The Creative Classroom Toolkit

7/25/2019 The Creative Classroom Toolkit

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John Spencer - spencerideas.org - [email protected]

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THE CREATIVECLASSROOM TOOLKIT

Created by John Spencer

@spencerideas

spencerideas.org




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ABOUT ME

I am passionate about creativity and design thinking. This is why I co-wrote Wendell the World’s Worst Wizard (the story of a non-magical wizard who

saves the world with robotics) and co-founded Write About (a digital publishingplatform).Currently, I am a middle school photojournalism and computer teacher in

urban Phoenix, Arizona. I have over a decade of experience in social studies,language arts, language acquisition and technology as well as experience inprofessional development and teacher coaching. This last year, I got the chance

to speak at the White House Future Ready Summit and deliver a TEDx Talk.My research experience includes writing a chapter in The Nature of

Technology textbook and winning an award for my work and research aroundtransforming professional development with blended learning.

Over the last three years, I have had the opportunity to share practical

ideas and classroom stories with a variety of audiences. I've been honored towork with schools, districts and organizations through keynoting, workshops,sessions and coaching on the topics of creativity, digital literacy, technology, andstudent engagement. I have spoken in venues ranging from individual schools toa breakfast keynote at the largest education conference in the world.

As a teacher and a dad, I am passionate about students and teachers

embracing creativity. I’m also a firm believer that there is a place for the fun in theclassroom. My goal in creating these resources is to provide something practicaland meaningful that will spark creativity!

Email: mailto:[email protected] Twitter: @spencerideas Blog: spencerideas.org




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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part One: The Creative TeacherThe Five Types of Creative Teachers: Embrace Your Creative Teacher Mindset

Why Humor Is Critical for a Creative Classroom

Part Two: Creative Classroom InstructionWhat is Design Thinking? Is it Right for My Classroom?Design Thinking in All SubjectsDivergent Thinking Exercise

The 45-Minute Design ChallengeTips for Brainstorming

Part Three: Creative Alternatives to Boring Assignments

Wonder Day: A Creative Alternative to Research Papers

Five Creative Alternatives to HomeworkVisual Writing Ideas: The Creative Alternative to Writing PromptsTwenty Creative Alternatives to Book Reports

Part Four: Authentic Assessment in Creative ClassroomsFive-Minute Conferencing System: An Introduction

Advice ConferencesAssessment ConferencesReflection ConferencesStandards-Based Assessment GridPortfolios




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PART ONE:

THE CREATIVE TEACHER




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THE FIVE TYPES OF

CREATIVE TEACHERS

EMBRACE YOUR CREATIVE TEACHER MINDSET!

I often hear people describe a certain type of teacher as being "socreative." That teacher developing lessons from scratch is "so creative." Or thatteacher who turned a boring spelling activity into a vocabulary karaoke game is"so creative." Or that teacher with the thematic classroom bulletin boards is "socreative."

Sometimes, this term has a negative connotation. "His desk is messy.He's one of those creative types." Other teachers nod their heads. Or maybe,

"She's one of those creative types who gets angry when she is forced to teach

someone else's curriculum."But I've been thinking about creativity a lot lately and I think we tend tohave a narrow view of the creative potential at a school. It seems that creativity isoften viewed as a teacher who is artistic. The creative teacher is the one who isdoing things wildly different. And sometimes "different" shows up just like thatwith air quotes.

However, from my experience, creativity can manifest itself in differentways on campus. So, here are five types of creative teachers that I've noticed.I'm guessing there are other types that I might be missing.

1. THE ARTIST: This teacher loves to create things from scratch. It's less aboutsystems or structures and more about designing actual content that kids will love.It isn't just the lessons or projects. The walls are often covered with thingscreated by the teacher or students. For this teacher, creative autonomy is vitaland discussions about data or systems can feel cold and sterile.

2. THE GEEK: This teacher is creative in the sense of being fascinated by stuffand constantly working to tweak things. Systems and structures are asfascinating as ideas and content. This teacher wants to make something new butalso wants to explore existing models and monitor effectiveness with data (albeit

data that is actually accurate and meaningful). The Geek might not always lookcreative compared to the Artist because the new things he or she creates don'talways have an overtly artistic flair. However, he or she is just as much a makerand a creator as anyone else.

3. THE ARCHITECT: Like the Geek, the Architect loves making new systems.There is often a combination of bold ideas mixed with a love of theory andunderstanding of pre-existing structures. However, in many cases, the Architect




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isn't viewed as being a "creative type" because he or she relies on thecollaborative work of other creative types. My current principal is like this. He isable encourage and inspire others to do creative things by setting up structuresto make it happen.

4. THE ENGINEER: This type of teacher tends to focus on fixing problems. So,the history text sucks? How can we fix it? How can we add something new?What can we replace? There's a sort-of Mythbusters hypothesis-testing thatdrives the creativity. Unlike the Artist, this teacher doesn't have to reinvent thewheel every time. If there's a great resource out there that works, why bothermake something new? After all, the creativity is found in the constant sense oftrying, testing, analyzing and refining that goes on with the Engineer.

5. THE HACKER: While the Artist often thrives in creating something new withinthe system, the Hacker is a little more subversive, actively working against thethings that are broken in order to create something better. The Hacker findscreative ways to turn things upside down. Sadly, in many systems, the Hacker is

seen as destructive and people miss the creative work being accomplished.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, as I look at my school, I see teachers that fit each of these categories. Insome cases, people are both (i.e. The Geeky Artist or the Hacker-Engineer). AndI'll be the first to admit that categories and labels always break down at somepoint. However, there is value in recognizing the diversity in the types of creative

teachers that exist at a school. The best communities I have seen are oneswhere people respect the creative contributions of all teachers -- even if the styleor approach seems odd.




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WHY HUMOR IS CRITICALFOR A CREATIVE CLASSROOM

I’m a big fan of using humor in the classroom. I don't use sarcasm and I don'tresort to ad hominem attacks in the name of "humor." However, I joke aroundoften in class. It might be a wisecrack about pop culture, a musing on somethingironic or the fun of wordplay. These uses of humor are intentional. I believehumor is a good thing in the classroom. I believe it ultimately leads to a morecreative classroom.

Here are a few reasons why:

#1: HUMOR INCREASES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.

I have never seen a student doze off while laughing. It just doesn't happen. Well-timed humor can do to a lesson what it does to a book, movie or conversation -break things up. I would love to claim that all of my lessons are amazinglyengaging. However, the truth is that there are lulls. Humor spices things up. Itkeeps things fun. If someone calls this a waste of time, I'll simply spout of some

jargon and tell them that kids are taking a "brain break" by laughing.

#2: HUMOR CREATES A CLIMATE OF JOY.

We have an area of the white board where students can create visual puns. Mostof the time, I'm the one drawing goofy wordplay puns. Examples include"Everyone loves me. I'm the most poplar tree in the forest" or a picture of"Reese's Peanut Butter Cop," a candy dressed like a police officer. These visualcues help create a climate of humor. We laugh often in our class and the end

result is a climate of joy. It helps that I'm teaching an elective class where I amnot under the pressure of high-stakes testing. However, I really think humor hasallowed my room to be a joyful place.

#3: HUMOR PUSHES CRITICAL THINKING.

Aside from slapstick, humor requires a certain level of critical thinking. Often, it

requires a student to understand situational irony or the multiple meanings ofwords. Although people are quick to label humor as shallow, the truth is thatcomprehending and creating comedy are complex acts of critical thinking. This is




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especially true when humor is witty or ironic. However, it's also true when humorconnects to wordplay.

#4: LAUGHTER ALLOWS FOR SERIOUS TOPICS.

There's a reason epic stories use comic relief. By engaging in humor, the authorcreates and "up" that allows the reader to delve deeper into something darker or

tenser. Think of the Harry Potter series. Her use of humor (especially in the firstfew books) allowed the books to delve into some dark topics. I think the same istrue in schools. We sometimes touch on some hard topics (especially in

journalism) and once we've laughed together we are more likely to becomfortable with hard conversations.

#5: HUMOR MODELS POSITIVE RISK-TAKING.

I once drew a treble clef with the words, "I knew you were treble when youwalked in." Nobody laughed. Nobody got it. However, what that proved to my

students is that I am willing to take a risk with humor. True, there are bigger risksa teacher can take (standing up for students, speaking out against hate, beinghumble when making a mistake). However, this is a small way to model risk-taking for kids.

#6: HUMOR IS DEEPLY HUMAN.

We need to laugh, because we are human. It's a part of who we are. When welaugh, it reminds us that even though learning might be serious, we are able totake ourselves lightly. We are able to let loose a little. In the process, we growcloser and learning becomes more holistic.

#7: HUMOR PREVENTS DISCIPLINE ISSUES.

In an odd way, humor works as a preventative discipline method. When students

are engaged, thinking critically, being validated for positive risk-taking and feeling

a sense of belonging in a joyful community, they are less likely to act out. Thisdoesn't mean humor will prevent all discipline issues or that humor should beused during discipline (that can backfire). It's just that some of the mosthumorous classrooms have great behavior. It works against the notion that weshouldn't smile until after Winter Break.




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#8: HUMOR MODELS APPROPRIATE CREATIVITY.

I recently put up a to-do list for Darth Vader. It included ideas such as "build adeath star," "get my asthma medication refilled," "dry clean my robe," and "do hotyoga." It was goofy for sure, but it was also creative. If I want my classroom to be

a creative space, I think humor can be a vital part of this.

#9: HUMOR AFFIRMS KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN SHAMED.

I've met students who were shamed for being funny. They were told by teachersto "just shut up." They spent hours in detention. They were told that there wassomething inherently wrong with them. While I'm not suggesting that kids spendthe entire class period cutting up, I think teachers have the opportunity toencourage the appropriate use of humor with students. This is why I often

encourage students who enjoy joking around to use some of that humor in their

writing.

#10: HUMOR CAN ACTUALLY BE A FORM OF HUMILITY.

This isn't always the case, but humor can send the message that you don't takeyourself too seriously. It can be disarming. It can make you more approachable.I've seen a number of students whose only experience with humor has beenharsh, sarcastic and mean. So, when they see goofy or witty humor, it sends themessage that there's a safe way to laugh in this world.

BEING GOOFY MEANS BEING CREATIVE

In our class, we have debated whether unicorns are genuinely docile ordeceptively violent. We have mocked those who say, "Kids these days dress so .. ." by using fake British accents and complaining that "kids these days aren'twearing wigs like they used to." We have discussed whether or not bacon-wrapped bacon would actually taste better than just eating strips of bacon.

On the surface, being goofy seems like a waste of time. After all, it seems

shallow to argue whether or not Batman is a "real superhero" if he doesn't havesuperpowers. However, I actually believe that being goofy actually adds layers ofdepth. These conversations often push students think more divergently aboutcommon ideas.

Goofiness is a safe way to be creative. It's why I draw silly pictures on the board(like the Reese's Peanut Butter Cop or the Ninja Turtle taking a "shellfie"). The




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first thing they see each day is a creative work that doesn't take itself tooseriously.

Clay Shirkey once wrote that “even the stupidest creative act is still a creativeact.” I think that’s the point here. Creative classrooms often begin with goofy,

even silly, humor. This ultimately leads to higher engagement, deeper thought,and less risk aversion. On the surface, it might look shallow. However, there is adeeply intentional element to the humor. When we laugh together, we are more

comfortable making things together.




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PART TWO:CREATIVE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION




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WHAT IS DESIGN THINKING?

The term "design thinking" is often attached to maker spaces and STEM labs.However, design thinking is bigger than STEM. It begins with the premise of

tapping into student curiosity and allowing them to create, test and re-create untilthey eventually ship what they made to a real audience (sometimes global butoften local). Design thinking isn't a subject or a topic or a class. It's more of wayof solving problems that encourages risk-taking and creativity. If you're interestedin this topic, feel free to sign up for this free self-paced course that I'll belaunching in a few weeks.

WHAT IS THE DESIGN THINKING CYCLE?

The truth is I've seen elements of design thinking in the non-profit sector, where

we did program development. It was part of how we attempted to avoid neo-colonialism. That shaped how I approached service learning with my students.However, this cycle was also similar to the design cycle we used whencreating Write About and, oddly enough, it resonates with how we wrote Wendell

the World's Worst Wizard .

I first grew interested in the design thinking cycle when I had students doingdesign projects. We used this cycle in our first documentary and in our murals.Later, I used the same framework with the coding and blogging projects students

did.

The original design thinking cycle I used followed these steps: empathy, define,ideate, prototype, test. I found some great resources at the Institute of Design atStanford. Although it worked, I found that often students designed things out of a

general sense of wonder. So, I changed it to awareness. I also added inquiry andresearch, along with launching and marketing. I'm not sure if "marketing" isalways the right word.

Note that often one phase will lead back to a previous phase in a sort-of mini-cycle of its own. For example, inquiry often leads to research and revision isessentially creating a new prototype. Also note that this cycle is a framework --and that all frameworks should be flexible and adaptable. Making stuff is oftenmessy.

1. Awareness: Sometimes it starts with an observation. Students see or

experience something and become aware of an idea, a system, or an

issue. Other times, it's more human as they become more aware of peopleand their needs. Still, other times, it starts with a general sense of wonder




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and a driving question that ultimately leads to inquiry. Depending on theproject, we might do interviews, needs assessments, or observations.

2.

Inquiry: As they grow more aware of an idea or an issue, students startcoming up with questions. This can happen both individually andcollaboratively. In this phase, students tap into their natural curiosity on the

topic and ultimately land on a specific problem that needs to be solved,along with the corresponding essential questions that they want toresearch. Note that some people might place "define" before inquiry.

However, I've found that the freedom to ask deep questions ultimatelyleads to a larger problem that needs to be solved.

3. Research: In this phase, students research the topic based upon thequestions they've developed in the last phase. In some cases, theyconduct additional interviews and needs assessments (to grow in theirempathy and awareness). Other times, they talk to experts on the subject.Still, other times, they access informational texts and find facts connected

to their driving question.

4.

Ideate and Plan: After growing in their conceptual understanding,students have the chance to brainstorm (ideate) and ultimately create aplan for their design. We usually break this up into a mini-cycle of open-

ended brainstorming followed by an analytical process of picking apart theideas and then back to brainstorming.

5.

Prototype: Some folks might place "plan" in the prototype phase, which isfine. It's not meant to be a lockstep formula. However, we use prototypingas a separate phase because I want students to see the need to buildsomething and make something rather than simply plan. Sometimes, thisprototyping phase worked really well (in blogging, with documentaries, or

in the Scratch Video Game project). Other times, we simply lacked theresources to build a realistic prototype (our Create a Product project).6. Test and Revise: Like the ideating / planning phase, this phase works in

a cyclical model where students test what they made and then modify it ina revision phase.

7. Launch and Market: Eventually, students send it off to their audience and

attempt to convince people that their design is worth considering. As thishappens, you get the chance to see if it's working. This ultimatelybecomes a chance to grow more empathetic with the user or audience,which leads back to awareness.

IS DESIGN THINKING RIGHT FOR MY CLASSROOM?

I think design thinking can thrive in any classroom. However, it tends to work bestin the following scenarios:

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When students are making actual products




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• When students have the time to go through the entire process (often larger

projects)• When you, as a teacher, have the freedom to allow this to work. This is

harder in a high-stakes testing environment•

With standards-based grading, where students can continue to revise in

order to reach mastery•

When the specific problem they are solving is important to the students

CAN DESIGN THINKING WORK IN ALL SUBJECTS?

When I taught self-contained, I had the chance to work with all subject areas. I

found that design thinking worked really well in inquiry-driven scienceexperiments (where it was less about prototyping and more about building anexperiment and testing it), in writing (where there's already a sense of audience,

brainstorming, writing, and revising), and in social studies. I had a tougher timeusing this framework in math. It worked somewhat in math when we used DanMeyer's visual prompts, leading into problem-solving, comparing, testing, andrevising. However, the only time it worked really well in math was in ourprobability unit, where students designed board games.

For all the talk of STEM, I actually think we might do well looking at the places

where the design thinking cycle is already happening at school. I've seen see thedesign cycle work really well in journalism, yearbook, shop class, culinary, andtheater.

I'd also point out that the design thinking cycle works with all ages. However, highschool students tend to be more self-directed than early elementary. So,scaffolding is important.

WHERE DID DESIGN THINKING ORIGINATE?

So, it's debate where design thinking originated. Some claim that it started in thesixties with The Sciences of the Artificial . Others point to Design Thinking , whichfocussed more on urban planning and architecture. Still others point to RobertMcKim's work in Experiences in Visual Thinking . My guess is that, like all great

ideas, it has been an evolution, influenced by thousands of people. My goal, inthe next few months, is to read some of these texts in-depth and watch the

evolution of the idea.




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DESIGN THINKING IN

EVERY SUBJECT AREA

In the previous section, I explained the design thinking cycle. In many ways, it

feels familiar to those who have used the scientific method. It also feels familiarto anyone who has gone through the full planning, creating, editing, andpublishing phases in writing. The truth is that design thinking can happen (and inmany cases, already is happening) in all subject areas.

The following examples are examples of design thinking in every content area:

• Writing: We have used the design thinking cycle to go through every

aspect of the writing process. Students begin with awareness, askquestions, do research, brainstorm, plan, and begin composing theprototype (in this case a piece they want to publish). The eventual goal is

to publish to an authentic audience and engage in a discussion that leadsto more awareness and inquiry.

• Reading: Students can use the design thinking cycle to create more

authentic book reviews (where they actually publish to an audience) in theform of podcasts, book blogs, discussion groups or reviews on places likeGoodReads and Amazon.com. However, reading can also be an

integrated aspect of a Create a Product Project. The inquiry and researchelements fit nicely within the informational reading standards.

• Math: Too often, students don’t get a chance to develop their own

problems. With the design thinking cycle, students can begin with a visual

prompt or a real-world context and move into the inquiry process. Over

time, they develop a problem, solve it, test it with different approaches andeventually share their findings with the world. That’s a small example. Alarger example might be a board game project during a unit on probability.Here students go through the entire process of market research, design,testing, and eventually testing it out with a real audience. In addition,teachers can integrate math into a design thinking project (like the Createa Product Project) in the data analysis aspect of research.

• Social Studies: I love how Trevor Muir and Mike Kaechele have used the

design thinking cycle in the creation of World War II documentaries.Students began with their own essential questions and eventually

interviewed former soldiers. They created a well-crafted documentary thatthey eventually viewed in a local movie theater (with a red carpet event).

The design thinking cycle can also work

• Science: Inquiry-based science projects often begin with awareness.

Students observe a process or a phenomenon and they end up askingtons of questions. Eventually, this leads to crafting an experiment, testing

it, revising it and sharing their findings with the world. One of my favorite




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examples is when students create their own Myth Busters styled projectswhere they create their own videos showing the process.

• STEM: Not surprisingly, STEM labs can be a great place for the design

thinking cycle. Whether teachers are doing robotics projects, design

projects, coding, or maker spaces, the design thinking cycle can be a

great framework. We use this process in our Scratch Video GameProjects. If you’re curious about Scratch, you might want to sign up for thefree Introduction to Scratch course that I’ll be offering in July.

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Art: One of the hardest things for me to learn as an audience was how to

create art for an actual audience. Although there is a place for art for thesake of art (and certainly for finding a personal style) there is also a valuein using this cycle for one piece where students craft a work for a realaudience.

• Physical Education: When I was a kid, I would have absolutely loved the

chance to make something connected to P.E. Let me create and run atournament. Allow us to create teams with names, uniforms, slogans, etc.Allow us to hack games and create new versions of sports. In other words,kids might develop the next Ultimate Frisbee or Arena Football.




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DIVERGENT THINKING EXCERCISE

PREPARATIONStart by grabbing three random items. The more random they are, the better it

works. So, maybe it’s a roll of duct tape, a comb, and a box of paperclips. Placethese in a shoebox. In some classes, you might want to place the items inseparate shoeboxes on separate tables.

ACTIVITYStep One: Introduce the Activity

“In this box, you have three items. The goal is to see all the ways you could useany of the items in your box. You can use just one item, both items or all theitems.”

Step Two: Model the Activity

Pull a volunteer from your class. Open your box and pull out the three items.“So, I will go first as partner A. I could use the paperclips to make a necklace.”Turn to the student. “Now it’s your turn.” Be sure to give wait time and allow yourpartner to go next. Repeat as partner A. Keep going until you are out of ideas.

Step Three: Begin the Activity

“The goal is to come up with as many ideas as possible. Remember that thereare no bad ideas here.”

Step Four: Reflect on the ActivityStudents journal with the following:

1.

What was the best idea your partner came up with?2.

What was the best idea you came up with?3.

Do you think you would have more ideas if you had been given more time?

Variations:

• Before the second step, allow students to see the objects and jot down as

many ideas as they can think of. Tell them to only use the list after they

have run out of new ideas in the partner activity.

• Have a different set of items in each shoebox. Rotate from group to group.

Go through the rotation a second time and see if students have come up

with any new ideas.• Start out with two items and then switch one of the two items halfway

through the process. See how that changes the list of items.




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THE 45-MINUTE DESIGN CHALLENGE

It all began the year I taught sixth grade ELL. I had the same group of studentsall day in a class that, by law, had to be hyper-structured (we had a four hour

block of reading, writing, oral language, and grammar). On Tuesday, we didn'thave an elective class, so I had forty-five bonus minutes to plan somethingentirely different.

Initially, I planned a Genius Hour project. However, after two weeks, it wasn'tworking. I realized that Genius Hour actually required more structure and time

than I had considered (which is why I ultimately restructured my oral languagehour to be Genius Hour). So, I had this short block of forty-five minutes in myschedule. I considered making it a silent reading block or adding to math.

Instead, I landed on a sort-of UnGenius Hour. It was built around the premise that

sometimes limitations actually boost creativity. Here, students had limited time,limited resources, and limited options. And they loved it. I know, I know. It soundscounterintuitive, but these limitations actually created a certain level of freedomthat pushed kids to think divergently.

THE PREP WORKFill a box with random items. It might be spaghetti noodles, marshmallows andcardboard. It might be

THE PROCESS

Step One: Students ArriveStudents arrive to class and see a box (similar to the divergent thinking exercise).On top of the box is a specific design challenge. A few ideas might be:

1. Build the perfect model bridge.2. Design a board game.3. Design an arcade game (we did this one with cardboard and duct tape).4.

Create a visual representation of ______________.5.

Turn this into a toy that someone would want to play with.

Step Two: Prototyping (25 minutes)

For the next forty-five minutes, students would build a prototype. In myexperience, it took a few weeks before the first group realized that they could use

the box itself. It took another week or two for students to realize they could doquick research on the Internet and plow through the design cycle we had beenusing with our design projects.

Step Three: Revision (15 minutes)




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Have students stop their prototyping and examine their finished product. Use thefollowing discussion questions:

1.

How could this be improved?2.

What’s working well?3.

Is there something missing from this?

4.

Where are you “stuck” on your design so far?

One extension thing that has worked for me is to have students answerthese questions silently in a journal and then come back with a fresh setperspective.

Step Four: Presentation (5 minutes)Using a timer, give each group one minute to give their “elevator pitch” for theirproduct.

Closure:

Students can reflect on the process with the following questions:1.

What went well?2.

What part of your design failed? What did you learn as a result?

3. If you were to build this again, what would you do?4. If you could have had one more item, what would it have been? Why?

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sometimes it bombed. Sometimes kids got frustrated when things didn't work.

But that was okay. Mistakes were allowed. Nothing was graded. It was simply 45minutes of planning, making, testing, and revising.

What's interesting is that students never once complained about the limitations.Nobody ever said, "I can't be creative unless I have the right resources." Nobodyever said, "I can't get this done with those oppressive time deadlines you areputting on me." Instead, the limitations became a source of their creativethinking.

I used to think creativity was all about thinking outside the box and sometimes it

is. Sometimes, though, it's more about repurposing the box. Sometimes it isn't a

blank canvas or a crisp white page. Sometimes it starts with a limited timeframeand a limited set of resources. In these moments, the lack of options actuallypush people into thinking more creatively.




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TEN TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING

BRAINSTORMING

One of the key components of the design thinking cycle is the ideating phase. In

this phase, students start by brainstorming, followed by analyzing the ideas, andthen creating a plan.

On the surface, brainstorming should be easy. It should be the most fun of thisentire process. And yet . . . sometimes it doesn’t work that well.

I’ve noticed that students often struggle with brainstorming. This is especially trueat the beginning of the year, when students might shrug their shoulders and say,“I don’t have any ideas.” The truth is that they do have ideas. Great ideas.

However, in many cases, students are afraid to share their thoughts in a

brainstorm. It’s even more challenging when there are a few eager students whoare jumping at the chance to brainstorm while others sit back and watch.

So, how do we fix that?

Here are a few tips for optimizing brainstorming:

1.

Have students brainstorm in isolation first. This allows introverted studentsto process internally before they step into the whole group brainstorm.

2. Have a firm rule that there are no dumb ideas in the brainstorm phase.Give a silly example if you need to. For example, if they are brainstorming

green transportation methods, offer the suggestion of dragons. Mentionthe problems with the idea (dragons breathe fire, their poop is enormousand falls from hundreds of feet in the air and . . . they aren’t real) andremind students that the idea still goes on the list.

3.

Experiment with formatting. For example, a round robin brainstorm mightallow all students to get a chance to share ideas. Here, each studentmoves clockwise, one at a time, and shares an idea. Another formatting

method might be to have each student copy and paste the ideas into oneshared document, followed by a period of reading the ideas and thenadding more as a group.

4.

Be clear in the specific topic of a brainstorm. So, if you want students tounderstand the concept of a “total war” in social studies, a greatbrainstorm question might be, “Think of anything, big or small, that youmight need in order to win a war.” Emphasize the idea that random ideasare often some of the best answers and that there is absolutely no quality

control this the brainstorming phase.5. Be intentional about the physical space of a brainstorming session. You

might have a rule that says devices aren’t allowed. You might make sure




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that all students are in a circle around a table. In some cases, you mightwant to model the body language of listening and participating.

6.

Create breaks for individual reflection. So, if you start with an individualbrainstorm and you move to a group brainstorm as a list, end it by havingstudents look at the list and create at least three new ideas based upon

what others have written. I use the question, “How can you build onanother person’s idea?” or “What is something you might be missing?”

7.

Have a brainstorm leader whose job it is to write down the ideas and guide

the brainstorm. I usually ask this person to make sure no one is criticizingan idea and to also focus on making sure the brainstorm isn’t sticking toone train of thought for too long. We use the sentence stem, “How about .. .” or “Have you considered . . .” to allow them to move on.

8.

Move students around. We don’t do this all the time, but sometimes inorder to avoid groupthink, I ask students to rotate to other groups and adda new perspective that they might be missing.

9.

Try multiple visual methods. I’m a huge fan of brainstorms as lists.

However, I have found that sometimes a web works better, because itgives students a visual framework for adding onto the ideas that arealready there. Although I’m a big fan of technology, I think the best web

technique is a giant piece of butcher paper and markers. I know, I know.Computers are awesome. However, if I could become a Mr. SketchCertified Teacher, I would.

10.

Don’t use a timer. The best brainstorms happen when there is a naturalsense of excitement. I’ve found that timers actually make kids risk averse.They end up panicking and fail to think as creatively as I would havehoped. So, we don’t time our brainstorms. We let them end naturally.




##

PART THREE:

CREATIVE ALTERNATIVESTO BORING ASSIGNMENTS




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A CREATIVE ALTERNATIVE

TO STUDENT RESEARCH PAPERS

When I was a kid, I hated research papers. I hated the paint-by-numbers rules

we had to follow. I hated the fact that I couldn't choose the topic or ask thequestions or find the sources. I hated the notecards and the binders andeverything else that stripped the wonder and curiosity of research. This is whatultimately led me to an alternative idea to the student research paper.

WHY STUDENT RESEARCH PAPERS FAIL

•

The process is too rigid. Strategies should be inherently flexible.•

The audience isn't real. I'm not one who thinks that ever assignment

needs an authentic audience. However, most student research papershave an audience of one.

• The students have very little agency. They rarely get to pick the topic, the

types of sources, or the questions being asked. A teacher might say,"Well, they got to choose an animal." But what if they don't want to writeabout an animal? What if they want to research natural disasters ormagnetism?

•

Everyone is doing the same paper with slight variations. In other words,students don't get a chance to decide how it should be organized and whatit should look like. The process becomes formulaic.

SEVEN WAYS WE CAN FIX THE STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER

As a teacher, I decided we would do research differently. Here are a few things I

decided:

1.

Let students geek out. They should choose the topics based upon

something they are curious about.2.

Encourage inquiry. Allow students to ask their own questions based upon

their natural curiosity.3.

Keep the process flexible. Students should choose their own process

based upon what works best for them.4. Help students see that bias exists in sources. Let them embrace the

inherent conflict in information. Too often, kids see information astrue/false, black/white. Let them wrestle with the credibility of a source.

5.

Connect outside of the classroom walls. Encourage students to findprimary sources online.




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6. Don't make it a paper. In other words, have students would makesomething in the end. So, from start to finish, research would besomething inherently creative.

7.

Start research papers at the beginning of the year instead of making it anend-of-the-year process.

This is ultimately what led me to create Wonder Day (the next resource). It is aninquiry-based, choice-based, student-driven research activity.




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WONDER DAY (TEACHER)

ABOUTThis is a fun, easy way to get students engaged in non-fiction reading. I use it asa high-interest way to help students learn the research process. Although we callit the Wonder Day, it often takes two class periods to complete.

PRODUCTStudents will share what they learned in a format that they choose. It could be apodcast, a blog post, or a short slideshow.

GROUPING

This works best individually, but they might find someone else who shares their

“geek out” interest.

PART ONE: TAP INTO THEIR CURIOSITYExplain what it means to wonder about something. (Note: They might want tohave students look at Wonderopolis).

Then have them create a larger “wonder question.” In some cases, they mightwant to use the stem “I wonder why _______” or “I wonder how _______” oreven “I wonder if _________”

Afterward, have students create questions. The questions should be fact-basedand connected to their topic. Students type the questions into a document (itcould be a Word Document or a Google Document or, if they want to go superold school, try papyrus).

PART TWO: HOW TO RESEARCH Students will now see if they can find the answers. The following researchprocess might be helpful. In some cases, you might want to walk through theresearch process with an example

•

Step One: Create their questions (if they finished Part One, you’re good).

• Step Two: Search by using the right keywords

•

Step Three: Identify the sourceo

Is this source true?

o

Is this source accurate?

o

Is there any bias in this source?

• Step Four: Analyze the information

o

Is this information accurate? Could this be verified by othersources?

o Is there any bias that should concern me?




#'

o Does this answer my question?

• Step Five: Paraphrase the information

• Put this into their own words right under the question

•

Make sure to cite their sourcesNote: They may find fascinating facts that aren’t connected to their questions. If

that’s the case, just add a question and the answer. The fun part of research isthat they never know what fascinating facts are going to pop out at you.

PART THREE: FINISHED PRODUCT

Now that they have their questions and their answers finished, there are a fewmethods that they might choose to share what they learned.

1.

Blog Post: Do a Q+A blog post with the questions and the answers. They

could also take the facts and create a “Seven Things They Might NotKnow About” post.

2.

Podcast: Partner up with a classmate and do a Q+A expert interviewabout the research. The first part should be a short introduction. Thesecond part should be an interview of partner A to B. Afterward, they canswitch and then end with a conclusion.

3.

Slideshow: Using Google Slideshow, PowerPoint or Keynote, find the fivemost fascinating facts and turn them into a slideshow with Creative

Commons pictures.




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WONDER DAY (STUDENT)

ABOUTWe all have those things that we are curious about. Maybe you want to know whyshadows get longer or when chocolate was invented or why body odor smells sobad. Whatever it is, you’ve got questions that probably aren’t going to beanswered in school. Well, today is your day!

PRODUCTYou will share what you learned in a format that you choose. It could be apodcast, a blog post, or a short slideshow.

PART ONE: TAP INTO YOUR CURIOSITY

Find something that you are curious about. Sometimes it helps to use thesentence stem “I wonder (why/how) ____________.”

Next, create a list of questions you have connected to this. So, maybe you aresaying, “I wonder why boogers are different colors” and then questions you havemight include “Does bacteria change the color? Do individuals have different

colors? Does age affect the colors of the boogers?”

The questions should be fact-based and connected to your topic. This is probablynot a time to ask about the human condition or why there is suffering in the world.Type the questions into a document (it could be a Word Document or a GoogleDocument or, if you want to go super old school, try papyrus).

PART TWO: HOW TO RESEARCH

You will now see if you can find the answers. The following research processmight be helpful:

• Step One: Create your questions (if you finished Part One, you’re good).

• Step Two: Search by using the right keywords

•

Step Three: Identify the source

o

Is this source true?

o

Is this source accurate?

o

Is there any bias in this source?• Step Four: Analyze the information

o

Is this information accurate? Could this be verified by othersources?

o

Is there any bias that should concern me?

o

Does this answer my question?

• Step Five: Paraphrase the information

•

Put this into your own words right under the question




#)

• Make sure to cite your sources

Note: You may find fascinating facts that aren’t connected to your questions. Ifthat’s the case, just add a question and the answer. The fun part of research isthat you never know what fascinating facts are going to pop out at you.

PART THREE: FINISHED PRODUCTNow that you have your questions and your answers finished, there are a fewmethods that you might choose to share what you learned.

4.

Blog Post: Do a Q+A blog post with the questions and the answers. Youcould also take the facts and create a “Seven Things You Might Not KnowAbout” post.

5.

Podcast: Partner up with a classmate and do a Q+A expert interview

about the research. The first part should be a short introduction aboutyourselves. The second part should be an interview of partner A to B.Afterward, you can switch and then end with a conclusion.

6.

Slideshow: Using Google Slideshow, PowerPoint or Keynote, find the fivemost fascinating facts and turn them into a slideshow with CreativeCommons pictures.




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FIVE CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES

TO HOMEWORK

TEN REASONS TRADITIONAL HOMEWORK IS FAILINGI don’t assign homework and I haven’t for the last four years. It’s been a

slow journey, because it runs against a very powerful ideology within the UnitedStates. Here are ten reasons to get rid of homework:

1. Young Children Are Busy: If a child cannot learn what needs to be

learned in a six hour day, we are expecting too much of that child. We are

creating a jam-packed hurried day without a chance to play, reflect andinteract. Adding hours to an already busy day is absurd.

2.

Older Children Are Even More Busy: So if younger students need a

chance to play, the reality is that many older students are busy withextracurricular activities.3.

Inequitable Situation: I have some students who go home to parents thatcan provide additional support. I have others who go home and babysityounger siblings while their single parent works a second shift. I have

some who don’t have adequate lighting, who constantly move and wholose electricity on a regular basis. Call those excuses if you want. I’ll call itsystemic injustice instead.

4.

Kids Need to Play: My son loves school. He loves the chance to learn toread, write and think in a way that is different from how I engage him.However, when he comes home, he needs to ride a bike, throw a ball or

climb a tree.5.

Homework Creates Adversarial Roles: It is possible for homework (orrather home learning) to be a positive force. However, when a parent is

stuck as a practitioner of someone else’s pre-planned learning situation, itbecomes an issue of management.

6.

Homework De-Motivates: It is possible to provides students withmeaningful learning experiences after school. However, if that’s the case,why make it mandatory? Why not say, “I offer tutoring if you need help” or“here’s an idea of something you might want to pursue on your own?”

When I was in high school, I wrote pages upon pages of poetry, a novel(never even told an adult) and countless short stories. It was, on somelevel, self-directed homework. And honestly, I would have allowed ateacher that I trusted to provide feedback. However, if the process had

been formalized, I would have kept all of that even more underground.7. Homework Doesn’t Raise Achievement: I know Marzano looked at one

study and concluded that homework works. However, Duke University’sstudy (by Harris Cooper) concluded that homework does not increaseachievement and it often decreases it instead. I spent some time looking






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AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH

TO HOMEWORK

I once wrote a blog post explaining why I am against homework. I started

a Facebook group for the same reason. I was a vocal opponent to what I saw asa horrible waste of time. In the process, I didn't think about the nuance of theissue. I didn't think offer up any ideas. I was more concerned with ideologicalpurity than potential solutions.

Since then, I've realized that this issue is more complicated than a binaryyes/no to "Should kids have homework?" So, I'm going to share what has workedfor me. It has worked as a bridge for parents who are on either side of thehomework debate.

1.

Make It Optional: When I taught self-contained (all subjects), I allowed

parents to check one of two boxes. Ultimately, that time at home shouldbelong to the child and his or her family. If parents want that time spent onstructured learning, I'm okay with that.

2.

Provide Choices: If the homework is extracurricular, it becomes easier toprovide real choices for students. I use the term "extension ideas" in

lessons and projects. The idea is to inspire students to go pursue thesubject on their own time on their own terms.

3.

The Show and Tell Approach: One reason kids hate homework is that ittakes the institution of school and applies it to their free time. However,many kids love show and tell because it does the opposite. So, what if wetook that approach and applied it to homework? Kids could interview

neighbors on Needs Assessments or do photo journals or create videosand functional texts on how to do something connected to a hobby. Theycould then take these things and use them inside of class projects.

4. Treat It Like Extra Credit: I used to say "don't give students credit" but nowI see this as a chance for students to get class credit for the work they aredoing outside of school. As an integrated part of projects, I consider thesehomework moments to be a part of their mastery.

5.

Connect to the World: Find ways that students can connect to the world.Not necessarily the global world, either. Let them connect with their

neighborhoods. Let them go places that you can't go during the schoolday.




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HOW THIS WORKS

These are meant to be weekly alternative homework options. I typicallymake several photocopies of each option and then allow students to choose one

that they find interesting. However, you could also email these to students or postthem to a website or LMS (such as Edmodo or Schoology).These are meant to be optional and self-directed; although some of these

options might require parental supervision at a younger age. I included a set ofself-reflection questions. The idea is for the students to own the entire process.The whole premise is that the options should inspire learning rather than require

work.

Explanation of the Components

• About: an explanation of why this type of assignment is interesting.

• Product: a description of what the student will be turning in to the teacher

•

Grouping: whether this is meant to be individual, partner, or small group• Materials: a list of what the student will need in order to do this particular

assignment

• Timeframe: how long it should take from start to finish

• Directions: a flexible list of the steps required for the homework

assignment

• Checklist: a guideline to help students figure out if they have all the parts

of their assignment. This is less of a requirement and more of a generalguideline.

•

Self-Reflection Questions: designed for the student to do a self-

assessment of his or her work




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CURIOSITY-CAST

ABOUT

We all have questions about random things. Why are boogers different colors?What is the difference between bacon and Canadian bacon? What is plasticmade from? Who invented chocolate? You probably have a list of questions inyour head right now and many of them will never be answered in school. So,here’s a chance to explore one of these questions and then share your answerwith the world.

PRODUCTYou will create a podcast based upon your own curiosity.

GROUPING

You can do this individually, but it might work best with a partner or a smallgroup. It might even be fun to do with a family member.

MATERIALSRequired: You will need some type of recording device. It could be a mobilerecorder, a phone, or a tablet. You could even record it straight to your computer.

Or, if you’re kicking it old school, you might want to use a tape recorder or aneight-track.

Optional: You might want to edit your podcast on a computer. If you have a Mac,you might want to use GarageBand. If you have a PC or Linux, you might want touse Audacity.

TIME FRAME2-3 afternoons

DIRECTIONS1.

Think of a question you have. It needs to be a fact-based question andpreferably one that is fun. So, this probably isn’t a time to tackle somethinglike, “Why is there suffering in the world?”

2.

Record a quick introduction sharing the question you are curious about

and why you are curious about it.3.

Go do some research. This part has lots of options:

a. With proper parental permission, you can interview someone on thetopic in person or by using a Google Hangout (note that you can doa Hangout On-Air and export the audio into your podcast).

b.

Go to a library and find books on the subject.c.

Do research on the Internet.




$%

4. Share the answer, along with any other cool facts you learned along theway. Record this on your device and add it to the previous part(s) yourecorded. Some people prefer to create a script ahead of time. Othersprefer to wing it. Either way works just fine.

5.

End with questions you still have and some kind of closure / ending to your

podcast (such as thanking the listener).6.

Figure out an audience for your podcast. The audience could be yourteacher or classmates. However, it could also be the entire world.

7. Turn your podcast in.

CHECKLIST

o

I have created an introduction where I asked a fact-based question.

o

I have engaged in research to find the answer.

o

I have found the answer to the question and summarized it in my ownwords.

o

I have recorded my summarized answer in the middle of my podcast.

o

I have recorded a conclusion that includes any further questions that Ihave along with a final thought for the audience.

o

I have found an audience for my podcast.

o I have turned it in.

SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS1.

Do you feel like you were able to find an adequate answer to yourquestion? What did you learn along the way?

2.

What did you learn about yourself based upon this experience?3.

What part was the hardest for you? Why?

4.

What part was the easiest for you? Why?5. Would you create another podcast in the future? Why or why not?6. Were you nervous about recording your voice? Were you nervous about

listening to it?7.

How comfortable are you with making this podcast public for the world tohear?




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COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS

ABOUT

Every community has issues, problems, and needs. Even if you love yourneighborhood, you will find that there are things that could make it better. So, thefocus here is on getting a pulse for what your neighbors believe about the aparticular need in your community.

PRODUCTA survey with a short data analysis at the end.

GROUPINGYou can do this individually, but it might work best with a partner or a small

group. It might even be fun to do with a family member.

MATERIALSThis project can be done with paper and pencil or with the use of a device. Itreally depends upon what you think would work best.

TIME FRAME2-4 days

DIRECTIONS1.

Think about a particular issue in your community. What are somecommunity needs that might need to be addressed? Start with thisbrainstorm.

2.

Choose one need from your brainstorm.3.

Create a survey about that particular need. Some sample stems that might

help are:a. On a scale of 1-10 (one being a big need and ten being a small

need) how would you rank ____________?b.

What are some of the causes of _____________?c.

What are some of the solutions of __________?d.

How is (name issue) affecting your life? How is it affecting ourneighborhood?

e.

Include agreement statements (strongly agree, agree, disagree,strongly disagree) connected to your community need (i.e. “Our

neighborhood could use more parks: strongly agree, agree,disagree, strongly disagree).

4.

Go out into your neighborhood and interview at least ten people. Try andkeep it diverse. Record your data on your survey chart.




$'

5. When you have interviewed ten people, create any graphicalrepresentations of the data (pie charts, bar graphs, etc.) This could be agraph that you draw or it could be a graph created by a spreadsheet.

6.

Do a data analysis. That might sound overwhelming, but it’s actually prettysimple. Just explain some of the results and what that means for your

community.7.

Write a list of some potential solutions based upon the Community NeedsAssessments.

8. I have turned it in.Bonus: Video interviews of people in your community.

CHECKLIST

o

I have developed a set of questions that also include numerical data.

o

I have interviewed at least ten of my neighbors and made sure I had adiverse range of people.

o

I have created a graphical representation of the data.

o

I have written my own data analysis on the community needs.

o

I have turned it in.

SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS1. Was it scary or uncomfortable to talk to your neighbors? Why or why not?2.


What part was the hardest for you? Why?4.

What part was the easiest for you? Why?5.

What were some of the things you learned about your neighborhood?




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GEEK OUT BLOGSABOUTWe all have those things that we geek out about. Maybe you’re into cars orMinecraft or cooking or soccer or collecting garden gnomes or chasing after

dragons. Whatever it is, you’re going to choose one of those interests and blogabout it.

PRODUCTYou will create a blog with multiple posts on your “geek out” topic. You shouldhave at least five blog posts by the end.

GROUPINGThis works best individually, but you might find someone else who shares your“geek out” interest.

MATERIALSYou will need to find a blogging platform that works well. If you are using WriteAbout (writeabout.com) you can choose to send your posts to specific groupsthat share your interests.

TIME FRAME1-2 weeks

DIRECTIONS1.

Choose a particular topic.2.

Choose a blogging platform. You might want to talk to your teacher or yourparents (or guardian) regarding the best blogging platform.

3.

Write your blog posts. Some ideas include:a.

Research your topic and find seven random things that you find

fascinating. Create a post called “Seven Things You Might NotKnow About _________” or “Seven Fascinating Facts About________.”

b.

Think about a strong opinion you have about your “geek out” topic.Write a persuasive post on the topic.

c.

Write the story behind how you got into your particular “geek out”topic. What is it that you find so fascinating?

d.

Write a “how-to” post showing how to do something connected toyour topic (i.e. how to do a kick flip in skateboarding, how to catch a

quaffle in quidditch).e. Create a Q+A post on your “geek out” topic. Include questions that

people would typically have.4.

Find other blogs on this subject and engage in a respectful conversationabout it.

5.

Let your teacher and classmates know about your blog.




$)

CHECKLIST

o

My posts have a title that is interesting and capitalized

o

My posts have a visual (picture) that is Creative Commons

o

My posts are proof-read for errors in spelling, grammar, and any other

mistakes that will potentially drive my teacher bonkerso

I have shared my posts with my teacher and my classmates. (Optional: Ihave shared my posts on social media)

SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS1. How did the blogging process go? Were you able to engage with a real

audience?2.



What part was the easiest for you? Why?

5.

Will you continue to post to your blog? Why or why not?




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PHOTO JOURNAL

ABOUTPictures are a powerful way to share a story. With the popularity of mobile

devices, it is easier now, more than ever, to document your world in pictures.

PRODUCTYou will create a photo journal that tells a story of a place. It could be yourneighborhood. It could be your city. It could be a particular topic that interestsyou, like a hobby. It could be an issue in your community. Whatever it is, you will

create a photo journal with at least ten pictures.

GROUPINGThis works best individually, but you might find someone else who shares your

“geek out” interest.

MATERIALSYou need a camera. It could be a regular camera or it could be a phone. Or, youcould be one of those people that awkwardly holds up an iPad to take a picture.

TIME FRAMEYou could knock this out in a day. However, it might be fun to take pictures overa longer period of time.

DIRECTIONS1.

Find a topic that intrigues you. Think of how you will create a photo journal.

2.

Be creative with the way you plan it. You could document a single personor event chronologically. You could take multiple pictures of the same

place. Or you could find a particular topic and think about a way todocument that topic visually.

3. Start taking pictures. Be creative with angles and perspectives. It worksbest to take tons of pictures and sort through the ones that you think arebest. Optional: edit your picture on your phone or with an online editor.

4.

Turn your pictures in to your teacher. Some teachers prefer to get thepictures in an email. Others prefer downloading them from the memory

card.5.

Find a way to present your photo journal. It could be in a blog post with

annotation. Or maybe you want to put them into an annotated slideshow ora video with pictures and audio.

CHECKLIST

o

My photos all connect to one topic or theme.

o

My photos follow the best photography conventions.




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o My photos are interesting. They show a perspective people might easilymiss if they weren’t paying attention.

o

I have sorted through the photos and chose about ten of the best.

o

I have edited the pictures. (Optional)

o

I have turned my photos in to my teacher.

o

I have created a photo journal in a slideshow, video or blog post.

SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS1. How do you feel your photo journal turned out?2. What place, theme or topic did you explore? What did you learn along the

way?3.

How do you feel about the quality of your pictures?4.



Would you create another photo journal in the future? Why or why not?

7.

How comfortable are you with making this photo journal public for the

world to hear?




%"

HOW-TO VIDEO

ABOUT

You probably have some kind of secret skill that others would totally envy if theyknew about it. Okay, maybe it’s not entirely secret. It might be something you areknown for. Still, you might want to take that skill and teach it to the world. It couldbe crocheting blankets, training alicorns, doing ninja moves, making origami, orice skating to “Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls” while under an actual waterfall.Whatever it is, here’s your chance to make a video telling someone how to do it.

PRODUCTYou will produce a short video (think 3-7 minutes) showing someone how to do aparticular skill.

GROUPINGYou can do this individually, but it might work best with a partner or a smallgroup. It’s tough to video record things alone. It might even be fun to do with afamily member.

MATERIALSYou will need a video camera or cell phone. Or, if you have the money, a fullproduction crew that includes a set, lighting, make-up artist, etc. You will alsoneed a computer for video editing.

TIME FRAMEA week from start to finish

DIRECTIONS1. Choose your topic. Make sure it is a skill that someone could actually do

after watching your video.2. Write the directions for how to do this particular skill. These directions

could potentially be used in a post or with the video description.3.

Storyboard each step. It sometimes helps to draw out boxes with stickfigures and camera angles.

4.

Prep for the filming process. Think ahead of time about:

a.

Audio: Can the audience hear you?b.

Lighting: Can the audience see you?

c. Angles: Are the angles interesting?5. Film your video. This may take several cuts with different video angles.

That’s okay. It’s a journey.6.

Transfer your video to a computer.




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7. Use a video-editing program to edit your video. It might be possible thatyour teacher has a video editing program on a school computer. Youmight want to include:

a.

Slidesb.

Transitions

c.

Effectsd.

Music (you can find plenty of Creative Commons music online)e.

Photos

f. Explosions. Lots of explosions. Enough explosions to rival anythingMichael Bay would create. Or maybe not. Actually, you probablyshouldn’t add explosions.

8.

Save your video and share it with your teacher. Optional: post it online(with permission).

CHECKLIST

o

I have chosen a topic. It’s something that I know how to do and something

that others can do by viewing the video.

o

I have created step-by-step directions that I will use as I videotape mydemonstration.

o I have created a storyboard that shows each part that needs to be filmed.

o I have filmed my video. It pretty much rivals anything from StevenSpielberg.

o

I have edited my video so that it flows nicely.

o

I have added slides, transitions, effects, music, and photos.

o

I have shared this video with my teacher.

SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS1. How did your video turn out?2. What did you learn about yourself based upon this experience?3.



Would you create another tutorial video in the future? Why or why not?6.

Did you work with anyone else on this? If so, how were the dynamics?7.

How comfortable are you with making this tutorial video public for theworld to hear?




%$

VISUAL WRITING IDEAS:THE CREATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO WRITING PROMPTS

The term “writing prompt” has a negative connotation for many students. Itinvokes writing in isolation on a standardized test. Too often, students don’t get achance to choose the topic, the process, or the audience.

This is why I started creating visual writing ideas. Prompts require but ideasinspire. Here, students see a picture with a specific idea (a statement or a

question) as they choose what they want to write about.

For a sample of writing ideas, check out these Visual Writing Ideas for the FirstWeek of School.

Here are the main reasons to try out visual writing ideas:

1. PUSH CRITICAL THINKING

Students want to think deeply about a particular idea or subject. Asking them toanalyze, evaluate or create something new all contribute toward deeper thinkingand deeper writing. As you create writing ideas, think about writing criticalthinking questions that will spark deeper thought.Tap Into Student Interests:

Kids like writing about zombies and ninjas and unicorns. They might even enjoywriting about ninja unicorns that fight zombies. Sometimes it helps to askstudents what they care about. What do they geek out about? As you create

writing ideas, consider the vast range of student interests that will tap into theirpassions and prior knowledge.

2. EMBRACE CREATIVITY

Writing is inherently creative. Even functional and informational texts can sparkstudent creativity. As you create writing ideas, think about wandering off the

beaten path. Often, the most popular ideas are the quirky ones that studentsnever would have considered.Make it Meaningful:

While it’s important to choose ideas that tap into student interests, it can also behelpful to offer chances for students to write about the deep things that matter tothem. It might be interpersonal relationships. It might be life at school or at home




%%

or in the neighborhood. It might be a part of their culture. It might be a deeplyexistential question that they’re wrestling with.

3. USE ENGAGING IMAGES

The best visuals spark writing. They convey emotion or action. In some cases,they fit a particular question. In other cases, they spark a question or a thought.

Some teachers start with a list of questions or scenarios and find or take theperfect picture. Others do a Creative Commons search and start with anintriguing visual.




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20 ALTERNATIVES TO BOOK REPORTS

I’ve never met someone who finished reading a book only to say, “You knowwhat? I think I need to write up a report on it.” People talk about books. They

review books. They geek out about books. They even write fan fiction from theirfavorite novels. But they never write five-paragraph summaries. It just doesn’thappen outside of school.

So, here are ten creative alternatives to the dreaded book report:

1. Take the book and change the setting. Describe the new story.2. Write a review on Amazon.com or GoodReads. Convince someone

whether or not they should buy the book.3.

Join a book club on the book. You can use social media to run the book

club if you are doing it long-distance.

4.

Create a podcast where you interview a character from the book ten yearsafter the climax of the story.

5.

Write an encounter between two different characters in two differentbooks.

6.

Interrogate the villain. Write the dialogue between the interrogator and thevillain.

7. Turn a scene of the book into a graphic novel.8. Write a pitch to turn the book into a movie.9.

Enter the world of your story and write an editorial about the character'sactions.

10.

Look at the Periodic Table of Storytelling and identify the tropes.11.

Write a movie pitch for your book. Explain how the movie will be similarand different and why it might work well in that format.

12.

Just add ninjas. Retell the story with ninjas. How does that change the

work?13. Create a movie preview for your book. Sell the book in the style of a movie

preview.14.

Tell a scene from the perspective of another character.15.

Create a TED-style talk from the perspective of one of the characters.Share what you learned from your experiences in the book.

16.

Write yourself into the book. Describe yourself as a minor character trying

to warn another character about his or her actions.17.

Create a resume or a social media profile for one of the characters in the

story you read.18. Create a Yelp-style review of one of the businesses in the story you read.19.

Create an advertisement (visual or audio) for the antagonist in the story.20.

Write a Serial-style interview exploring alternative options of what couldhave happened in the story you read.




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THE FIVE-MINUTE CONFERENCING SYSTEM

To be honest, I hate the word system. I guess it’s because it feels rigidand systematic and I like things that are flexible and organic. However, systemsare all around. Everything we do is a part of a system. Some of the best systemsare the ones that work as a framework or a structure to allow things to thrive.That’s my hope with this system. My hope is that it works as a framework thatyou can modify and adjust to meet the needs of your students.

The Five-Minute Conferencing System is a simple idea. Over the course ofa lesson, a teacher finds small five-minute fragments for one-on-one studentconferences. I’ve seen the following benefits:

1.

The teacher gets the chance to know the students on a more personallevel. This allows for a better approach to differentiated instruction.

2.

Students feel known on a deeper level, which then increases trust. This, inturn, leads to a higher level of student self-efficacy and helps prevent

discipline issues.3.

Students are empowered to ask questions about their work and to reflectupon both the product and the process. My students tend to know how

they are doing in my class because of the weekly conferences.4. This saves time for the teacher. Every conference is essentially a chance

for ongoing formative assessment. As a result, I spend less time grading(especially leaving feedback on student work).

5.

It allows me to thrive as an introverted teacher. I need this time one-on-one with students because the large crowd can feel exhausting.

How to Approach ItHere are some of the practical / logistical things I have found with this:

• Find the best moments where kids can be talking to each other while

working independently. This allows for the class to work at a buzzing, not-too-loud noise level while I talk to students individually. I find that thewarm-up and project times work best for this.

• Find the right location. I have a spot in front of the board where I have a

standing center. I look out at the class and stand directly next to thestudent in the conference. We share a laptop computer screen as wediscuss the questions.

• Give students specific days when they know they will have a conference.

This allows students to feel prepared ahead of time.• I usually plan for 6 students per day.

The TimingIn a self-contained class (all of the students for an entire day), it should be

possible to meet with each student once a week. To do this, take the number ofstudents you have and divide it by four. This allows you to have a make-up dayon Friday. So, if you have 30 students, plan for seven per day on two days and




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eight per day on two other days. Thirty-five minutes can seem like a long time butwhen spread out among an entire day, it becomes manageable.

In a departmentalized class, it becomes much more reasonable to meetwith students once every two weeks. I find that it works best to divide the numberby ten and then do one make-up per day on top of that. So, a group of thirty

students becomes 3 students per class period. Even in a short class period, I findthat I still have 15 minutes to spare.

The Three Types of ConferencesThe following are the three types of conferences I use with students:

• Advice Conference: This conference is all about learning specific skills that

students are missing. Each student must ask the teacher a series ofquestions based upon an area where he or she is struggling. This is achance for targeted one-on-one attention and explicit help with a strategy.Students guide the process, tapping into the teacher’s expertise. This has

the added bonus of encouraging students to embrace the idea thatmistakes as a part of the learning process. It sets up a classroom culturewhere every student must be humble enough to admit that they are stillstruggling in some area of reading.

•

Reflection Conferences: Instead of telling students what to do, the goal is

to draw out student reflection. The teacher uses a series of reflectivequestions to lead students through the process of meta-cognition and intothe setting and monitoring of goals. As the year progresses, the teacherasks fewer follow-up questions and the students begin sharing how theyare doing without the aid of pre-chosen questions.

• Assessment Conference: Unlike the reflection conference, the focus here

is less about reflecting on the process and more about students judgingtheir own mastery of the content. We use the Standards-BasedAssessment Grid (attached to this folder) as a way to figure out the level ofmastery on particular standards.




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THE THREE TYPES OF CONFERENCES

FeedbackConference

ReflectionConference

AssessmentConference

The Focus Targeted help /instruction inspecific areas ofreading

Guiding studentstoward self-reflection

A conversationabout the masteryof standards

Role of theStudent

Ask questions andseek out specificfeedback

Answer questionsand reflect on hisor her learning

Talk aboutprogress towardspecific standards

Role of theTeacher

Answer questionswith accuracy andprecision andallow for students

to practice astrategy undersupervision

Ask questions,paraphraseanswers andguide students

toward self-reflection

Asks questionsabout progress andshare informationbased upon

evidence ofstudent work.

FurtherApplication

Students leavewith actionablesteps to fix aparticular work

Students canselect thestrategies andplan for futureimprovementbased upon self-

reflection.

Students can figureout what standardsstill need to bemastered and howto get there

Role inCultivating a

Growth Mindset

Every student hasa chance to admit

to failure and learnfrom it

Every student hasa chance to

articulate areaswhere they are

growing andwhere they stillneed to grow

Every student isable to realize that

there are as manyretakes as

necessary untilthey master thestandards




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ADVICE CONFERENCES:STUDENT HANDOUT

Have you ever needed to ask your teacher for help but you were tooscared? Or maybe you were wanting to ask for help but others were taking up hisor her time? Well, now is your chance! Your teacher will be calling you up for anadvice conference.

You will need to get your work (whether it is digital or paper) and take itwith you to the conference. You will also need to think about specific advice youwant to ask about. You might want to use the following stems:

• I am having a hard time with ________ part of __________. Are you

seeing the same thing?

• Could you show me how to _________?

• I’m going to practice _______ and I’d like you to tell me what you are

noticing that I might be missing.•

I’m stuck with ________. What resources would you recommend for me?

• How could I improve on __________?

• I tried to do _____________, but it wasn’t working. What am I missing?

• When I ________, I sometimes have a hard time with ____________.

How do I get past this?

•

I’m still really confused with ___________, because ________.

After the Conference:List three next steps you want to take to improve your work.1.

2.

3.




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ASSESSMENT CONFERENCES:STUDENT HANDOUT

You will be examining your work as you have a conversation about the

mastery of standards. You might be looking at a project rubric or a self-assessment or perhaps even a progress report. The goal is for you to figure outwhere you still need help, where you could move to a higher level of proficiency

and where you can build upon your expertise.Here are some of the questions your teacher might ask you:

• How do you feel that you have done on this standard? What level of

mastery would you give yourself? Why?

• Is this an accurate representation of what you have learned?

•

Which standards do you need to focus on in order to improve? What help

do you need? Where will you look?

• Which standards are you excelling at? What kind of enrichment would youlike to pursue in those areas?

• How will you know when you have mastered (name the standard)?

• What are the next steps you need to take in order to master (name the

standard)?

After the Conference:What is one standard where you are struggling? What are two things you will doto master this standard?

What is one standard where you are exceeding? What enrichment do you wantto do to take it to the next level?




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REFLECTION CONFERENCES:STUDENT HANDOUT

You will be participating in a reflection conference. The idea here is to

think about how you are doing in this class. Your teacher will be asking you aboutyour strengths and weaknesses and from there you will be able to talk abouttrends you see. Finally, you’ll think of the next steps you can take. The following

are some of the questions that I ask students in the coaching conversations:

• What are some of the strategies that you have mastered? Why do you feel

this way?

• In what area are you still struggling with?

•

Describe your process when you __________. What is happening?

• What I’m hearing you say is _________. Is that accurate?

• Where are you growing? Are there any areas that you don’t see growth?

• How do you feel ________ is going? Is it turning out the way you had

planned?

•

What are some things you are noticing about _________?

• In terms of _________, what will success look like?

• What are you hoping to learn?

• What is an area where you would like to improve? What are some steps

you will need to make to reach that?

After the Conference:

Strengths Weaknesses

Next Steps:




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STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT GRID

Subject:Quarter:

Prerequisite Skills:1.

I can _____________________2.

I can _____________________3.

I can _____________________

Level of Mastery

Objective Level of Mastery Student Feedback Teacher Feedback

Example:

I can generateclarifyingquestions

Example:

Meets theStandards

Example:

“I have an easytime makingclarifyingquestions but Isometimes don’t

know why I needto create thesequestions.”

Example:

“Your clarifyingquestions arewell-crafted butyou don’t seem toseek out answers

to the questions.”




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PORTFOLIO WEBSITE

Note: If you find this resource to be useful, you might want to sign up for the

Portfolio in a Day workshop .

THE BASICS

Premise:Often when I think of assessment, I forget that it's not designed for the

teacher. Ultimately, if I want students to become self-directed learners, I need anassessment method that includes student-selected work along with student self-reflections.

From my experience, the best method for authenticity is a portfolio. I love

the idea of students curating their own work and sharing what they have learnedin the journey of learning. Besides, the act of creating a portfolio becomes atransferrable skill that students can use with future creative endeavors.

For this type of portfolio, I encourage students to think the product and theprocess with a lens of growth and mastery. Students also look at what theylearned along the way and what future steps they want to take.

Time Frame:I have found that 3-5 class periods tend to work well. I prefer taking a whole weekif it is a yearlong class and taking three days (combining page #1 with #4 and #5)for a semester-long course.

Favorite Site:I prefer using Weebly because of the ease of adding media. However, this could

work just as easily with Wix, Google Sites or customized WordPress.




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COMPONENTS

Page #1: HomeThe goal of a home page is to introduce who you are, along with the purpose ofthe portfolio. The following are a few things you might want to include:

•

A photo or snippet of one of your works• A short description of who you are including a few of your interests

• A list of skills you have gained in this field or subject

• A description of the purpose of the portfolio (showing your growth and your

best work).

•

A short description of your learning journey. What projects did you do?

Who did you work with?

Page #2: GrowthBegin an introduction sharing how you have grown from the start of the course tothe end of the course. Afterward, select at least two before and after examples (atotal of four). The following questions might help guide you:

• Why does this newer work represent an area of growth for you? Cite

specific examples of how you have improved.

• What were the hardest areas for you to master and why?

• In general, how has your work changed from the start to the finish?

• What obstacles did you face? How did you get past those obstacles?

• Which standard or standards does this work connect to? In what ways

does it prove you grew in this standard?

Page #3: Best Work

Begin an introduction sharing what part of this course or subject you are currentlyexcelling in. Afterward, select your top three examples of your best work. Thefollowing questions might help guide you:

• Why is this an example of your best work?

• What aspects of this work make you feel proud? What makes this work

stand out?

• Which standard or standards does this work connect to? In what ways

does it prove you are exceeding the standard?

•

Did you find this work to be easy or hard to do? Why is that?

• What skills did you use in order to create this? In what ways can you build

upon these skills in the future?

Page #4: What I LearnedBegin with an introduction of some of the basic skills you have learned. Ifpossible, cite specific standards and your level of mastery. The followingquestions might help you along the way:

• What problems did you solve along the way?



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• What skills have you learned? How can you apply these to other

subjects?

• What concepts did you figure out?

•

How did you contribute to group projects? What were your roles? Whatcollaborative skills did you learn along the way?

•

What did you learn about yourself in the process?

Page #5: Next StepsShare with your audience what you plan to do next. The following questionsmight help you along the way:

•

What are some areas that are still weaknesses for you? What will you do

to continue to grow in these areas?

• What future goals do you have connected to this subject or topic? List the

goals and keep them specific.

• How do you plan to use this in life? Cite actual examples.

The Creative Classroom Toolkit

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