Welcome to the next level

 

 

 

Yes, please! You can take, modify and use anything you find on this site to use as you wish. I ask only two things.  First, if you do use anything please let me know how it worked (or didn't!) with your class.  I'm always looking to improve things here and feedback is much appreciated.  Second, if you repost anything somewhere else a link back to this site would be nice.

 

Very traditionally believe it or not.  My desks are set up in 6 rows of 6 each. Students are grouped only for specfic activities like CSIs or review games. I follow a fairly regular schedule as well.  Each unit is three weeks.  Weeks 1 and 2 are instruction. Week 3 is review, quizzes and Choose Your Own Adventure.

 

Typical instruction week:

 

 

Typical wrap up week:

 

 

I've tried using other video hosts to get around this problem but most districts just block video streaming period.  You will find that most videos I make are on YouTube. The easiest way to get those into your classroom is to download them.

 

The easiest way to do this is to type the word "Kick" in front of the YouTube address for the video you want.  So, if you wanted the incredible video found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxKzuhl8EbM you'd simply go up to the address bar in your browser and add the word kick so you'd now have:

http://www.kickyoutube.com/watch?v=IxKzuhl8EbM.

Follow the new link and download the video in any number of formats. I recommend downloading it as either FLV or MP4. FLVs can be converted to MPG using Pazera Free FLV to AVI and MP4s can be converted in many video editing programs (I use Adobe Premiere Elements).

 

I do all my basic edits in Windows Movie Maker for Vista.  The XP version is fairly awful but the Vista upgrade makes for a very easy, if limited, video editor. All big edits (like the movie trailers) are done in Adobe Premiere Elements. If you are new to digital video editing Premiere can be a beastly thing to learn.

 

All sound editing is done in Audacity which is completely free.

 

Words matter! Just changing what you call something can make it more appealing. Just ask anyone in marketing! So, I've given exciting names to all my assignments.

 

Chapter Walks AKA Walkthrus - Book-based worksheet assignments that use only the graphics (timelines, maps, etc.) in the text.

 

CSIs - These are collaborative station assignments. Groups move around the room from station to station completing various tasks.  Most of them involve reading historical statements to provide evidence to solve some mystery.

 

Culture Shocks - A collection of mini-activities to share various cultural aspects of a civilization. They are rarely covered in the standards but they help students appreciate the different lifestyles. Some activities including a Renaissance dance, taking a test in "Latin", and sumo wrestling rituals.

 

Cut Scenes - Videos, usually accompanied by a list of questions to answer as it plays.

 

CYOA - Choose Your Own Adventure. Students choose any number of assignments from the list to complete a certain number of points.

 

Interactive Presentations (IPs) - Lecture notes.

 

Quests for Knowledge - Like Chapter Walks only using the text of the book instead of the graphics.  Usually set up as multiple choice questions to mirror standardized tests.

 

Strategy Guides - Study guides given before a unit test. They typically include 8-10 key terms to define and 3-5 short answer questions.

 

Call your Congressman and ask him.  Under the absolutely ridiculous Digitial Millenneum Copyright Act it is technically illegal to even use your own clips in PowerPoints if you take them off of a DVD even if you own the DVD!

 

Under Fair Use provisions copyright law, however, I am free to use media in an educational setting with certain limits. So, I'm willing to risk the MPAA coming down on me since I feel I can defend myself. However, there is no provision anywhere that says I can give that media to others (unless of course I have altered it by 25% and changed its original purpose as I feel I've done with my video lecture notes).

 

So, short answer, you'll have to use YouTube, use BitTorrent, or get them off your own DVDs.

 

Or wait 5-10 years for copyright law to catch up with the new reality.

 

I've done CYOA a few different ways now and all have worked to varying degrees.  Ideally, it is done at the end of a unit after a quiz or test has been given.  Those students who do not show mastery on the assessment are given remediation assignments to do and then retake the assessment. Those who do show mastery go on to CYOA.  Typically, I give them a list for each unit of assignments they can choose from and the specific topics for those assignments.  This helps to focus them in on those assignments which best fit a given topic and ensures they cover various things.  That said, with my gifted kids I will often just give them a point total and let them choose any assignment and any topic. They are able to handle it pretty well but I've found my regular ed kids need the extra direction.

 

I sometimes limit the choices further by saying only those students with an A can choose the 20 or 40 point ones.  Each student is required to do the same amount of points (10 per day and we usually do it from 2-4 days) but they can choose how they get to that total.  If it is 40 points they might choose to do 8 5 point assignments or maybe 4 5s and 2 10s.  You can see a sample guide sheet here.doc. It doesn't matter to me what they do, just that they do enough.