Voices Not Forgotten

This past spring our students were studying several different themes throughout our school. To help students with their understanding of the Holocaust and the Japanese Internment we were honored to have two survivors from each of the events come and speak to our students, the staff, parents, and other community members. We recorded the event so that their voices will not be forgotten.

This is their story.

Our 6th graders were looking at the refugee crisis in Syria and writing about what the Unites States should do to help/not help. We looked at the Jewish refugees from the S.S. St. Louis as an example of refugees being rejected, and the Huguenots as refugees being accepted. We then visited a Syrian refugee camp using Google Expeditions, so that the students could see and feel a little bit about what their life was life before they wrote their argument.

Our 7th and 8th graders were writing about constitutional issues, and they were curious about the new Executive Order 13769 the the president had just issued, and had been blocked by federal judges. We went back and read and explored Executive Order 9066, and then did the same with Executive Order 13769. The students then compared the two orders, and wrote about their constitutionality of them. They investigated what Amendments they may have violated, or what parts of the Constitution supported the thinking behind them. It was a very robust, intelligent, and adult conversation. I was extremely proud about how they handled themselves about such a topic.

The other grades that were involved were our 9th and 10th graders. They looked at the science of hate, and what makes someone act the way they do. They used the info from this event to further their understanding of fear tactics and the role they play in fostering an environment of hate. They then built exhibits that show how marginalized groups in society have had to deal with hate, and what could be done to fight against hate in our society.

A huge thank you goes to the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education for their help in providing speakers for our event.

Google Innovator Academy #WDC17

A LONG Time Coming...

At my school Vancouver iTech Preparatory, we teach using a project-based learning and S.T.E.M. approach. We believe in having students re-do and fix the work that they submit to us. We believe in growth mindset, We believe in grit and perseverance. Some people that know me call me stubborn, but I like to look at it as being persistent. I really don't like being told no, especially if I believe in what it is I'm doing. I will re-think, re-plan, and re-do my work so that myself and my students will be successful. If I ask my students to have/work on this quality, it should be something that I embody as well. This begins my Innovator story...

Back in April of 2014 I first became a level 1 and 2 Google Certified Teacher. I also found out about the Google Innovator Program, which was then called the Google Teacher Academy. I felt that I fit the criteria for what they were looking for, even though I was still in my first year of teaching. So I sat down, and got to work on my application for the academies in Mountain View #GTAMTV and the one in Atlanta #GTAATL. A week later I got the rejection emails. I didn't feel too bad, so I applied again that fall for the the academy in Austin #GTAATX. I got the same response. Three applications and three rejections, still not a big deal and I was ready to apply for the next one. Little did I know that the program was begin overhauled and relaunched almost a year later as the Innovator Program. When the new applications opened I applied for the Mountain View #MTV16 cohort, and then again for the Denver #COL16 cohort. 

Along with the applications for the Innovator program, I applied for the Google Geo Teachers Institute #CAGTI16 and got accepted. This was an incredible experience that I definitely won't forget where I meet some amazingly talented and passionate people like Leslie Fagin, Sylvia Duckworth, Natalia LeMoyne, Jerome Burg, Richard Anderson, Jordan O'Donnell, Sharon Mumm, and Brooke Whitlow. They loved what I had been doing and encouraged me to keep applying. Feeling rejuvenated, I applied to the Toronto #TOR16 cohort. One more time, I got the rejection email... I was down, but not out. Every rejection only made me want it more. I got some great advice from Desiree Alexander to just focus on what I am already doing, because it was amazing. And, that's what I did. I went back and made my application about me and my students, about what we do in the classroom everyday. I focused on why Social Studies needs to be engaging and how I can help others to do the same things. I hit the submit button, and this time... SUCCESS!!! Seventh time's the charm! I am beyond thrilled to be one of the 37 educators in the Washington, D.C. Google Innovator cohort, the only one in North America this year. 

Day 1: #BuddyUp, #SharingOurInspriations, and #Teamwork

To get to know one another we participated several icebreaker activities including one of my favorites, a Breakout EDU. We had all participated in a cohort-wide digital Breakout before we even got to the academy. This one was a hands-on experience as we worked our way through our knowledge of Google and its tools. As we moved on, I found out that the brilliant and creative Amy Burvall was our team's coach for the academy. Our

#ZiggyMoondust team consisted of Kitty Tripp, Todd DeSando, Lisa Berghoff, Christina Whitmire, and Tyler Capton. We each shared our Breakout boxes about ourselves as we got to know each other a bit more. Then, we sate down at dinner to come up with our team's name, an entrance song, and a team cheer. Our walk up song came to us rather easily, Fly Me to the Moon, was a pretty unanimous selection. Our team name took a little bit longer, but many of us are David Bowie fans and our team involved the phases of the moon, so Ziggy Moondust also came to us rather quickly. As we started to work through our ideas we created a Google Doc to keep track of the info. In honor of David Bowie, and in true Amy fashion, we didn't really create a team cheer. Ours was more of a performance piece. We had props, each of us had our acting roles, and it incorporated a little piece from all of us. It really was an team creative process, that I absolutely loved.

Day 2: #GoogleyValues, #MoreSoon, and #DesignThinking

It was a long day, but day two really kept our momentum going. We started off performing our team cheers/skits and had some really large, deep from the belly, laughs. Next, we learned more about Googleyness and the traits that we all possess that help make us Googley. What I loved about our cohort was the way that we were not afraid to move quickly and embrace the madness that was unfolding before us. 

There were many other sessions throughout the day that had us focusing on Innovator projects. The idea that our projects will lead towards creating something that will impact

Myself, Derek Doucet, and #LesIsMore McBeth

education is exciting and invigorating. We worked through the development process, using design thinking. This is something that I use in my classroom when I design the projects for my classes, and it was great to be able to apply this thinking to another aspect of my work. Les McBeth from the Future Design School led us through their process which worked really well. I highly recommend their workshop and training if you are in the market for some professional development in that area. 

One of my favorite activities to get us in the design mindset was to work with our booty bump buddy to design a chair. We interviewed each other, sketched out some designs, questioned them again, re-designed, and then worked together to build a prototype out of tin foil. When we went around the room to share out, we saw that no two were same. I really enjoyed this take on the design process and will be using it with the rest of my colleagues and in my classroom this year. 

The #WDC17 and #CAGTI crew, Natalia, myself, and Leslie! 

One of my other big takeaways from day two is about being present and responding in a timely manner/giving updates quickly. I am always one of those people who like to keep their inbox as low as possible. Sometimes I hold off on sending an email, because I don't have all of the answer, yet. What happens is too much time goes by and sometimes things don't get done and slip through the cracks. By taking the view of a bias towards action, you can respond to those emails quickly. By adding in the phrase "more soon" you are acknowledging the person/people in the email, and letting them know that you have received their message and will get back to them again as soon as you have more of the info. It seems almost too easy, and I can't believe that more people don't do this already. Acknowledging someone quickly with what you know, even if you don't have all of the answer, shows respect and will help foster better relationships.

Day 3: #RuleOfThree, #BringYourWholeSelfToWork, and #FailFast

If the last day was going to be anything like the previous two days, then it was going to fly by as well. The day did indeed move (Taylor) swiftly, but there was a tremendous amount of work, failure, and growth that was accomplished. We started the day learning more about what updates had just been made to Google Classroom, and we got to ask questions about certain features or lack thereof. I'd like to share more, but... 

After the updates part of our day we were exposed to the rule of three. Many people are familiar with the rule of thirds from photography, and this is a take on that. Our students' ability to engage with new learning is not as long as we'd like to think they are. Knowing this we need to make things concise and provide easier ways to retain the new info that we have just given them. the rule of three does this. It is much easier to students, and adults, to remember information given to them in three's. So, where I'm being asked about my Innovator project, or creating my takeaways for my lesson plans, I'm going to make sure there are always three.

The second piece from day three that really spoke to me was when we discussed bringing our whole self to work. Does our classroom/teaching reflect who we truly are? Do others, including our learners, know who we are and our story? I am proud to say yes to those questions. I beible that the relationships that we build are one of, if not, the most important things that we do as educators. Being able to share our story with our students creates an atmosphere of respect. It is also vitally important to know who are learners are. I Wish My Teacher Knew is an incredibly eye-opening way to build relationships with our students so that we can get to know who we are teaching and see things from there perspective.

The last thing that I took from our last day was the not a new concept to me, but rather a new perspective on the idea. When you walk into my classroom, one of the first things anyone sees is my F.A.I.L. sign. I believe that failure is how we really truly learn. We learn from mistakes and grow, after all it is just the First Attempt In Learning. The new take on being willing to fail, came as the concept of failing fast. If we, or our students, know that we are working through things and expecting to fail, we don't want to hold onto it. We must fail quickly, learn from the mistakes and either move on, or pivot and make the work better. If we, or our students, hold onto the failing ideas/work we are only delaying the inevitable, and our learning.


Final Thoughts: #FallInLoveWithTheProblem, #ThinkBigStartSmall, and #KaraokeMindset

My my first takeaway from the academy is to fall in love with the problem. The solution

WILL change, multiple solutions may present themselves, and that it is okay to pivot. Remember that as the solution evolves, it is the PROBLEM that we are addressing. The second one is to think big, but start small. It is as I tell my students to tackle a project you have to break things into manageable chunks. By starting small, one can utilize the resources that they have. They can show successes and then build momentum. Think of the snowball at the top of the hill. It starts small and then builds on itself and grows as it keeps moving. My last takeaway was presented to us on the last day, and was created because of how our cohort family came together. It is having a karaoke mindset. This came from of our passion, willingness to fail, and our ability to bring our whole self to work. (We also karaoked almost every night we were there, too.) I want to make sure that I sustain this mindset because it is really brings together qualities that one needs to be successful and googley. 

These three plus days in Washington, D.C. were truly extraordinary. I left energized and with so many new ideas, thoughts, and friends. It was humbling to be in the presence of such passionate, talented, and engaging educators. Seeing all of the projects that our cohort are creating brings me hope that there is a shift in education happening. Empowering teachers to bring critical thinking, technology, and other skills to our students is happening. I'm proud to be apart of the #WDC17 team and the Google Innovator family. It has been a long journey to get here, but in reality the journey is just beginning. 

If you want to be apart of our projects as we test and launch them, please feel free to contact us. If you want to know what #WDC17 is up, click on the picture below to follow each of us on Twitter #GoogleEI. To see each of our Innovator projects you can watch our videos on YouTube.

Let's Innovate and change the world together!

Click on a member to see what they are up to on Twitter!


#MoreSoon...

U.S. Artstory: Fusing History & Art

This past year I have had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. twice during the school year. Once for the NCSS annual conference, and another on spring break with 35 of my students and some parents. Both of the visits yielded some different inspirations for

project. When I was there for the NCSS conference I had the remarkable opportunity to hear Representative John Lewis speak. To say I was enamored would be an understatement. His passion for standing up for what he believed is unparalleled, along with his ability to influence others. He has authored the March Trilogy to bring the Civil Rights movement and his story to life for a new generation. These graphic novels enable young students to access the concepts and material from this important period in our country's history. I HIGHLY recommend these books for any classroom. 

It was the story about the development and evolution of the books, however, that gave me a new idea and perspective for a project. I loved how the images and graphics made this content relevant and accessible for younger children. And, as I walked around and visited the monuments and museums of Washington, D.C., including the Newseum, it stuck me. As a Social Studies educator and amateur photographer I believe that paintings, pictures, and art can tell us a great deal about our past. So, I decided that we would do a project that analyzed different events in U.S. History through an artistic lens. 

At the beginning of the U.S. Artstory, I had students participate in a Breakout EDU that I designed which revolved around important events in American history, and their artistic representation of them. Then, students were given an event/image and they had to put themselves in chronological order without talking. This served a couple of purposes, one it builds non-verbal communication skills, teamwork, and it serves a content pre-assessment by showing me how they can interpret an event/image by just looking at it. Once the students put himself in the order that they thought was correct, I had them sit down and conduct some research on their image/event. They were given the title of the image, and that was it. They then had to find the 5 W's of the image. Who created it, what the event was, where did it take place, when did it take place, and why they thought the event took place. They could not talk, and only had twelve minutes to do the research. At the end of the time, they then had to put themselves back in chronological order without talking. 

As we went around the room and learned a bit about the different images and events students started to ask questions which would become the catalyst for the project. We then hung the images up on our wall so that we could reference them throughout U.S. Artstory. Over the next week students had the time to play around on Google Arts and Culture, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other sites as they looked at different events and how they were portrayed. At the end of the week that had to select an event that would serve as their research topic of the project. 

As we moved forward in the project we analyzed different images using different tools and techniques. This allowed students to see how each way had pros and cons. They then had to choose three (3) different images/representations of their event to analyze and conduct research on their event. This occurred over a couple of weeks with students working at different paces. Since this was our end of year project, I was very hands off as they were demonstrating all of the research, citation, writing, organization, analyzation and other skills we had been working on throughout the year. 

The objective of the final product was for students to synthesize their learning into an artistic interpretation of their event. We then held an art gallery night that was open to the public where students showcased their learning through art. Per usual I was blown away! The students rose to the occasion, just like the always do, and everyone left more educated, more cultured, more confident, and we had fun learning and teaching about history. This is why I LOVE project-based learning. Are there some things I will tweak the next time I this, absolutely. However, this is one project that will definitely stay in my rotation.

Recreation of Norman Rockwell's "The Problem We All Live With" and a modern take on the event.

Dr. King during his "I Have a Dream" speech.

A collection of pencil drawings of images from WWII.

An interpretation of the "Falling Man" complete with flickering L.E.D. lights and dry ice.

A modern interpretation of the "American Progress." 

A clay model of "NEXT!."

The first footprint and moon landing photos made out of cake.

A soldier going into harms way during battle in WWII.

       

Life size re-creations of "We Can Do It" and "Rosie the Riveter" had audience members dressing up!

Using a green screen and Photoshop to re-create "The Assassination of President Lincoln."

Needlepoint cross stitch of the "Migrant Mother."

An interpretation of life in a Japanese internment camp using pastels.

A colorized representation of the atomic test at Frenchman's Flat.

A collaborative piece to show the different perspective of the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

A mixed media piece title, "The Arms Race." 

"The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor," painted with tea.

  

A Van Gogh inspired version of "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper."

Lego sculptures of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address.

Replica pistols of the Hamilton/Burr duel, and a word cloud made of the insults they used towards each other.

They made a music video for John Lennon's "Imagine," which they played the piano and ukulele, and the 9/11 poster.

Some pencil and mixed media pieces about the Vietnam War.

A laser etched and painted map of the California gold rush and mining locations.

A wood burning interpretation of "American Progress."

A pixelated art piece of Fort Vancouver of the Hudson's Bay Company.

A pixelated representation of the "Pile of Bison Skulls."

#BreakoutEDU

About a month ago I attended a Digital Bug Washington Summit featuring Google for Education.  This was not my first time at this event as I attended one earlier in the year up in Seattle the day before NCCE's yearly conference.  This time around, however, it was right in my backyard of Vancouver, Washington.  I was asked to present at both, which is flattering, but the best part of these conferences are the connections that one makes.  I wasn't presenting at this summit until the last session, so I got to really sit back and soak in the other presenters and their amazing information.

Along with me this time, was my teaching colleague, Brad Lehman.  He and I were there to chat, have some fun, and learn some new things.  Sometimes at conferences it becomes very easy to become joined at the hip with the few people you may know.  This can be both good and bad.  It gives you a sense of security, but it also may keep you and your collegue(s) from branching out.  Brad and I did branch out on our own for a couple of the sessions, which was beneficial to us both.  However, we started the day at the same one.  He saw the name of the the session and found it intriguing.  I wasn't sure what it was about, but I had met the presenter, Brandi Snow, on a couple of other occasions and was excited to see her again.

Little did Brad and I know what Brandi had in store for us....

Brandi's session was entitled BreakoutEDU, and this is what the description said. "Have you heard of an Escape Room? This bring that experience into the classroom!! In this session we will beta test a Breakout game! Breakout is a game where a small group of educators will have 45 minutes to complete a series of challenges, reveal clues, and unlock mysteries in order to "win" the game. This can be used with all ages and all content areas!"

As we entered the room I saw some familiar faces.  We said our hellos, chatted about our summers, and talked about some of the things we were working on for this next school year.  Then, Brandi put a single box with several differnt locks on the table at the head of the room.  She said that we had 45 minutes to work together, find all of the clues, and open the locks and eventually the box.  She gave us a couple of "hint," cards and started the timer.


After some brief introduction and some stumbling around, we started to hit our stride.  We found most of the clues, and even got one of the four locks off pretty quick.  We were feeling good...  Then we got stuck.  We eventually found the last clue, and we were able to solve the puzzles to unlock the box.  We were all thoroughly impressed with the thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork that went into this event.  Brad and I immediately began thinking of how we might be able to use this in our classrooms.  Brandi showed us the menu of pre-made BreakoutEDU games and we were blown away.

To me though, my mind went to adapting the ideas to fit our school, Vancouver iTech Prep, and our project-based S.T.E.M. approach.  Needless to say, I have already created two of my own that I will be using for our project lunches for my different classes.  The first one, How It Works for U.S. History, gave clues to students that had to do with the branches of government, the Constitution, and map reading skills.  The students were engaged, collaborative, thoughtful, inquisitive, and did I mention energetic?  The best part of having it be a part of our project launch was that they were dealing with concepts and content that I want them to learn during the project.  As the "prize" for completing the event, each student got a pocket Constitution, that I made for them, and a link to our project launch sheet.

To say that I am a fan of BreakoutEDU is an understatement.

On to the next one!

#FVvr Filming Field Trip

While record rainfall has been occurring in the Pacific Northwest this winter, the sun has shown on our iTech students and #FVvr.  As we made our way to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site we had one element to deal with, the wind.  Sometimes you forget to account for certain things during projects, and this was one of those things.  When we practiced taking footage for the VR tour we accounted for many different things.  We made sure that our students weren't going to be in the images, every student knew how to operate the Theta S camera and app, and made sure to limit the footprint of our tripods.


Unfortunately, it was this last piece that led to a broken camera.  To make sure the photospheres had a minimal footprint to cover up we didn't extend the tripod's legs all the way.  This worked extremely well with the cameras that were inside away from the wind.  However, the wind blew over the camera that was capturing and we lost footage.  This could have been detrimental and really set us back, but the other teams of students worked extremely efficiently.  Since we planned out the shooting locations of the images, the other teams were ahead of schedule.  This allowed us to go back and get the footage needed to complete our tour.

The students did a remarkable job.  Everyone, including the park rangers and chaperones, were thrilled with how the students worked.  Now we have the footage that we need to make the virtual reality tour.  When we returned to the classroom, we spent our time finishing the artifact analysis scripts, sent the writing to be reviewed by rangers Tessa and Bob, and began to create the building tours using .
Holobuilder

Now, for a little relaxation during spring break...

#FVvr Scouting Field Trip & Research

Since the visit from Park Rangers Tessa Langford and Bob Cromwell of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site came to our school, Vancouver iTech Preparatory, our students have been busy.  They have been broken down into different teams to research the different buildings and areas of the park.  To do this, we allowed students select three possible locations that they were interested in, then we were able to divide the students into teams based on research interest.  This gives the students voice and choice in the project.  Once that occurred we went on our scouting field trip.  On that trip, the students toured the entire park and then got to spend some time in the buildings that they are researching.  When they were in their buildings, they needed to select at least one artifact that they found interesting to conduct research on.

After the first trip to the park, students began their research and work.  Each team of students began looking through the resources on the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site's webpage, several publications ,such as Exploring Fort Vancouver, the Google Cultural Institute, and even emailing with Park Rangers Tessa and Bob to conduct their research.  Each student is writing a script for a narration on their artifact, and building.  This process allows the students to build their research, analysis, and summarization skills along with enhancing their speaking and collaboration skills.  

During the days before the filming field trip, the students got to work in their teams to play and practice with the technology needed to capture the 360º images for the tour.  We went over the basic operations of using the Theta S camera and how to use the iPad app to take the images so that they don't appear in the final product.  This is done not only for student privacy reasons, but also so the user gets a more authentic visual experience.  This allows the students the chance to make some mistakes and have some failure and success with the new technology before we get to the fort for the real photo shoot. 

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Because time was limited to just over two hours for our second trip, we wanted to make sure we were efficient getting the footage that we needed.  The student teams used several different tools to make a map of their building and mark out their filming locations.  Some teams, like the one researching the Garden and outside grounds, used a screenshot of Google Maps as their base before putting the image Google Drawings to add in their filming locations.  Many teams used Google Drawings to sketch out the different rooms and artifact locations.  A couple of teams decided to build a 3D model of their building using SketchUp, while some drew theirs out by hand on graph paper.  Regardless of which medium and tools they used, they developed critical thinking skills alongside their collaboration and communication skills.
into

Stay tuned for more, including the photo shoot field trip and script narrations...

360º Cameras & VR in the Classroom

     I have always been a fan of technology.  I believe that technology can and must be integrated into the classroom for our students.  During my 2014-2015 winter break I was preparing for IMPACT! a project that would look at Mount St. Helens and its impact on people and society in Washington state.  As I was playing around on Google Maps, I saw that it was possible to put 360º images up onto Google.  I was EXCITED!  I had taken one from the summit when I climbed it the previous year and wanted to put that out for the world to see.  I had used the iOS app 360 Panorama, and was not able to load it.  I needed to see how I can load 360º images to Google.

      That is when I came across the Google Photosphere program, which has since been updated to the Street View program.  I saw that you could take a 360º image using the Street View app, for either iOS or Android, and then upload to Google Views and Google Maps.  Then I came across a section that showed a new camera that allowed a user to take a 360º image with the click of a button.  I showed the Ricoh Theta camera to my principal and she was blown away.  I purchased one and began to think about the possibilities of using the camera in my social studies classrooms.  

      As I played with the camera and took pictures and videos on my travels.  I began to load images (Mount St. Helens, Vancouver Art Museum, Evergreen Air and Space Museum, and New Orleans) to Google Maps and was thinking of ways to link them together.  I began to think about how I could have my students take these pictures and create a tour for other students and people to experience.   

      I immediately thought of taking my studnets to the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.  I began scouting the site on my own, and then made contact with the the park historian and museum curator.  We met and began our collaboration.  We tried to make the project fit into the the end of last school year, but that was unreasonable.  We decided to push the project back to this school year (2015-2016).  Pushing back the project allowed for other applications to be developed that will help us create our final product.  During the time, the web application Holobuilder came out and now we have our way to connect the different images and create our tour.  The fantastic thing about Holobuilder is that not only is it easy to use, but the tours can be embedded on a website and be viewed using VR devices like Google Cardboard and the View-Master.  

A sample tour I made using footage from the climb of Mount St. Helens some colleagues and I did over the summer.  

I am getting excited about this upcoming project and the possibilities that these cameras and viewers will allow us to do in our classrooms.  With the Google Expeditions program traveling across the country, and the world, we are starting to see the power that this type of experience can have for our students. No longer to they have to just look at a still image in a book or a print out.  They can see first hand the places that they are investigating.  They can analyze and compare the architecture of Canterbury Cathedral versus the Golden Pavilion-Kinkaku. No longer does the classroom have to be static. This technology allows our classrooms to become engaging, energetic, and dynamic. I encourage everyone to take their students on a virtual field trip, whether it is through a computer, a mobile device, or a Cardboard viewer. I encourage you to visit the Google Street View Gallery, or app, and take your students to places you never thought possible.