Friday, April 26, 2024

Movie Reviews

 My Co-op Composition class decided to do movie reviews for two books: Bridge to Terabithia and My Side of the Mountain.  Two of the teens in the class recommended the books; both have movies: Bridge to Terabithia (1985)Bridge to Terabithia (2007), and My Side of the Mountain (1969).  (BTW see if your library has Hoopla, a digital service.  The kids told me about Hoopla; here are instructions to view films with Hoopla on your television.). The Co-op class is reading both books and watching all three films.  Yes, we started this project weeks ago.  Some assignments just run long.  It takes forever to get kids to all finish the books and watch the films.  Each teen is taking a different approach to the movie critique.  One teen has a ‘List of Complaints’ about Bridge to Terabithia.  Another student wants to explore whether or not Disney’s version really captures the book.  Herehere, and here are suggestions to write a movie review.  Here is a compare and contrast movie vs. book template.  Here is a ten-page template to compare the book with the movie.  Here is the Goldilocks version with questions I can use with the kids.  Eventually, we’ll finish.  Mean while the class and I will wrestle with the books’ themes and whether or not the films captured the books well.





Saturday, April 20, 2024

Learning Management Systems

 What is a Learning Management System or LMS?  Many LMS software packages started as grading systems.  Eventually, they added features allowing teachers to add assignments or communicate with parents.  I have taught in both public and private schools and adjuncted at a small college.  One thing schools have in common was they change LMS or grading software frequently—one time a month after school started.   Generally, I posted grades and saved my documents separately.  For years, I maintained copies of documents in a free LMS; the website was on the class syllabus.  I used the school’s LMS du jour just for grades.

Now I use Google Classroom because I can loads docs from Google Drive.  However, there are loads of free LMS systems available if you aren’t a Google fan.  Here are 25 free LMS.  Here are even more free LMS.  I create a Classroom for every class I teach.  At the end of the school-year, you can make a new copy (with all of the documents) and archive the class with student grades.  (Yes, I do have loads of storage in Drive.)  You can add photos as you do activities to Classroom and create a digital portfolio for each subject.  My husband and I train tax volunteers, too.  I made a Classroom just for Taxes, with training slide deck, links, and docs. Try several LMS to see which one you like.  Next make classrooms for each subject—or major project.  Take pix of assignments, tests, projects, etc.  Upload these pix to your LMS.  You can share the classroom with your on-line school—complete with work samples and grades.  Better yet, train your teen to take pix and upload them.  Just like that you have a digital portfolio. 


 







Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Digital Story-telling

 One of the teens in my Co-op Composition class gave us a digital lesson with Klecki.  I learned that I would rather sketch than edit an image.  I gave it a shot!  The kids like to edit images. Next year, the teens who like editing are going to give tutorials to the Composition class next year. 





Monday, April 15, 2024

Library of Things

Does your library have things?  We live in near Quantico; the library system has a number of perks, including things: radon detecto, water quality sensor, games, and even craft kits.  Ask your local library to see if they have plans to add the Library of Things.  The library near us, has the shelf with ‘things’ right by the exit door.  I love to see just what new object is available.  Below are screenshots of objects available at our library.  Show your local librarian.







Sunday, April 14, 2024

CLEP Tests

  One of my friends has her kids take CLEP exams for college credit.  (Incidentally, all of her kids are home-schooled and test well.) What is CLEP?  These are cumulative assessments for college credit.  Like AP or Advanced Placement, kids can test out of college classes and earn credit towards a degree.  CLEP, like AP, and SAT exams are sponsored by College Board.  It pays to buy a guide for a CLEP test through the College Board Store.  CLEP exams are $93 and the guides are $10.  Be sure to check that the college accepts CLEP credit.  (Check here to see if your teen’s college of interest accepts CLEP for credit.)  This can be a terrific way to reduce the costs for college.



Friday, April 12, 2024

Process or Product

 Instruction is often a debate between process and product.  My Co-op Composition class is enmeshed in a Digital Star Wars project.  The kids are creating a video trailer with funny quotes from the battledroids, mainly from the movie, Clone Wars.  In the process, the kids are working as a team.  One teen can draw; two others can digitize images.  Everyone had input about blocking or story-boarding the trailer.  Team work is a skill prized by employers.  Yet, we need a product, too, if only for the kids’ portfolios and transcripts.  Is this a good use for our time?  As long as we finish the trailer in the next week or so, I’ll be satisfied.  Is this writing?  This class can write.  They are using the same skills to craft a trailer, which requires a lot of revision and editing.  Moreover, I think we’ll add lessons on editing images.  I’m still debating with myself if I’m bogged down in process over product.

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Science and Literature

 I work with different groups, informally.  One topic I’m exploring for a Montessori school is  combining Science and Literature.  In another life, I did outreach events for the local kindergarten and Head Start classes.  We had rotating science stations.  At a few stations, we combined children’s books with science activities, labs, or experiments.  It was just that uncomplicated.  Let me share a few.  First is Mouse Paint.


Next is Zack’s Alligator.  The alligators fro Educational Innovations take a few days to reach maximum volume.  


How about Horton Hears a Who?



Another classic is Germs Make Me Sick, best performed with Glo-Germs and a lesson on hand-washing.




Friday, April 5, 2024

Digital Storytelling

 Update: After some debate, the kids are working on a Star Wars robot trailer.  Everyone has a different job.  One teen is sketching.  (I tried to sketch d-o below.)  Another teen is digitalizing the sketches.  The other kids are working on the story-board.  Once we finish, I’ll post our efforts. Right now, I’m learning more than I really wanted to know about different Star Wars droids, battle droids, ranks, and robots.  I’m playing with Apple’s Sketchbook.  We’ll see.









Yesterday, the kids started a unit on Digital Storytelling.  There are loads of sites.  This guide has step by step instructions.  Don’t be deterred by the fact it’s published by a substance abuse service.  I explained to the teens in my Co-op class, that telling your story in groups, such as AA or NA, is part of the process to maintain sobriety. (BTW, I do not know a great deal about AA or NA, except from a tiny amount of field experience in a graduate class.). Here is the Google Doc we created in class, yesterday, with ideas.  The current Composition Co-op class has highly creative students.  We reviewed student videos, film trailers, etc for ideas.  One student draws.  She shared a pencil sketch of Jesus, The Good Shepherd.  We encouraged her to use her sketch to create a video.  She might use a sheepfold model (from The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) to help illustrate the story.  She could retell the story or just read it from the Bible.  The kids were pretty engaged.  Two teens are creating trailers for VBS.  One aspect of teaching Co-op is the fact we can all bring our faith to bear in our instruction. I’m feeling blessed.