Category: sketchnotes

comics, Geometry, Reflection, sketchnotes, Student Choice

Student Choice Finals

Mandi

Our district requires us to give a final. We didn’t last year because we has so many absences due to quarantine and illness. Well, that hasn’t changed for this year but they wanted finals anyway. We always give the reason for finals as preparation for college. Some students are not planning to attend a 4-year institution and that’s ok! They don’t need that preparation. I have 2 of my own children in two different colleges and I can tell you they don’t take finals in every course. Some courses replace their lowest test score with the final, some allow you to take it if you want to raise your grade, and some just don’t have a final. So why do we insist in high school that students take finals?

The answer to that question needs to be a different blog post. For now, my students needed a final and I didn’t want them to have the pressure of another test right after Winter break. You read that correctly. After 2 weeks out of school, we want students to come back and take comprehensive final exams!?! My solution was a reflection choice board.

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I provided quick (and not very good if I’m being honest) examples of each. I have since replaced some of them with student examples. The most popular choice was the meme and the second most popular choice was a sketchnote. I only had one student ask me if they could just take a test. I did not have one prepared so it wasn’t an option. I’m not sure if I will add that option next time either. I love that they looked through all their worked and picked 2 from each unit. The students really enjoyed it too. I love to read their reflections at the end as well. Most students were sincere about their responses and I think they got a lot more out of this activity than they would a test.

I know finals are probably already over for you as well, but hopefully you can file this away for the Spring.

For those who follow both blogs, I will be reposting this on Make Math Not Suck too!

Notability, Planner, sketchnotes

Bullet Journal Teacher Planner

Mandi

I love to create sketchnotes and have tried my hand at bullet journals.  I love creating sketchnotes on my iPad, but I have always kept a paper journal. This year I discovered a PDF linked electronic bullet journal that you can use in Notability or GoodNotes. I wanted to try it out but not spend a ton of money on it. I discovered a tutorial online that taught me how to make one using Keynote. OH MY GOSH, it was so much fun. I created a teacher planner and I LOVE how it works. I’ve provided the PDF file for you to use if you want to try it out too.

Yes, I know, you can use Google calendar and I do, but there is something about writing on a calendar that works for me.

You click on the tabs on the side to take you to the month you want. You can click on beginning of the week to take you to the week you want.

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You need to store the PDF in Google Drive or Dropbox and import it to Notability. You can also use GoodNotes, but I haven’t personally tried it.

Enjoy the file. Remember this is my first attempt so I can’t promise perfection. You an also go on Etsy and search for electronic bullet journals to find some others have created.

PDF File

ISTE17, ramblings, sketchnotes

Reflection from #ISTE17

Mandi

ISTE17 logo

I was so lucky to attend ISTE again this year. I had even more to look forward to than last year because I knew what to expect. The keynotes were amazing. I was able to sketchnote 2 of them. So powerful and inspiring. Jeb Abumrad was funny and gave us tips about finding our voice and using the Gut Churn feeling to accomplish what we set out to do. Jennie Mageira (a fellow Google Innovator) inspired us to change the story that we tell and embrace who we are and what we have to offer.

Jad_Abumrad_opening_keynote

Jennie_Magiera_keynote

Is was able to see 2 of the 3 ignite sessions. These might be my favorite part. I didn’t have my iPad to sketch the first one but the second one I was ready. It was amazing! My friend Tara Martin presented on #booksnaps and she rocked it and my Google Innovator coach Sylvia Duckwork presented #sketchnotes. Sylvia is ALWAYS amazing! Christine Pinto presented on #GAFE4Littles, another amazing person to follow on Twitter.

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I also attended some very interesting sessions. I loved the poster sessions and learned more about Minecraft EDU and visited with another educator that also uses Comics in her classroom. I especially like the sessions that present more than one idea, like Matt Miller and Kasey Bell’s Google Classroom session. My favorite had to be Alice Keeler and Jo Boaler (who joined us via video chat). They both have amazing ideas and to have them share together was more than you could ask for.

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The “unscheduled” sessions are also amazing. Tara Martin and Tisha Richmond held a #booksnaps session. I sat in and helped teach people how to use Snapchat to create them. My favorite was Wanda Terrel’s 7:45 AM session about Sketchnotes. I loved being with other educators who sketchnote and I learned a few tricks with Procreate that I didn’t know before. I got to sit by Marie-Andre, a friend and Google Innovator from my cohort. So much fun!

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CoffeeEDU with Alice at 6 A.M. (yes, you have to be dedicated to go to that one, but it’s worth it) was fun as usual. I met some great educators and got to share my passion for learning.

It was also like a family reunion for my #DitchBook family and my #GoogleEI #TOR16 family. I was able to visit with both groups extensively and meet some other Google Innovators from my state and around the world. It’s alaways hard to leave like minded educators once you are in there presence.

DitchFam

Google Family

Since we were in San Antonio we visited the Alamo and took a boat through the canals. But nothing compares to the energy, knowledge, and collaboration that happens inside that convention center.

Until Chicago next year – So long ISTE17

ISTE2016, sketchnotes

ISTE 2016

Mandi

#ISTE2016 was three weeks ago. It was my first ISTE and hopefully not my last. I met so many new people, learned so many new things, met so many Twitter friends, learned so many new things… Oh wait, I’m repeating myself. The experience was a whirlwind and SO WORTH IT!  Rather than type the whole experience, I made a sketchnote of just a few of the things that stick out in my mind. I didn’t put anything on there about the WONDERFUL poster sessions, or reference ALL of the people I met (John Bergman who created flipped classroom), or note all of the sessions I attended, but I tried to capture the moment in a sketchnote (which I did learn a lot more about at ISTE)

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Meeting Matt Miller and Alice Keeler was at the top of my list. Matt is the author of Ditch That Textbook and he and the #ditchbook team let me moderate the Twitter chat every now and then. Our DitchBook meet up was awesome despite the CRAZY hail and flooding and I met Evan Mosier who is another regular to the chat. Ditchbook is one of the best Twitter families and PLN you could be a part of.

Alice Keeler is someone my daughter says I “Twitter stalk”. She and I share very similar opinions about educating children and she is very passionate about what she does. Not to mention, she is a genius with all things Google especially Sheets. As a result of ISTE, she asked me to collaborate with her on a Google Expedition project for math using Sheets. It’s so awesome working with her and it’s going to be an amazing activity that I can’t wait to try it out.

I plan to submit a proposal to present next year. It would be awesome to present at ISTE! At the very least, I hope I get to go again.

Until next year #iste2016…thanks for the adventure…I have so much to take back to my classroom, students, & school.

ISTE2016, Notability, sketchnotes

Sketchnotes & ISTE2106

Mandi

I’ve returned from ISTE2016 and I have so much to share but sketchnoting has consumed my brain so I’ll share this first and get back to the amazingness that was ISTE2016 in the next post (hopefully with a sketchnote to help describe the experience).

I was able to attend two sessions on sketchnotes while at ISTE.  Matt Miller @jmattmiller, author of Ditch That Textbook, the guy I talk about on this blog ALL THE TIME, had the first session. It was a great launching point and he had us make a sketchnote during Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk. I SUCKED AT IT! Here’s all I was willing to post:dancer

I’ve created sketchnotes before (see here) but always AFTER a presentation has ended. This was tough! During the session I met Carrie Baughcum @heckawesome another FANTASTIC sketchnoter. AND… she was presenting later with Sylvia Duckworth and Kathy Shrock. I KNOW! MIND BLOWN!

Their session had a TON of resources & inspiration but also many examples of how students use it. Both presentations referenced brain research and how we learn better. I know this is something I want to allow my students to do. I think it will help my “doodlers” focus on my content a little more.

I wanted to practice so I found some websites to help me. The first was Sacha Chua on her blog Living an Awesome Life. This was a great beginning spot to practice. I used Notability (another favorite I mention on here often) and I tried some by hand also. Here are my practice pages.

Notability: Sketch note Practice

Sketchnotes on paper

Next I went to the site Nuggethead where he has homework after each lesson. The lesson for day 2 was to create a sketchnote while watching a Ted Talk, one with editing and one without. Well… without editing didn’t work for me but here is the sketchnote completed. It’s from Aaron Duff’s @education_geek and his TEDx talk Hack(Ed)-disrupting the eduverse. It’s not perfect but I think I captured the essence of the talk.

Here’s my finished product: Aaron Duff TedX

Yes, that’s a ME sketch. I kind of like her. I’m excited to share this note taking option with students and I’m excited to get better at it myself. A special shout out to Matt & Carrie for inspiring me to get better!