Uncategorized – Clif Mims

Science Experiments at Home

Home Science Tools offers hundreds of free science projects that can be completed at home. The site also includes lesson tips and curriculum resources for science projects that are searchable by grade level. Home Science Tools was created to inspire learning and was intended specifically for homeschooling families. However, with virtual learning taking place around the world, Home Science Tools can be used to inspire students with easy to use projects.

A popular project is to create a lava lamp. The scientific principles studied during this project are density and polarity. You need a clear bottle, oil, water, food coloring, and alka-seltzer. The steps for completing this project are below (source).

Fill the bottle most of the way with oil
Fill the rest with water – the water will sink to the bottom
Add in drops of food-coloring
Break an alka-seltzer tablet into several pieces and drop them in the bottle one at a time
Watch your lava lamp begin to function. As the reaction slows, add more pieces of alka-seltzer

Watch the video below to see these steps in action.

References:

Image source, Photo by Alex Kondratiev on Unsplash

All other sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

View Students While Sharing Screen

Google Meet is a popular tool during our current virtual learning situation. However, one of the issues teachers are having using Google Meet is that when sharing their screen to show lessons they can no longer see their students. There are three ways you can share your screen on Google Meet to show your lesson and see your students simultaneously.

Attach a second monitor to your computer
Login to Google Meet a second time with a different device
Overlay your presentation and meet windows

Click here to view a video tutorial of these three ways created by Eric Curts, of ControlAltAchieve.

References:

Image source

All other sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Efficient Virtual Meetings

Standup meetings are a great way to run an in person meeting while being cognizant of teacher’s time. The goals of standup meetings are to quickly give necessary information, allow teachers to voice concerns, share ideas, or celebrations, and finish as quickly as possible. Standing up during these meetings makes it uncomfortable for the meeting to last for a long time. This style of meeting can be utilized virtually. Teachers are now using video conferencing tools most of the day. The last thing teachers want to add to their schedule is a long and complicated virtual meeting, however, it is important for faculty members to see each other and feel connected. You can transition the standup meeting to a virtual environment by following these simple guidelines: set a timer, discuss only important information that cannot be shared in an email, allow teachers to share frustrations, celebrations, or ideas quickly and end the call under fifteen minutes.

References:

Image source, Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

All other sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Etiquette for Virtual Classrooms

I came across a video explaining proper etiquette for virtual meetings using video conferencing tools. Since our world is almost entirely virtual now, I thought I would share a few of the tips suggested plus a couple of my own as a reminder that even though we are all in our own homes, we can still show kindness to those within our realm of influence (source).

When you receive a link to a virtual meeting, try to sign in beforehand so that you can download any necessary plugins or applications necessary to join the meeting. Doing this before the meeting begins will ensure that you will not be late to the meeting or stressed trying to complete these tasks quickly and at the last minute.
Once you join the meeting, greet the presenter and other attendees just as you would in a physical room. Once you have greeted everyone (and essentially tested your audio) mute your microphone so that any noise in your environment is not an interruption to the meeting presenter.
Do not, however, mute your video. It is important for the presenter to see that you are engaged in the content so feel free to nod along, give thumbs up, take notes, etc.
Utilize the chat to ask questions, share links, etc. This will allow the presenter to continue uninterrupted.
When speaking on a video call, look at the camera so that your attendees can make eye contact instead of watching you look at your own thumbnail image or off to the side.
End the meeting with normal exit goodbyes – checking in on colleagues or students as necessary. Being in a virtual room does not mean we, as teachers, cannot ask students to “stay behind” and check in with them. I think this is needed now more than ever.
Remember that there is a lot going on in our world and I believe that as educators we should focus on giving grace more than grades. The academics learned or lost during this time will not matter once we regain a sense of normalcy and are gathering together in schools again. What will matter is that educators were there for students to comfort their grief and calm their anxiety.

References:

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

All other sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Creating Choice Boards

Choice Boards have been around for a while but with our global transition to online learning, these traditional paper-based tools are making a digital comeback. Kasey Bell from ShakeUpLearning offers a ton of information, tutorials, and even free templates on her recent blog post. You can even listen to a podcast of a teacher utilizing Choice Boards in her current virtual classroom.

Choice Boards are excellent tools to use with any age group or subject area. They are easy to create and can be used digitally or on paper. The best thing about using Choice Boards is that it offers students CHOICE in their assignments or activities. In the example image provided above, students begin with number five and choose two more squares completing a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (think tic-tac-toe).

You can access examples of Choice Boards by clicking here and can access a free template for the tic-tac-toe Choice Board shown above by clicking here courtesy of Kasey Bell.

References:

Image source, ShakeUpLearning

All other sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

HyperDocs for Virtually Teaching Novels

HyperDocs is an interactive program that offers a way to curate information from individual lessons to entire units in one place inspiring and engaging students. HyperDocs change “the worksheet method of delivering instruction, (and) is the ultimate change agent in the blended learning classroom. With strong educational philosophies built into each one, HyperDocs have the potential to shift the way you instruct with technology. They are created by teachers and given to students to engage, educate, and inspire learning” (source). As educators around the globe transition to virtual learning, they are beginning to understand the challenge of teaching novels virtually. An avid HyperDoc user created a super list of 25 ready to use HyperDocs specifically for novels. However, the HyperDoc community rallied and have created this padlet with hundreds of ready to use HyperDocs for novels of all reading levels and genres.

If you do not teach English, HyperDocs offer sample lessons in every subject as well as ready made templates to create your own HyperDoc. You can also access how-to tutorials by clicking here.

References:

All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Tips for Staying Safe on Zoom

With Covid-19 forcing schools around the world to transition to virtual learning, Zoom has become a popular video conferencing tool. However, no technology tool is perfect and as such Zoom has been subject to much criticism for their lack of security protocols. Zoom is actively re-enforcing their security measures, but in the meantime, here are a few tips to using Zoom safely in your virtual classroom. You can read the full article from Zoom by clicking here.

Avoid using your Personal Meeting ID to host public events. Require a password that users must enter before joining.
Manage screen sharing by choosing “Host Only” when setting up the meeting.
Manage participants by allowing only signed in users to join, locking the meeting, removing unwanted or disruptive participants, disabling video, or, disabling the private chat.
Utilize the Waiting Room feature to allow you to choose you is allowed into the meeting. You can also personalize the waiting room message.

Next Steps

Interested in learning more? Check out the websites below for great information.

References:

All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Be a UofM Tiger Wherever You Are

The University of Memphis Global program has “nationally-ranked online degree programs and courses (that) can be accessed anytime, anywhere from the comfort of your home” (source). “Through UofM Global, The University of Memphis brings learning to you. UofM Global degree programs are developed by University of Memphis faculty for University of Memphis students…the online courses provide flexibility and portability, so you can access your class and the many resources available to you as a student at a major university” (source). The UofM Global program offers an excellent education at an affordable cost. Watch the video below or access uofmdriven.com for more information or to apply.

References:

All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah

Engaging Students with Pear Deck

Image result for pear deck — Image source

Pear Deck is an engaging tool that connects to tools you already use in order to engage every student in your classroom. Pear Deck’s mission is “to help teachers engage every student, every day. With solutions rooted in active learning and formative assessment, we make it easy for you to connect with learners of every age and ability. When that happens, more students participate and learn, and the classroom community improves, and you’ll know you’re making a difference” (source).

Pear Deck easily integrates into Google Slides, PowerPoint, and more. You can view a getting started video with Pear Deck by clicking here. Matt Miller recently published an article about 20 ways to use Pear Deck in the classroom. You can view this article by clicking here.

References:

All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

TLDR (too long didn’t read):

Pear Deck is an amazing tool that engages students. You can learn more by watching this getting started video or by reading this article.

@hollandkaylah

Putting ‘I Don’t Know” Back in the Classroom

A.J. Juliani recently published an article about putting “I don’t know” back in the classroom. He says “When our students or peers don’t know something, they are going to either find out by skimming something online, or talking to a real person that actually has the knowledge. My questions is this: Why do we make it so hard on students and peers to say “I don’t know?” (source).

The problem with this approach is that skimming articles online leads to a fake sense of knowledge. Karl Taro Greenfeld, in his article about faking cultural literacy, states that “it’s never been so easy to pretend to know so much without actually knowing anything. We pick topical, relevant bits from Facebook, Twitter or emailed news alerts, and then regurgitate them. Instead of watching “Mad Men” or the Super Bowl or the Oscars or a presidential debate, you can simply scroll through someone else’s live-tweeting of it, or read the recaps the next day. Our cultural canon is becoming determined by whatever gets the most clicks” (source). The fact that our information is mainly coming from what everyone else is reading should be a scary thought because we are all incessantly taking in the same information and are not learning to research facts nor are we thinking for ourselves.

Shane Parrish, in his article about fake knowledge, says that “It’s bad because we make real, sometimes life altering decisions based on this fakery. Unable to discern between what we know and what we pretend to know, we ultimately become victims of our own laziness and intellectual dishonesty” (source).

As educators, we need to be at the forefront of teaching students how to think for themselves and that starts with being comfortable saying ‘I don’t know’ and creating a culture of honesty in our classrooms.

References:

All sourced information is hyperlinked as applicable above.

@hollandkaylah