Bob Ross is Inspirational. Good Thoughts. Happy Thoughts.

What is the SpearTip?

When you throw a spear, the very first thing to hit the target is the tip. It's the first to make an impact, a difference, to change things. It takes the blemish free target and punctures it. Slices it. Blasts it. I am not throwing spears here, but philosophically, that's exactly what we should do in education.

This website used to be called "Techno.ED" and it's mission was to share technology tools and strategies to increase student learning. The goal was to use technology with a purpose, not just use it to use it. The resources/ideas shared will remain on the site. However, with a new position in my career and a broadening of horizons, I want to provide a resource and share out on more than just technology. I want to share and discuss all phases of education-instructional strategies, assessments, projects, students, motivation, engagement, tlap, experiences, learning, and yes, technology as well. With so many educational websites out there, why another one? The answer: individuality, the beauty of education.  Each educational website is operated and maintained by someone different- different life experiences, different perspective, different ideas, different background, different everything. This makes a unique sharing experiences, individuals coming together for a greater good-impacting student lives.

So why SPEARTIP EDU?  It's an attitude. It's an attitude of not being afraid to go forward. An attitude to try things, to get out front and be a leader. Having the courage to be that "speartip" and go forth, at the front, unwavering in your pursuit to make a difference. To change things. It doesn't mean having to be "first." Education isn't looking for everyone to try to be first in everything.  This implies too much competition among educators, where instead, there should be working together. Education is looking for educators to not sit back in the weapons depot, but to fly, to launch itself forward, towards the target. When that SPEARTIP hits its mark, there's been a breakthrough, a student "getting it," the discovery of a new tool to enhance learning, a relationship made, a tough student helped, a collaborative session amongst colleagues, or an idea born.

Join me on the SPEARTIP.  Let's make an impact.

Great App for Shoppers! "GeoQpon"

If you have a smartphone and like to find great deals, then maybe you should check out the "GeoQpon" app. It's got tons of great coupons and daily deals that you can use at a wide variety of stores. Simply show the coupon to the cashier and they scan your screen! It's pretty slick. I haven't actually ever tried using it, but I've heard of people who have. Get savings up to 40-50%! Or more! or maybe less (like I said, I've never actually used it.)  Simply enter your zip code and the app will generate a huge list of stores in your area that having coupons on this app. You then scroll through the list and select the stores for your "Favorites" list. Then, let the hunting begin! I know people who have spent hours staring at this app looking for deals. So there must be a lot of stuff to look at! (Again, I've never used it.)  
Add to your spring wardrobe at Old Navy or buy that new tool you've always wanted from Ace Hardware or buy your favorite zombie video game from Best Buy or get that pair of bedazzled jeans you've always wanted from Justice or feed your dog the good stuff for a change from PetSmart. 

Happy Shopping! 

Creating an Experience

If you want your students to learn something, you might have them read an article, watch a video, or view a powerpoint. All three of those things get the job done, more or less. The information is being passed from teacher to student. But, if you really want your students to learn something, you need to make it an experience. It is through life experiences and meaningful moments that trigger the brain to retain information. Recently, in my 6th grade social studies class, we tackled the topic of mummification in ancient Egypt. It is a rather significant topic in ancient Egyptian culture, so we placed a high value on understanding why they mummified and how they did it. In the past, I took my students through a powerpoint presentation explaining the why, the where, and the how. I included grizzly pictures showing the various steps of mummification to try to get them to “stick” in their minds. It was just okay, but I’m not satisfied with “just ok.” The powerpoint informed them on the topic, but “just ok” doesn’t create an experience for my students. I wanted to give them more than “just ok” so I set out to create an experience that would teach them mummification in a way that they would never forget. The question was “What can I do that will teach them mummification in a way they will not forget?” The answer came quite quickly and was in the simplest of manners: Show them.

I decided I would show them mummification by mummifying a dead body right in front of them in my classroom. So, I set out to gather my supplies. The key piece to this experience was, of course, the dead body. After much perseverance at the mall, Old Navy came through in a huge way by donating a full form male mannequin to my project. Unfortunately, the mannequin didn’t have a head. I solved that problem by buying a foam head from hobby lobby. It worked out great because since the mannequin and the foam head were both white, it looked fairly natural when I duck taped the head to the mannequin with white duck tape. I had my dead body, so I was ready to set things up and turn this mannequin into an interactive dead Pharaoh to show the steps of mummification. During the mummification process, the brain is removed through the nose with a wire hook. I took a hanger and bent it to make my wire hook. I then sawed off the top of the foam head, carved out some foam to make a cavity, and then filled it with a long piece of gray rope-like cloth material that I cut from a pair of sweatpants. I stuffed the “brain” into the cavity, and put the skull back on with velcro. Another step of mummification I needed to show was the removal of the internal organs through a hole cut in the stomach. For this step, I cut a hole in the stomach with a jig saw, then placed white duck tape over the hole so it appeared to be closed. The two pieces of duck tape were side by side so I could stick my hand through the hole after it was supposedly cut by the “slitter” (student volunteer). The organs inside (liver, stomach, lungs, and intestines) were from an anatomy kit. I poured a bunch of fake blood (karo syrup, red food coloring, and water) in inside the mannequin for effect. When the big day arrived and it was time for the show, I stood by my door and invited my students in to witness the mummification of the Pharaoh Khufu. The walked in, with the lights out, but a lamp hanging from the ceiling, providing a eerie glow over the dead pharaoh concealed by a white blanket. They were wide eyed, excited, motivated to see what was going to happen. They continued to be ultra engaged as I pulled the brain out the nose with a wire hook, reached in and retrieved the organs, as blood dripped from the organs, and my hand as I placed them in the canopic jars. I stuffed the body cavity with rags as the Egyptians did. I then covered a Ken barbie (mini Khufu) with salt for the drying out process. With the help of more student volunteers, we wrapped the body with white strips of linen (toilet paper), placing golden amulets between the layers to protect the body. Finally, the mummification was complete. The experience had.

When our students come to school, they should be put in a position to experience something they’ve never seen before. They should enter our classrooms eagerly trying to see what is going to happen next. I don’t view it as going above and beyond. I view it as doing our jobs as professional educators. Creating memorable experiences is what education should be. Education in our classrooms and schools should be something kids run to, not away from. Be willing to put forth the effort needed to provide those experiences. Be willing to sit down and think. Create something new, something different. Read the book “Teach Like a Pirate.” Subscribe to Edbean. Join Twitter and find one of the many great educational twitter chats out there. Be willing to take a risk and make a difference. While preparing, someone asked me, “Why go to all this work for one lesson?” I pondered it for a moment and replied, “Because I want my students to experience my class. Not just sit through it.”

Props: More than just objects

He will remember the day
 he was sent to the pillory. #tlap

I am a big believe in using props with lessons. If you have read "Teach Like a Pirate," then you will know how powerful props can be in creating an experience and bringing the lesson to life. Think about what you are teaching about. Think about what objects or visuals could be made or brought in to help show and reinforce the topic. Students are used to doing the zombie shuffle into school each day and getting the same dose of "sameness." So why not hit them with something different? If you are talking about a topic, then abruptly stop and say, "Well, why don't I just show you?" And you pull out a prop. Students are going to become much more alert, eager to see what you are talking about. They are going to sit up and take notice. Bringing in props for a lesson makes that topic come to life. It is there, for students to experience, not just listen to. Props give students a great visual for them to connect to. They will understand and learn the material because you have provided them with a connection. In discussing the Medieval Times, I thought it would be good to have a "pillory" as a prop in my room. So I built one and brought it in. I kept it under a bed sheet for a couple days to build the suspense. The students were constantly guessing as to what it was and asking when they got to see it. This method, which is classic #tlap, builds the momentum of the lesson and when I actually did reveal it, the students were highly engaged and begging to help demonstrate it. Students remember things like this. Plus, you are providing them an opportunity to actually have an answer to the question "What did you learn in school today?" Instead of the age-old "nothing," they can share that they learned about the pillory and actually got to try it. 

As the school year winds down and the restlessness cranks up, it might be a good idea to think about incorporating some props into your lessons/classroom.  

EdCamp: Brookings- Saturday, March 28th

Click Here to Sign up for EdCamp Brookings

The edCamp is a great concept. If you have no idea what it is, well, let me explain: An edcamp is a chance to get together (for free) with passionate educators to discuss, share, create, and connect. It is an "unconference" which means the day is not organized until the teachers get there. Instead of showing up and being told what to do, the attendees of the edcamp gather in the morning and decide for themselves what they will be working on, sharing, discussing, etc. For example, if teachers want to work on assessment strategies, they go to a classroom and work on it. If a group of teachers want to work on SLO's or math strategies, differentiation, etc, they form a group/session and get to it. You can stay in the session for as long as you want. When you are ready, you simply move on and check out a different session of interest. When  you've had your fill of great PD, then leave!  You are not bound to stay a certain amount of time.  Granted, this takes place on Saturday, which is a day off for us teachers, but give it some thought. 

Details

Brookings, SD

Camelot Intermediate School

Start time: 8:00 am

Bring your own device

Google Drive Strikes Again! Review Games with Google Drive

Can Google Drive get any more awesome? It seems everywhere I turn, there is something new and innovative being produced by Google-things to make our jobs as teachers more efficient and effective. Flippity.net is a tool that allows you to create review games/tools through Google Drive. Flippity.net provides flashcards, completion certificates, progress meters, and my favorite, Game Show templates. At flippity.net, download the template you want to use, make a copy for your Google Drive and edit it to produce your custom review game. The game show uses the spreadsheet feature of Google Drive. Simply enter your questions and answers, publish to the web ("File"--"publish to web") and then the spreadsheet will kick out the link to share (the link you give to your students). 

Application for Education: This tool/game can be used for all types of content/classes. It's great to provide for kids to use when studying on their own, as it keeps track of your points so you can see how well you are doing or what you are weak in. I've also used it for students to partner up and play against each other. It can also be used as a whole class review game. You can anywhere from 0 teams to 6 teams when keeping track of the score. 

Click Here to see an example of Flippity.net (ancient Greece)

Purposegames.com: Games with a Purpose

Recently at Sharapalooza, I shared some tech tools that teachers could start using now. I would like to share them here since I know many of you wanted to come but were unable to make it. 
Purposegames.com allows you the opportunity to create review games in which you want your students to identify something. It is a user friendly set up in which all you need is content, an account, and an image to upload.
Application for Education: This review game would be a great option in many content areas. A few examples: Upload a picture of the United States. The students are then given the capital and they need to click on the correct state. In science/anatomy, students could identify the parts of the body, nervous system, rocks, clouds, etc. How could you use this in your class? You can also search the site for games that have already been created. The game is "timed" giving it a bit of a competition feel to it. Kids can challenge others or themselves to see who can do it the fastest.  In my class, I have my students identify the countries on a map of Europe, the different pieces of armor on a Knight or the various tools of mummification. The example below is a review on Greek Mythology. Try it out! 

Click to View Example of Purposegames.com

You should probably listen to this.

The most versatile word in the Teacher's Vocabulary

Is there a more versatile and useful word in the teachers' vocabulary? I think not. If you stop and think for a moment, better yet, if you continue reading I think you will agree with me. Wait. What is the most versatile word, you ask? Well, if I told you right away, what fun would that be? Where's the suspense? 
I believe the most versatile word in the Teacher's vocabulary is the word......"buddy." Let's take a moment to dissect this word and look at it through the lens of a teacher. I don't know about you, but I use this word about 500 times a day. It just always seems to work in any situation I find myself in. Whether it's a fun atmosphere, a serious one, or some other type of situation, it seems the word "buddy" just pops out of my mouth, as natural and effortlessly as breathing or blinking. 

Let's look at how versatile the word truly is. 
If you are congratulating a student: "Good job, buddy!" 
If you are consoling a student who is having a tough time: "It's okay, buddy." 
If you are upset with a student, "Hey! Buddy! Sit down and stop talking!" 
If you are getting serious about something with a student: "Hey, buddy, I really need you to come through on this project." 
If you are showing thanks: "Hey, thanks buddy!"
If you are surprised by a student, "Whoa! Buddy, I didn't see you there!" 
If you are really excited about a students accomplishment: "Yeah!!! Great job buddy!" 
If you are trying to build up a students' confident: "I know you can do it, buddy. I have confidence in you." 
If you are just having a casual conversation with a student, "That sounds like a fun trip, buddy." 
If you are in a hurry and don't have much time, go with "bud": "Not now, bud, I gotta get going."
It can easily be tagged at the end of almost any question: "How was your weekend, buddy?" "What are you doing this weekend, buddy?" What's your favorite team, buddy?" "Hey buddy, how's it going?" "Anybody have any questions?.....Yeah, what is it, buddy?" 
If you are listening to a story, but not really paying attention, "Hey, that's cool, buddy." 

And finally, it can (almost) be used as every word in the sentence: "Hey Buddy, that buddy over there is looking for a buddy. Why don't you be a good buddy and see if he wants to be your buddy, okay buddy?"  (see?) 

Anyway, I hope you learned a lot from this blog post. I think it was very informational and enlightening. The next time you find yourself using the word buddy, appreciate the versatility of the word.  Or, if you find yourself in a pinch and don't know what to say, just say buddy. 

Thanks, buddy.