Google Classroom is Growing

Until today Google Classroom has been little more than a souped up way to use Google Drive to organize your students.  But starting today, it has added twenty apps to the suite.  So if you use or are thinking of using Google Classroom above is how you can add the new apps and here is the list. 

This Matter Textbook

Thismatter has a textbook of sorts for microeconomics.  It has a listing of all the subjects you will teach as well great graphics.  Thanks to Chris Gannon for the tip.

H&R Budget Challenge

I start my economics and personal finance class a week from Monday and so I just found this H&R Block Budget Challenge.  I wish I had had it in the spring as I had my AP Economics students do their own budget challenge, but on a spreadsheet.   But this game allows teachers to set up a course and have their students compete against one another by paying bills, investing, setting up retirement accounts, taking quizzes, etc.  Thus your students will be both challenged and at the same time feel as if they are playing a fun game.

As a teacher you set up an account and are given a code so that students do not need to set up their own account.  

Video Library & Quizzes for Economics and Personal Finance

If you teach a basic economics and personal finance class, you might want to check out Virtual Economics which has a number of videos all under five minutes that you could use with your students.  For my online students, if they miss a chat, I assign videos for them to watch to make sure they get the basics (which you can find here).  But this would be a useful alternative. 

FCPS Personalized Learning In-Service

I am giving a hands on presentation at Fairfax County, VA's Advanced Academic Institute at South County HS from 8:30 - 11:30. If you work for FCPS and would like to sign up go into MyPLT and type in summer into the search box and the AAP courses will come up.   Mine is half way down and titled Use of Technology in the Social Studies Classroom (Secondary (this is a link to it).  See you next Tuesday.

The participants will learn

• first about flipping important contextual information, 
• then how to use Google Drive for constant feedback in the classroom 
• and finally how to lead by facilitating and having small group discussions with students (or teachers in this case) rather than whole group presentations.  
• how to start the school year with an actual online way to showcase personalized learning

 We will start by taking a survey at http://bit.ly/fairfaxjune23

• then have the teachers come up with a concept or methodology they are going to use in the 2015-16 school year that they might like to give their teachers about by using the flip design.   For example here is a real example of flipping faculty meetings, personal development or even flip when administrators go over the school rules. (here are some reflections by a principal on flipping meetings). Here and here are some other tips you might consider in flipping a school. 
• next be learning how to create a short flip (defined) using Screencastomatic and what images, slides, short video and information might go into it.  
• discuss that you can always use others' videos such as (history and government).
• contemplate how to make sure students are watching the video in part using a Google Drive form. 
• discuss how flipping a meeting/classroom allows for one on one discussions between the class leader and the pupil.  For the teacher leader we will discuss how to use one on one conversations and formative quizzes to measure learning and give teachers feedback with some examples of classroom time found here.  

As you might expect I will be modeling all of the items above as we go through the lesson starting with a flipped video, questions and individual discussions.  

All of the steps above can be found in much more in depth by reading my book Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction.  Ken Halla can be reached at kenhalla@gmail.com for in-services at your school. 

Personalizing Classroom Instruction - W&M Presentation

I am presenting at William and Mary's Leadership Academy for administrators and teacher leaders. The institute is based on John Hattie's beliefs (some of which you can see here).
The goal is for the administrators to learn how they can lead by example with their teachers using Hattie's "mind frames" for developing relationships, getting feedback from the students, evaluating learning, etc.

The participants will learn

• first about flipping important contextual information, 
• then how to use Google Drive for constant feedback in the classroom 
• and finally how to lead by facilitating and having small group discussions with students (or teachers in this case) rather than whole group presentations.  
• how to start the school year with an actual online way to showcase personalized learning

 We will start by taking a survey at bit.ly/wandmflip

• note that teachers follow administrators better by repeated example
• then have the administrators come up with a concept or methodology they are going to use in the 2015-16 school year that they might like to lecture their teachers about by using the flip design.   For example here is a real example of flipping faculty meetings, personal development or even flip when administrators go over the school rules. (here are some reflections by a principal on flipping meetings). Here and here are some other tips you might consider in flipping a school. 
• next be learning how to create a short flip (defined) using Screencastomatic and what images, slides, short video and information might go into it.  You can also get the Snagit extension here (and here is how to use it)
• discuss that you can always use others' videos such as (history and science, math and grammar)
• contemplate how to make sure teachers are watching the video in part using a Google Drive form or even to use Remind (resources) to literally remind them to view the video. 
• discuss how flipping a meeting/classroom allows for one on one discussions between the class leader and the pupil.  For the teacher leader we will discuss how to use one on one conversations and formative quizzes to measure learning and give teachers feedback with some examples of classroom time found here.  
• note an example of the leading role administrators can play such as with principal Greg Green who has promoted flipped learning with followed by a great increase in his school's test scores.   (Here is a PBS show on his school.)

As you might expect I will be modeling all of the items above as we go through the lesson starting with a flipped video, questions and individual discussions.  

All of the steps above can be found in much more in depth by reading my book Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction.  Ken Halla can be reached at kenhalla@gmail.com for in-services at your school. 

Snagit as a Google Drive App

I like to use Screencastomatic to make my videos, but if you are using a Chromebook or simply want an alternative, Snagit's Google Drive alternative is a great option.  You will lose the ability to have a circle follow your movements and to only have a portion of the screen, but you can still make a screencast and upload it to YouTube or Google Drive.  Above is a video showing you how. 

An Entire AP Economics' Course - For Free

Andrew Foos has been an invaluable help to me in teaching AP Economics (both for micro and macro).  Well he just gave me permission to release his entire set of videos, problem sets and their answers which you can find here.   Since 2/3rds of both AP exams are from the multiple choice,  each problem set begins there.  You will then see that Andrew has not only given the answers, but has linked video responses showing how to complete the answers.

I use many of Andrew's videos plus others that I have highlighted on this blog.  A typical day in my class starts

• the night before our class then the students typically watch a 10-12 minute video and take notes on it.  
• But before starting class I answer any questions from the previous day's questions. 
• This is followed by a quiz where I let the students use their notes (which they must complete to take the quiz) and then grade only their answers (as opposed to the notes).  
• Then we go over questions on the video that go more in depth than my quiz questions.
• Finally we work on our daily problem set.  I actually have the answers sitting in the room and move around answering questions.  The kids are expected to grade their own answers and put the correct answers on each set - asking me in class or the next day for help with troubling problems.  
• With 50% of the grade coming from FRQs and multiple choice tests, the kids really need to make sure they understand the daily questions.  Since we use the flipped method, I am able to provide lots of individual attention to the students.  

Flipped Learning Remix Interview

I was interviewed the other day by the Flipped Learning Remix about my book Deeper Learning Through Technology. You can see the entire show above. 

Become An AP Grader

This week I am in Salt Lake City grading AP Comparative exams.  In the past I have also graded AP US History and AP US Government.  Honestly the sound of grading a bunch of exams every day doesn't seem to excite lots of people, but every single  (and there have been a lot) person I have convinced to be an AP grader has loved the experience.

• First off you really get to understand how to write the free response questions so you can teach your students to do the same. 
• Secondly you meet a number of outstanding teachers who, in my case, have become a network that I consult year round.
• You also might also end up being asked to work for the College Board in other ways (writing AP questions, creating a syllabus, teaching summer institutes, etc.

So if you are interested in applying, my advice is to get your application in during the early fall and you should hear in late January or early February.  Good luck.  

Free Online Econ Book

My students seemed to do quite well this year with a flipped version of economics.  About the only time we used our book was as a resource.  But if you wanted to have an online version of a book OpenStax has one here.  Go to the table of contents on the upper left and then you can click on each chapter's contents.   They also have a separate book for microeconomics and another one for macroeconomics.  

Shift Happens

When I do in-services I used to start with Shift Happens, but then it wasn't updated for a while.  Well I just found s 2014 version of it which is still quite good, even if it is a bit old given how fast technology moves in a year.  If you haven't seen the series before, you will be somewhat amazed at the statistics for learning in the 21st century.  

Summer Reading

For all of us, summer is a time to reflect and refine.  One thing you might want to help you do that is Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction.  Yes, I wrote it, but I created it so that it would be immediately useful in your classroom.  For example for each chapter there are several ways that the entity being discussed has been used in the classroom.  I also have several classroom challenges in each chapter so you and your PLC can actually be more motivated to try each item being mentioned.

As implied by the book's title, the goal is to better individualize your students learning using Google Drive, flipped learning, expanding your PLC beyond your school doors, how to assess your students and so much more.  While I have research to back up each item, the main goal is to give teachers a practical manual they can use it for the parts best suited for their classroom or bit by bit over the course of the year.  

You can buy the book individually or get group discounts.