Students Sharing the control

I have read a lot of articles lately about having students share in control of the classroom and of the school as a whole. There was an article about students at an alternative school that are deciding the rules of the school as a debate. There was an article about students who are deciding the projects they are doing in their classes.

I personally wanted to share my thoughts. I love the idea of students having some say and control. I am a firm believer that students will act how we treat them. If we treat them like prisoners, they will act this way. If we treat them like children, they will act like it. If we treat them with respect and like adults they will rise to the occasion. If we want students to be ready for the real world, we need to treat them like they are in the real world.

When students understand why they are asked to do things, or feel they have some say, they are more willing to follow along with the program. It is key for success of a school to involve them. I remember being in graduate school and always hearing about involving all of the stakeholders in the decision making process. I have yet to see that on a school wide basis where I currently work, but that doesn't mean it can't exist. It can start small, in my classes. I can allow them to decide the amount of points an assignment is worth by developing the rubric for how they will be graded. I can allow them choice in the format of an assignment. I can allow them choice in the topics we will study for the year. All of these things can be done with some guidance.

I do think this can work. It may seem like more in the beginning, and may take more prep by the teacher, but the outcomes will be worth it. The important thing is the follow through from teh part of both the students and the teacher.
What do you think? Have you tried this in your classrooms?

New Adventures

One of my favorite things to do as a teacher is to try a new assignment or lesson out. I love the thrill of putting it together. I love seeing how the final product turns out as it wildly exceeds my expectations. I love how I can bring new excitement to the lesson so that the students can match my excitement.

This week, I am trying a new assignment. We are doing magazines. Now, these aren't just any magazines, they are going to be turned into finished products online with youblisher.com. Also, the students are creating what the information in their magazine will be. My instructions were simple. It is to be about the Civil War. They are to create 4 essential questions that their magazine will be answering with the 20 articles their group writes. they have an Editor in Chief, and then divided up the other responsibilities. The excitement of watching them try something new reminds me of the power of education.

Last week I also tried something new. I had the students create songs, using real songs, about Manifest Destiny. We then taped them and put them on YouTube. The amount of effort that the students put into this when they heard it was going to be on YouTube was incredible.
For the record, I uploaded it on my account, without their names, and they didn't have to appear in the videos to protect anyone that wanted to remain annonymous in this adventure. Although most posted the link on their facebook pages and have been actively checking on how many views they have.

What do you think about new assignments? Worth the work and frustration? What is the best new idea you have had?

Professional Development

It seems counterproductive to me that so many great professional development conferences are held during the school day. I for one, do not want to miss my classes for any reason. The amount of time wasted to me is something I can not justify. So I am currently looking for some professional development conferences or courses that can be done online, or on the weekend. I understand most don't want to attend at these times, but for me it would be time well spent. Let me know if you know of any great conferences, regarding Social Science, technology in the classroom or other great teaching strategies that are offered in this format.

Technology in the Classroom

This year I have left it up to my students on what kind of homework they want to produce. I have given them some websites that they can use for their assignments if they want. These are some of the sites organized into types.
Presentation tools
Prezi
Very easy, saves automatically, a student favorite. Students can easily share and when making Prezis they can add pictures and videos.
Empressr
Very similar to powerpoint, saves online, easy to share
Zoho Show
Very similar to powerpoint. Saves online.

World History Prezis

Here are some of my Prezis for the beginning chapters of World History. Please feel free to use any of them.
Foundations of Civilizations

Ancient India and China

Ancient Middle East and Egypt

Ancient Greece

American History Webquest

Webquests are a great way for students to engage in the learning process. Here are some webquests I use in the classroom that I have found from other teachers, websites, and textbooks. A lot of these are issues that go through out the entire year. Feel free to use any of these.

Checks and Balances
Does one branch of the government have too much power?

Separation of Church and State

American Indian Policy
How should the Federal Government deal with Native American Lands?

Civil Rights
What should the Federal Government do to protect and expand civil rights?

Federal Powers
How much power should the Federal Government have?

Global Interdependence
Is global interdependence good for America?

Migration and Urbanization
How does migration affect patterns of urbanization in America?

Sectionalism
How do regional differences affect national politics?

Technology and Society
What are the benefits and costs of society?

Women in Society
Why do Americans disagree over women's rights?

American History DBQs

Document Based Questions are a great way to figure out what students have learned and to utilize higher order thinking skills. Students have to analyze documents and create a written response to a question while bringing in their prior knowledge. I have posted the DBQs that I use that I have found online. Some are the retired AP DBQs others are from other teachers or textbook companies. I have also found that having a student create their own DBQ is a wonderful learning experience and I was very impressed with the results.
Please feel free to use these in your own lessons.
DBQ Rubric

Generic DBQ Scoring Rubric

English Colonists Settlements

Women in the American Revolution

Articles of Confederation

Constructionalists

Constitution

Alien and Sedition Acts

Marbury v Madison

Era of Good Feelings

Erie Canal

Jacksonian Democracy

Nat Turner

Changes in Womens roles from Revolution to Civil War

Antebellum Compromise

Settling the West

Compromise of 1850

African Americans after Civil War

Reconstruction

1865-1900 Agriculture Revolution

Industrialization 1865-1914

Immigration 1880-1920

Populists

Organized Labor in the 19th Century

Progressivism

Treaty of Versailles

1920s DBQ

Roosevelt and Hoover

New Deal

Foreign Policy 1920-1941

World War II

Dropping the Atomic Bomb

The Cold War

Cold War Fears

Great Society

Vietnam War

Civil Rights

Debating Feminism

Counterculture

Richard Nixon Presidency

American History Prezis

Here are some of the Prezis I use for American History. Feel free to use these in your own classes.

Early American Civilizations

The President's Cabinet

War of 1812

Nationalism and Sectionalism

American System

Trail of Tears

Manifest Destiny

Mexican American War

Civil War Photos

Civil War Vocabulary

Reconstruction

Unions and Working Conditions 19th Century

Big Business 1800s

Industrialization

Robber Barons and Captains of Industry

Plessy v Ferguson

Square Deal

Great Depression Pictures

New Deal

World War II

World War II pictures

The 1950s

Vietnam

Cold War

Economic Prezis

Here are some of my Prezis for Economics.
Opportunity Costs

Types of Economic Systems

Free Enterprise System

Incentives

Fads
Information on fads complete with video clips

Demand

Supply

Pricing Game
Teach students to understand how price is the main form of communication between producers and consumers. Guess the prices of items.

Market Structures

Types of Businesses

Prisoner's Dilemma
Information with clips from movies

Black Market
Information on the trade for body parts, with critical thinking questions

Conglomerates

Nonprofit Organizations
Information on NonProfits and examples

High School Dropout Information
Complete with clips from the PBS series

Personal Finance
Information on Saving, Checking, Credit Cards, Identity Theft and More. Complete with video clips.

Essential Questions about Monetary and Fiscal Policy

Federal Reserve Board

Inflation Game

GDP

GDP Game

GDP Opening Questions

Free Trade

Labor in America

Currency

Banking Crisis
Too Big to fail?

Prezi

Prezi is my new favorite presentation tool. I found it last year, second semester and it has revolutionized the way I do presentations. I love that you can add video and images right into it. I love that it saves automatically. I love how easy it is to use, and how much freedom you have to use it. Students enjoy using it, and the automatic save feature is a saving grace for so many students. They also can access it again at home, so if we are working on something at school, they are able to access it later without worrying about emailing it to themselves or having a jump drive. I'm going to post the links to some of the Prezi's I have done so far, feel free to use them. I will separate them into Economics and American History.

American History Homework

This year I have started doing an alternative to typical high school homework and have had wonderful results. I provide the students with the homework sheet, which includes a rubric, and they come up with the final product. This gives the students the freedom to create meaningful work while I am still able to make sure they are understanding the material. I have posted the links for these assignments. Please feel free to use them. For American History, I have created it with the chapters for Pearson's United States History.

American History Chapter 1
Many Cultures Meet (Prehistory-1550)
American History Chapter 2
Europeans Establish Colonies (1492-1752)
American History Chapter 3
The American Colonies Take Shape (1607-1765)
American History Chapter 4
The American Revolution (1765-1783)
American History Chapter 5
Creating the Constitution (1781-1789)
American History Chapter 6
The New Republic (1789-1816)
American History Chapter 7
Nationalism and Sectionalism (1812-1850)
American History Chapter 8
Religion and Reform (1812-1850)
American History Chapter 9
Manifest Destiny (1800-1850)
American History Chapter 10
The Union in Crisis (1846-1861)
American History Chapter 11
The Civil War (1861-1865)
American History Chapter 12
The Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)
American History Chapter 13
The Triumph of Industry (1865-1914)
American History Chapter 14
Immigration and Urbanization (1865-1914)
American History Chapter 15
The South and West Reformed (1865-1920)
American History Chapter 16
Issues of the Gilded Age (1877-1900)
American History Chapter 17
The Progressive Era (1870-1920)
American History Chapter 18
An Emerging World Power (1890-1917)
American History Chapter 19
World War I and Beyond (1914-1920)
American History Chapter 20
The Twenties (1919-1929)
American History Chapter 21
The Great Depression (1928-1932)
American History Chapter 22
The New Deal (1932-1941)
American History Chapter 23
The Coming of War (1931-1942)
American History Chapter 24
World War II (1941-1945)
American History Chapter 25
The Cold War (1945-1960)
American History Chapter 26
Postwar Confidence and Anxiety (1945-1960)
American History Chapter 27
The Civil Rights Movement (1945-1975)
American History Chapter 28
The Kennedy and Johnson Years (1960-1968)
American History Chapter 29
The Vietnam Era (1954-1975)
American History Chapter 30
An Era of Change and Protest (1960-1980)
American History Chapter 31
A Crisis in Confidence  (1968-1980)
American History Chapter 32
The Conservative Resurgence (1980-1993)
American History Chapter 33
Into a New Century (1993-Present)

Economics Homework for High School

This year I have started doing an alternative to typical high school homework and have had wonderful results. I provide the students with the homework sheet, which includes a rubric, and they come up with the final product. This gives the students the freedom to create meaningful work while I am still able to make sure they are understanding the material. I have posted the links for these assignments. Please feel free to use them.
Economics Chapter 1
What is Economics?
Economics Chapter 2
Economics Systems
Economics Chapter 3
The American Free Enterprises System
Economics Chapter 4
Demand
Economics Chapter 5
Supply
Economics Chapter 6
Demand, Supply and Prices
Economics Chapter 7
Market Structures
Economics Chapter 8
Types of Business Organizations
Economics Chapter 9
The Role of Labor
Economics Chapter 10
Money and Banking
Economics Chapter 11
Financial Markets
Economics Chapter 12
Economic Indicators and Measurements
Economics Chapter 13
Facing Economic Challenges
Economics Chapter 14
Government Revenue and Spending
Economics Chapter 15
Using Fiscal Policy
Economics Chapter 16
The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy
Economics Chapter 17
International Trade
Economics Chapter 18
Issues of Economic Development

Afraid of Change

I have recently had a number of encounters with teachers and students that have led me to believe that one of the biggest problems we have facing us is our unwillingness to change and try something new. Some of my greatest life experiences have come from events that I took a risk on and went beyond my comfort zone. Yes, trying something new can backfire. Yes, technology sometimes does not perform the way you intend it to on that day you are using it in class, but the majority of the time it can enhance the learning process when used correctly. Students are not the same as they were 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago. The world is not the same either. We as teachers need to make sure that we are changing with the times. We have to modify our lessons to make sure that the students are prepared for today's changing world. We need to keep up with the other nations that are producing graduates that we can compete in today's global economy.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle is that people just don't know. They don't know about the new technology. They don't know how to implement it into their lessons. They don't know if the change will make them fail. We need to step outside our classrooms. As a teacher, we are sometimes stuck in an island of our own classroom and we don't get to reach out and see what others are doing and collaborate with the different departments and levels.

Another obstacle that prohibits change is fear of failure. The school system is in the public eye. People want results. There is pressure on administrators and teachers to produce these results. What ends up happening is that schools are fudging the data to get results they want to see. When we don't correctly identify the problem, we can't correctly identify the solution. For example, instead of saying students are dropping out, we say they are transferring to being homeschooled. What happens to these students? Where do they end up? How do they effect society in the future when they have been lost in the education world? Schools are scared to be the first to do this, because it could casue a dramatic shift. Ignorance is bliss. We need to step up for our profession, our students, our society and the future. We have to be able to educate the community we work in on what is really happening and what our real solution will be to the problems we are facing. We can't keep sweeping these problems, and therefore students, under the rug.

When people feel they work in a safe, collaborative environment, they are able to flourish.

Homework Assignments

While taking a course last semester I started rethinking my homework policy. I know that I am not alone in this constant struggle of students not turning in homework, and thinking of what is the point of the assignment. I wanted to change up the way I assigned work and after following a few discussions on Twitter which were suggesting the same, I pulled the trigger for this year. We are now nine weeks in, and my homework assignments are much fewer, but far more meaningful. I decided I would assign one chapter assignment a week, but with a lot less structure on what the final product should look like, but with more focus on what I want the students to learn. I decided I would use my essential questions to determine the questions of the homework. I went through the chapter and picked a few terms that were most important. No more mindlessly copying vocabulary for my students.
The results have been amazing. I am getting so many great assignments. The students are coming up with ideas I have never even dreamed of myself.  I have had students create videos, comic strips, animation videos, Pokemon trading cards, write letters personifying events, create brochures and utilize more technology then I could've ever hoped for. The rate of students turning in work is much higher than in my previous 9 years of teaching.

I have attached a few examples of my assignments.  Please comment on what you think.
 American History Chapter 1
Economics Chapter 1