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Is it just me or do you hum the tune of "Material Girl" every time you write or say "virtual world?"
There are days where it comes clear to me why I chose the name Messy Tech for my blog. This is one of those days. Last year I used Seesaw for fluency and loved it. But this year we are not using Seesaw, so I am trying out different options. And, well, it's messy. I guess what I like about the "messy" concept is the idea of trying things and figuring things out and things not having to be perfect. Not messy as in I'm-not-going-to-plan or I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing. More like trying new things and new ways and seeing what works best. I'm sure you've also noticed that many methods have YAY! spots and NAY! spots. I guess what I am saying is I don't come to you with a perfect solution for things. Just little bits of trial and errors to share along the way. Forgive me if that is too messy for you. Pros and Cons of 3 Different Fluency Options Using Tools Most of us Are Familiar With
1. Kami
Pros:
2. Book Creator
Pros:
3. Flipgrid
Pros:
In Flipgrid students can open another tab for the text and the camera in Flipgrid will keep recording.
I'm a firm believer in fluency practice. It helps the reader clear up their mind for comprehension if they can read fluently. It also gives me a ton of data about my students and how they are doing. Lastly, I can go in and help students when I see they are struggling with the passage.
PS My videos are far from perfect. I make them quickly or else I would obsess and not make them at all. :)
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I feel so cliche. As people ask me how I am doing in the virtual world, I answer thus so: "It's getting better." "It's been rough." "I only cried once this week." "It's a little overwhelming." "I am not being the teacher I hope to be." "I look forward to diving into more ways to teach online once the dust settles." Blah. Meh. Shrug. I am getting tired of these dead-end non-comments. They are honest. But are they true? If they are true, can I investigate on another level? My goal is this: -to understand myself better -to communicate clearly to those who are interested -to become a better teacher -to claim my destiny (well, at least take charge of what is in my control)  Photo by Abbie Bernet on Unsplash Let's unpack these: "It's getting better." -What is getting better? Why is it getting better? How much is within my control? "It's been rough." -What has been rough, exactly? What do you mean by rough? How has rough felt to me? "I only cried once this week." -Why am I crying? How do I take care of myself when I am crying? What am I doing once I am done crying? "It's a little overwhelming." -What is making it overwhelming? What does overwhelming feel like? What can make it less overwhelming? "I am not being the teacher I hope to be." -What does this even mean? What teacher do I "hope to be"? "I look forward to diving into more ways to teach online once the dust settles." -When will that happen? What does "dust settles" mean?  Oh! I am seeing a pattern! When I make a generic comment to others, what is the truth behind that comment? Ask yourself (myself) these questions: 1. Why is it _________? Why did I _______? 2. What does it feel like? 3. What do I mean by ______? 4. What is in my power to do about it? I'm not going to dissect all of those questions and thoughts now, but I like the direction this blog post is taking me. I was inspired by watching some of my son's YouTube videos (Svelte Master) to just get up and post. I set the timer for 20 minutes and so I am done for today. (Oh how I wanted to take longer to make better visuals and add some bells and whistles....) More thoughts to come as I think through some of those follow up questions. It's time to keep this day rolling! Jill
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 Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash | For one thing, soon I will have the time and space I need to reflect. To think about what went well this year and what didn't. To think about what I want to do again next year. In a nutshell, I will have |
|  Photo by kyo azuma on Unsplash |
I'm not going to lie, I panicked a bit when I first thought about going back to school. But then I remembered I have the summer to regroup. I am going to have time to get ready to rejoin what is yet to be known. Panicking will happen again, to be sure. Right now, though, I am choosing to see the reality without carrying it around with me.
Neat-o?
Oh, I said it and I stand by it.
I asked my Twitter colleagues if they had any ideas for how to do the infamous biography report with my students in creative ways and they delivered. I am finally taking the time to scour them and get my students ready to research and share their findings in creative ways. Here are the ideas that were shared with me: (In no particular order.)
1. From @BradyVenables
Co-create a template with the kids so they can decide what important facts are for bios!
I so often have to be reminded of including my students in the planning. It's the whole it-is-easier-if-i-do-it-myself mentality that creeps in so easily. (I am reminded of when I let my young sons help me cook...) And I get it. Sometimes it is best to just plop it out there with three easy choices. But I commit right here and right now to letting my students help sculpt our direction.
2. From @joliboucher (also suggested by @MrsErinFisher)
Here is a succinct Google Slides Template shared by Joli Boucher. What I love about this layout is that Joli not only gives students a template, she also coaches them in her descriptive text boxes on the side. Thank you so much for sharing this, Joli!
3. Michele Eaton @micheeaton shared this idea: 50 Ways to Tell a Story from @AZYearbookGiant. I love this because it gets me out of my default ideas and gets me thinking about new ways to think of information. Thank you, Michele and Jen Crutcher.
4. Matt Miller of Ditch that Textbook shared this Time Magazine Google Slides Template from Ryan O'Donnell @creativeedtech. I am in awe of this template! It is not just a template. Ryan gives different tips and resources along the way. He guides the learner in making a visually appealing and well-structured project. It is like having a coach within the slides. The visuals and humor in these slides make it highly appealing as well. What I like about these slides is that students have a structure, but then they can make it their own.
5. Kasey Bell was generous enough to point me towards her article on Fake Instagram accounts. Carly Black @teachmomrepeat made a Google Slides template to use with her students. Here is a guest blogpost by Carly on Kasey's Blog Shake Up Learning. Click on the picture below to find a link to Carly's template. Thank you Kasey and Carly!
Photo by Vicko Mozara on Unsplash Here I go reframing again. It can be a little addicting.
I pulled up the blogs I have been wanting to read.
I opened up all of my Twitter bookmarks I've been wanting to investigate.
I opened up some of my faves on Twitter.
My typical approach has been rolling up my sleeves and diving in. Begin with the end in mind! Figure out how to fix. Study how to improve. Dig deep. Swim hard. Go for the gold!
But there is a problem with diving in. It's called holding your breath. Such an apt metaphor for me. When I am diving in with a driven mind, it can feel anxiety producing. Like holding your breath. What if I don't find what I need? What if I am not enough? What if I can't fix things? Coming from a place of deficiency drives one in a fearful way. Oh, I love diving in and learning and growing and trying. But I would be lying if I didn't acknowledged the feeling I get sometimes of something nipping at my heels.
My behavior will be the same, but my perspective is changing.
I remember one morning I came downstairs and there was a life-sized unicorn pool-floaty thing in my living room. It took up most of the living room and I remember being so delighted by it! My son had blown it up as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend. So as I was thinking about this, an image came to mind. Me on a river with some of my best Twitter buddies, floating along in our choices of life sized pool-floaty things. Bumping into one another occasionally and laughing. Talking. Sharing. Floating along and seeing the sights and soaking up that which is beautiful and meaningful. Capturing images of what we want to remember.
I pulled up the blogs I have been wanting to read.
I opened up all of my Twitter bookmarks I've been wanting to investigate.
I opened up some of my faves on Twitter.
My typical approach has been rolling up my sleeves and diving in. Begin with the end in mind! Figure out how to fix. Study how to improve. Dig deep. Swim hard. Go for the gold!
But there is a problem with diving in. It's called holding your breath. Such an apt metaphor for me. When I am diving in with a driven mind, it can feel anxiety producing. Like holding your breath. What if I don't find what I need? What if I am not enough? What if I can't fix things? Coming from a place of deficiency drives one in a fearful way. Oh, I love diving in and learning and growing and trying. But I would be lying if I didn't acknowledged the feeling I get sometimes of something nipping at my heels.
My behavior will be the same, but my perspective is changing.
I remember one morning I came downstairs and there was a life-sized unicorn pool-floaty thing in my living room. It took up most of the living room and I remember being so delighted by it! My son had blown it up as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend. So as I was thinking about this, an image came to mind. Me on a river with some of my best Twitter buddies, floating along in our choices of life sized pool-floaty things. Bumping into one another occasionally and laughing. Talking. Sharing. Floating along and seeing the sights and soaking up that which is beautiful and meaningful. Capturing images of what we want to remember.