexible, the authors then review pedagogical considerations of these tools. Citing various studies, the authors state that it is important that technology use is made meaningful to students. Students should be familiar with the technology and should be nurtured to use it. Citing a study by Ahmed, the authors also remind readers that students can become uncomfortable with the openness of Web 2.0 technologies, the very attribute many teachers try to obtain.

                The article next provides an overview of Padlet and a thorough summary of its features. The core focus of this study was to determine the impact of Padlet on student learning. The authors stated this was timely since even though Padlet provides an opportunity for classes to build community online, studies show it actually does not promote criticality or critical thinking. The reason? Students prefer not to find fault of others’ opinions or posts online.

                Within the study, students accessed Padlet through Blackboard and used it at the end of each unit. The authors explain how students interacted with Padlet and the feedback they received. In summary, the authors found that any difficulty with using Padlet resulted from non-Padlet specific issues. For example, students might prefer paper to online, or have had connectivity issues or accessibility issues. A streamlined method for accessing Padlet walls was a request by many students. Students also responded very favorably to the opportunity to hide their identity. Even steps taken to make students feel safe in the online environment were not enough for some. Students also liked that feedback from teachers came more quickly than it normally would for assignments on paper. Lastly, not setting a time limit on Padlet activities actually encouraged more participation.

                The findings of this study are important to remember when implementing Padlet use in my classroom.

Citation:

Deni, A. & Zainal, Z. (December 2018). Padlet as an educational tool: Pedagogical considerations and lessons learnt. ResearchGate.net. Retrieved March 25, 2022 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329736124_Padlet_as_an_Educational_Tool_Pedagogical_Considerations_and_Lessons_Learnt.

Article 2: Padlet for Teachers: The Best Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Your Classroom

Source: We Are Teachers

Author: Jill Staake

Date: January 22, 2021

Relevance of Source: This website is an online media board for teachers that shares countless articles, reviews, resources, and more for those in the field of education.

Summary:

After reviewing the previous article which provided an overall summary of Padlet, this article was a great step forward. In this article, the author begins with a short overview of Padlet and its pricing along with an embedded video the reader can watch if they want more information about the tool. Following the introduction, the rest of the article dives deeper into fifteen cool ways teachers can use Padlet. The fifteen strategies are: (1) remake existing Padlets as templates, (2) collaborate and organize, (3) get to know each other, (4) create a timeline, (5) get feedback with exit tickets, (6) display student work, (7) keep track of who needs help, (8) hold a debate, (9), have a scavenger hunt, (10) set up a book shelf, (11) make a map, (12) conduct a writers’ workshop, (13), use Padlet Backchannel for discussions, (14) assign lessons or homework, and (15) take a poll.

Of the fifteen strategies listed, I decided to focus on three of them and consider how I can use them in my class. The first suggestion that I thought would be applicable to my classroom is #2, collaborate and organize. In all of my classes, at some point, students participate in a group project. For example, my honors eighth grade students create shower curtains for various topics of a unit. By incorporating Padlet into this project, they could either choose to create a Padlet board instead of a shower curtain, or they could show their thinking and planning on the Padlet instead of through papers and handouts in their folders that often get messy.

The second suggestion that caught my attention was using Padlet to get feedback through exit tickets. The article explains that many teachers use a form of exit tickets. Instead of having students turn in a note card or sticky note on their way out the door, Padlet can be used for them to post their replies to a question online. In the example provided in the article, students reply to three questions, posting their answers under the question.

Lastly, I thought the idea of using Padlet to keep track of who needs help would be very beneficial to the classroom. Additionally, this seemed to be one of the most creative ways to use Padlet that I have encountered. In my larger classes, students tend to work in partners or small groups. For more difficult questions, it is not uncommon for multiple groups to struggle and request help. This Padlet use would allow them to reserve their place in line and also know how many people are ahead of them.

Citation:

Staake, J. (2021, January 22). Padlet for teachers: The best tips, tricks, and ideas for your classroom.  

WeAreTeachers.com. Retrieved March 25, 2022 from https://www.weareteachers.com/padlet-forteachers/#:~:text=Meaningful%20ways%20for%20teachers%20and,and%20a%20whole%20lot%20more

Article 1:

Title: What is Padlet and How Does It Work for Teachers and Students?

Source: Tech & Learning

Author: Luke Edwards

Date: October 2020

Relevance of Source: Tech & Learning is part of an international media group and learning digital publisher that focuses on sharing tools and ideas to transform education.

Summary:

As someone who is about to use Padlet for the first time in the classroom, this article was a great place to start. Answering the two key questions: (1) What is Padlet? And (2) How Does It Work for Teachers and Students?  the article begins by providing an overview of the functions and format of Padlet. Emphasizing its interactive features, the article explains that both teachers and students can post on the same Padlet and share ideas.

After discussing some of the ways to post and set security options, the article then provides examples of how it might be used in classrooms. Since images, videos, audio files, links, or documents can be added to a Padlet, the options are really limited only by the creator’s – and contributor’s – imaginations. Padlet can be integrated into Google Classroom, which is especially helpful for a school district like mine that uses Google Classroom as its LMS. Idea suggestions for using Padlet that are mentioned in the article include turning to it as a brainstorming board or using it as a live question board. Parents can even use a Padlet to communicate with the teacher.

The last part of the article discusses pricing for Padlet. In summary, the most basic plan is free, but it limits Padlets to three and also has a limit on upload sizes. For $8 a month, an individual can purchase Pro Plan which allows unlimited Padlets and 250 MB upload files. Schools have the option to purchase Padlet Backpack. Though pricier, it provides a vast array of customization and personalization options as well as additional support and activity monitoring.  

Citation:

Edwards, L. (2020, October 19). What is Padlet and how does it work for teachers and students? TechLearningMagazine. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-padlet-and-how-does-it-work-for-teachers-and-students

After experiencing the power of RSS on my The Old Reader account, I think that RSS could be a powerful tool for my own learning and professional development. At the time of the writing of this post, I have created my Old Reader account, and I am following numerous searches and also blogs. I am very excited about having updates in these areas located in one place. As a busy educator with many courses, students, and lesson planning preparation, the time commitment of any undertaking is always a serious consideration. Between my social media accounts, emails, and professional websites, it can become very overwhelming to try to keep track of the information being sent my way. Through RSS, the search becomes easier and less time consuming!

I chose to subscribe to the following:

1. a search for “math teaching,” in order to get the most current news and information on specific subject area instruction
2. a search for “online teaching.” Even though I am not a virtual instructor, this is an area of interest and also the area of my program. This search will help me learn more about how the field is developing.
3. a search for “learning disabilities,” as suggested by the course content, and because my classes include many diverse learners
4. a search for “Blue Ridge School District,” my local school district where I teach to make sure I don’t miss any news articles. As a rural and small school, getting in the news is always exciting.
5. the blog Math = Love. As a Stats teacher, I hope to keep updated on her resources and activities for the Statistics classroom.