My blogs can now be found at rhondajessen.com, I’d love to see you there.

I have been visiting my sister-in-law in Macau before the start of the 21st Century Leaerning Conference in Hong Kong.

I have had a fantastic mini vacation: wandered around Macau, Taipa, Coloane, and the markets and visited my sister-in-law’s school TIS. I have loved having the chance to catch up with Chyrelanne, keeping in touch via email and Skype isn’t the same thing as F2F. An added bonus has been that my niece Sandra is visiting as well so I have been able to spend time with her as well. In fact she showed me most of Macau.

Sandra has been volunteering at TIS, helping teachers with their WordPress blogs. She is a WordPress expert, with a whole bunch of other fantastic technical skills. I have really enjoyed spending time with her. The biggest bonus for me is that she has offered to host my website on her domain, so we have done the paperwork for RhondaJessen.com.

Soon I will move this blog, MsJsScience8.wikisites.com and ScienceQuestions.edublogs.org. I will let you know once the moving trucks arrive.

On January 30th I attended the 21st Century Learning Symposium in the tiny hamlet of Bluffton Alberta. I had never been there before and was impressed by how such a small community was able to put on a technology conference. I think it was the district PD event for Wolf creek School division and it looked like there were more people at the school for the day than live there.

George Couros (@gcouros) was the keynote speaker. I have been a fan of his for  while, and enjoy his insights about the role of technology in education, but I had never see him present in person. His  keynote address, Learning in a Digital World, was interesting, engaging and touchingly personal; he talked frequently about his parents and how the world has changed since they immigrated to Canada from Greece. I was fascinated by the fact that he was able to Tweet as he presented, since he didn’t seem to be multi-tasking. I found out later he was using a program called Screenr.com which you can program to send out Tweets when you reach certain slides.

His big ideas included the following: Technology is not technology if it existed when you were born; Technology is not “just a tool”;he asked us to consider: “are our students twitterate?, and does it matter if they are”; and he gave some examples of why audience matters, so for students blogging can be more powerful than journal entries.
He asked: “Can you’ve a good teacher without technology? Yes. Are you doing your job? No”. He reminded us  that it should always be about learning, not the technology. He finished by entreating us to not wait until teacher new year in September, but to try something new now.

After the keynote, I attended a session about portfolios by @gcouros. He gave me some great ideas about how to use portfolios both professionally myself, and as a teaching tool in my classroom. He also convinced me that WordPress was a better location for my blogs than Edublogs, which is why this post is at WordPress and not my old Edublogs address. It didn’t actually take that much convincing, the fact that even the free accounts here have no ads was enough. The notes from George’s presentation can be found here.

After a great lunch a went to a session about using web 2.0 tools to teach digital photography. It was co-presented by a teacher and his grade 9 student, which was wonderful to see. They had planned to talk exclusively about Picnik, but since it has been bought out by Google and the site will be shut down in the middle of April they broadened the scope to include other tools as well. I was disappointed that there were connection issues that prevented me from checking out the tools at the session, in fact I was unable to get on-line all afternoon, but the session ended early and I was able to go for a quick walk.

The final session I attended was about iPad and iPhone apps by Sean Lougheed. I was impressed by the way he integrates his own iPhone and student owned technology into his physics classes. It sounds like he uses lots of different apps to help his stedents understand physics concepts and how they apply to the real world. He introduced us to apps useful for different ages of students. Some of the apps I was already familiar with, but it was good to learn about new ones. The ones I have used frequently since his presentation are Apps Gone Free and App Shopper. I now have many new apps to check out, perhaps too many?

Note: I can’t seem to include links in this post, perhaps because I am using my iPod? Once I am home and can access my laptop I will add the links.

Last week I found myself doing much more administration than usual at the start of my Science classes. Instead of having students hand their homework in to their class inbox at the start of class, I tracked everything as it came in so I knew who had assignments that were overdue. It started after I assigned an assignment so that I could ensure that they understood the concepts we had covered before we moved on. It was to be a formative assignments (not for marks, as the students say) unfortunatly many students didn’t hand them in, so I wasn’t able to tell if I could move on, or if I needed to spend more time explaining Particle Theory.

Actually, it started earlier in the week than that. I wanted to start the week off with a lab where students examined different beakers of common household materials and then identified if they were homogeneous or heterogeneous. I have done the lab before; it is fun, easy to set up and clean up and helps reinforce the concepts. But in order to identify whether mixtures are heterogeneous or homogeneous, you need to to know what those terms mean. I had asked students to read topic 2 for homework, and several of them had had time in clas when they finished other activities. But when I checked on Monday morning to make sure that students had done the reading before starting the lab, less than half of my first two classes had. So I started with note taking and moved the lab to the next class. (Most of my third class had done the reading, so they started with the lab and followed up with the notes.)

Then I went to my vice principal Narsh for a pep talk about how I was handing my classes. He agreed that it wasn’t fair to keep everyone from participating in the labs when some of them were unprepared and we discussed my options. I could never teach Bio 30 as Narsh does but sometimes I envy the students he gets. If you sign up for Bio 30, it’s because you want to take it, not because you need to take it like the students in my grade 8 Science class.

I started the gate keeping at the start of the lab, those who had handed in the formative assignment about Particle Theory and who had signed safety contracts were able to do the lab. Those who hadn’t handed in their homework or their safety contract worked on homework and the review questions in the textbook. It was less interesting and hands-on, but it covered the same concepts so I was able to assess everyone’s understanding of the concepts.

The class after the mixtures lab I had planned another lab where students created saturated solutions with water and different solutes. I started with gate keeping again: no overdue homework (the Particle Theory assignment, and the lab report or review questions from last class) participate in the lab. Overdue homework or still no signed safety contract (after several months and many warnings!!!!) you worked in the library.

It seemed like a lot of paperwork and it ate into my lab time, but there were several more safety contracts turned in, and most of the formative assignements were handed in and corrected by the end of the week. I know that almost all of my students understand the concepts that we have been taking about. Those who don’t understand have been given more explanation and another opportunity to show that they do. Most of them should get it this time.

Some of my students may never hand in their safety contracts or their homework, no matter how many times I remind them or contact their parents, so I guess I had better steamline the gate keeping process so it takes up as little class time as possible.

I read the Globe electronically on my iPad during the week, but I still like to buy the Saturday Globe. I like the feel of the paper in my hands while I eat my breakfast. Usually, I can make the Saturday paper last all week, enjoying a little each morning.

Those of you who aren’t from small towns might not understand this, but it can be a real challenge to get my hands on a copy of the Saturday Globe. There are three stores who sell it in Innisfail, and they often run out by 11 am. So if I want a copy I need to get out and get it early Saturday morning (well, early for a Saturday anyway.)

Yesterday I got to 7/11 just in time and snagged the last copy. I even commented to the clerk that it must be a lucky day, since I was able to buy the last copy of the Globe.

My luck didn’t hold. This morning at breakfast I read two sections, the News and Sports. Then at lunch I planned to dig in some more and grabbed the rest of the paper and was surprized to see the News and Sport sections. I checked the recycling; maybe I had recycled the unread sections and kept those I had already read. No luck, on the table beside my lunch and in the recycling bin I had a matched pair, two sets of News and Sports. I have been gypped! No Arts or Style or Focus.

I know in the grand scheme of things it’s a small thing, I can read the rest of the Globe on my iPod, but I can’t help be disappointed. I wonder who got a double dose of Arts, Style and Focus and is pining for the News and Sports.

I instigated class discussions with my three Science classes this week about their attitude and accountability (coming to class on time, prepared, with homework complete, and attitude and behavior in class.) Two of the classes had very little to say, basically saying if students aren’t being accountable that’s their problem, most of us are on track. The ones who aren’t prepared or accountable aren’t going to change, it is not affecting us. And they were the two classes who have the most students who are on track and being accountable.

Had a longer discussion with many more contributions from the other class. Some students tried to justify their behavior (I was late today because…). But students also weighed in on what it was like to be accountable in a class that was often yelled at by teachers for their behaviour or attitude.

We explored a few different options on how to handle student behaviour. Some suggestions I rejected: I should reward them which candy when they do behave properly or do their work like another teacher does; I should only teach them topics they are interested in (I don’t get to pick the curriculum, it is set by the Alberta government); and immediate suspensions if students are late twice. But there were other good ideas.

In the end, the ideas weren’t all that different than how I am handling things right now. But I am glad I gave them the opportunity for feedback.

I haven’t noticed a difference yet, but I hope I do soon. I am also using other strategies. Last class the students who had their safety contracts in made ice cream, and those who didn’t did the review questions from the textbook. I am hoping that will help get the last few safety contracts in since I have two labs planned this week, and I would much rather everone participate than do paperwork.

This year I am seeing a large percentage of grade 8 Science students who don’t seem very motivated. In fact, it’s the largest percentage I have seen yet.

I understand that not everyone is going to find all of the activities or assignments we do in class to be fascinating, but I do my best to keep things interesting and keep the fill-in-the-blank worksheets to a minimum. I have a curriculum that has been set out by the Alberta government, and I do my best to cover it in a way that is engaging, and incorporates at least one hands-on activity a week. I actively seek out new ideas and activities, and I try to make sure that I include activities or assignments because I think they will help my students understand not just so I have another mark to record in my grade book. I try and be reflective, noting what the students have trouble understanding and finding other ways to teach it.

But I admit that I am having trouble this year. Many of my students don’t complete readings or homework, and if they complete them they don’t hand them in. These students don’t seem concerned about how missing assignments will affect their mark or their success on upcoming quizzes or exams. In fact they don’t seem concerned with their mark at all. Having a failing mark doesn’t seem to bother them.

I always give my students the option to re-write quizzes that they haven’t done well in (after they have shown me that they have done some studying and not just found their lucky underwear) but very few are taking that opportunity. Over Christmas I contacted the parents of all students who were failing, and gave them a list of all overdue assignments, a link to the wiki site where they could get new copies of the assignments but even then I was I surprised by how few overdue assignments were turned in.

I do have some students who seem motivated, who try hard and do the work, and put in the study time. It must be really frustrating for them to be in the classes they are in since I know they get to hear a lot of feedback about behavior (not doing work,studying, or coming to class prepared) that does not apply to them.

I have tried the reward system, where students who have completed the work can be involved in the activity and those who haven’t spend the time completing the work; but it just seemed to end up punishing me as a I had to prepare two plans for every activity. I talked to one of their teachers from last year and he said he ended up turning away from his usual teaching style to using worksheets, and more worksheets.

I am trying something new next week. I am going to sit down with each of my three classes and ask them about their lack of motivation and invite them to help me find a solution. Thanks to Lani Ritter Hall for the suggestion. I am not sure how it is going to go. I just know that I don’t want to spend another semester like this one.

I got a fantastic new iPad for Christmas and I love it. I am, of course, just getting used to it and figuring out what I can use it for. It can do all of the things I was was using my iPod Touch for, but better – I can use Sky View to check what planet or constellation I am looking at, I can view and listen to podcasts. Plus it is a much larger screen for reading so I am enjoying reading and surfing much more.

For years I have carried around “brain books”, journals where I plan, organize, record meeting notes, make endless to-do lists and all of the things I need to keep myself on track. I have used many different brands, but my current favourite brand is “Ink Jot” big spiral-bound journals.

Now that I have this cool iPad I am going to try to see if I can use it as a brain book, it will be about the same size to carry, but much more functional. I checked out several different notebook apps. I was looking for something that would allow me to integrate drawings, photos and typed and handwritten text. I could find several apps that meet that criteria, but if I am going to use my iPad effectively I would like to be able to convert my handwritten text to text that I can edit. I am one of those former Palm Pilot users who still miss the Graffiti interface.

I found an app that I thought would fit the bill, 7Notes. It is a notebook app that allows you to integrate drawings, images, even websits as well as allowing you to input text via keyboard and handwriting. I played around with the free version for a bit before upgrading to the paid app, so that I could use the handwriting recognition feature.

It was awful. Turns out that 7Notes converts handwriting to text as you write. In the new paid version the writting area was cluttered up choices (was I typing car or cat, it wanted to know.) I tried to ignore the choices and just write, because I was at the stage in my writing where I just wanted to get my ideas down, and quickly.

After a few sentences I looked back at what 7Notes had recorded. I couldn’t recognize it! So I started to pay more attention to the choices as I was writing, selecting the words I intended as I wrote them. But it was a much slower process, and I got caught up in correcting the interface and was unable to concenrate on what i was writing, the flow was gone. Plus a few times the words changed as I continued on, so the text I was writing wasn’t much more accuate than my original text; and, to make matters worse, my handwritten notes were gone so I couldn’t even go back and correct things since I didn’t remember exactly what I had written.

It has taken a few days to regroup, but I am not ready to give up yet. I took me a while to get used to typing on the iPad as well, but I got used to it. I am not sure if 7Notes is the app I need. I am going to look for an app that will record my handwritten notes as I type them and then allow me to convert them at a later date. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

Today is Human Rights Day, and this year is also the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International in Canada. This year I participated in Amnesty’s Write for Rights Campaign by sending a letter to the Canadian Ministers of Safety and Immigration to express my concerns about the way that the proposed bill C-4 is written. Here is a copy of my letter.

“I am a teacher and mother who lives in Central Alberta. I strive to teach my students and my children about injustice in the world and to act in a fair and compassionate way. My ancestors come to Canada to have a better life; a choice that immigrants and refugees continue to make to this day. Several years ago I had the humbling experience of mentoring a new Canadian who had been the victim of torture in her home country, Chile.

I appreciate that your government is trying to track down on human trafficking and I would support legislation that cracks down on smugglers in order to protect women from being exploited and trafficked to be sexually exploited. However I do not believe that it is necessary to penalize refugees and migrants, and the way that C-4 is written it can penalize both traffickers and those who are smuggled into Canada. In a perfect world all refugees and migrants would arrive in Canada legally after applying and being granted permission to arrive. In a perfect world like that we might not need legislation to prosecute human smugglers. But, sadly in this non-perfect world, out of desperation and a lack of other options, the only choice some refugees have is to turn to smugglers for assistance in reaching a safe country. Consider the slaves who came to Canada via the Underground Railroad; if they were traveling today they could be imprisoned and those who helped them could be charged.

I urge you to immediate withdraw Bill C-4, and only to introduce new legislation if it is consistent with Canada’s international human rights and refugee protection obligations.”

We’ve started “Cells and Systems” in grade 8 Science. This year I am moving towards an inquiry based classroom, and am keeping the focus less on quizzes and exams. In the first few months we have been concentrating on Scientific Inquiry and communicating results, specifically lab reports and the format that is expected at IHS. The first day of this unit we did an activity based on a blog entry I read by Shelly Wright. Students were given elastic bands and Popsicle sticks and told to build the tallest free-standing tower they could. After prizes were awarded to the team with the tallest tower students were encouraged to build again after changing one of their materials for either elastic bands or BBQ skewers. After the lab we discussed variables. Students handed in exit passes where they identified the fixed, manipulated and responding variable from the tower building. Most of my 75 students showed me they understood the concepts on their exit passes. There were 6 or 7 who didn’t get it so I talked to all of them and made sure they got it. If was a great way to start the unit.

We have already used the microscopes twice, once in my classroom and once in the bio lab because it had such cool specimens. I had 3 stations set up with microscopes and prepared specimens and one with the materials to make your own lab (including snakeskin from the snake that lives in the bio lab.) I had 4 stations with a range of specimens. These stations had titles like energy, protection and reproduction and at each I asked a question.

At the start of the lab students were given a printed lab report, and I explained that at each station they were to draw two sketches and write one sentence about what they saw. At the conclusion of the lab they had to ask two questions based on what they had seen. I had planned that the lab report would be a summative activity so that I could move on knowing students could prepare a lab report. I thought they’d do well, and I could shift the focus from the mechanics to the content. I was floored when in the first two classes, almost half of the students failed to draw the sketches or write a sentence for most of the stations. I have some students who aren’t the strongest writers, so thought asking for sketched and written responses would work well for everyone. It was hard for me to not just assume they were all lazy and could not follow instructions.

My response, after some thought, to the poor quality of the lab reports is far from my knee jerk reaction to contact parents and complain about the quality of the work their children are doing. On Monday I have planned a hands-on cell making activity planned for those who have demonstrated that they can prepare a lab report. I feel confident they will complete the written part of the activity well enough to demonstrate that they know the parts of the cell and understand the differences between plant and animal cells.

Those who got less than 50% on their last lab report will be working in the library. They have a worksheet to complete about cells which will demonstrate that they know the parts of the cell and the difference between animal and plant cells. They also have an assignment about proper lab report format. There is another lab due on Monday, so they have the opportunity to demonstrate they can prepare a lab report immediately, if they hand in the lab report on time.

I feel that this outcome puts the focus where it should be. On the students and their ability to participate and contribute effectively in class. Until they are able to do so, I will have to prepare two different activities for my classes. I am not letting them hold us back, I am trying to give them they support they need, and I can’t wait for them to join us so we can all move forward together.