#engsschat Archive
Last Monday of every month, #engchat joins #sschat to form #engsschat. Stephanie Sukow leads this effort and her help is greatly appreciated.
Monday March 28, 2016
7:00 PM EDT
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Please take a minute to introduce yourself (What you teach, where you're from, etc.)!
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Welcome to tonight's ! We'll be discussing "Creative Assessments & 4th Quarter Projects." Hope everyone is having a great spring!
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Please use the hashtag. We will be following the Q1/A1, A2, A3... format. Thanks for joining us tonight!
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Hi Brittany from NJ 6th grade ancient civilizations
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Hi! Jacquelyn from Naperville! I teach 9th grade English.
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Hi there!! Amanda from Chicago - HS English...poetry and dystopia lover!! Nice to meet you all!!
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Hello all, I am Chelsea Hubbling, I teach 8th Special Education resource in Nebraksa NE!
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Brittany, thanks for joining us tonight!
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Welcome, Jacquelyn! Love seeing another NW Suburbs person here tonight
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Hi Hoping to get some ideas for final projs from I usually end the yr w/Vietnam Vet interviews.
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Chris from Bloomington, IN. Teach world history for an online high school affiliated with Indiana University.
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Hi! I'm Isabelle from Morgan Hill, CA. I teach 11th grade US Hist. And 12th grade US Gov't.
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Hi Jackie from CT; HS social studies, library media and peer coach; happy almost 4th quarter!
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Hello, Amanda! Another Chicagoan! Welcome to tonight's chat.
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Jared from NYC. English teacher for the Deaf 9-12. First time here.
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Thanks for joining us tonight! Glad to have you with us.
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Hi Thanks for prying yourself away from The Great Books YouTube channel.
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Thanks for joining in tonight. Can't wait to hear more about your Vietnam Vet interviews. What a great project!
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Ryan here from NJ- SS teacher- looking forward to the chat
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Marvin from Paw Paw, MI. Grade 7 SS-World History.
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Jacqueline, NJ Social Studies teacher, joining the chat.
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Glad to be here. Hoping to get some great ideas for my co-taught English classes!
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Phil from Sarasota. I teach 6-8 Civics. Lurking tonight. Hoping to contribute
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Hello! Thanks for joining us tonight. Happy Monday.
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LOL I was SUPER fired up to find that. Used "The Prince" and "Frankenstein" episodes with Ss back in the day.
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Libby from Anderson, Indiana, here. HS English. First time here.
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Thanks for joining us tonight, Jackie! Can't wait to hear your ideas.
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Matt Doran, Social Studies Coordinator, Columbus, OH
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Thanks for joining and welcome to the chat!
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Thanks for joining in tonight! Welcome to
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Hi! Joanne from Missouri. I teach. 7th grade world history and 11th grade modern global issues.
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Thanks for joining in tonight! Glad to have you with us
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Question 1 is coming up...
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I co-teach, too! I am excited to hear more.
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Thanks for joining us tonight!
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Thanks for joining! Welcome to
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Thanks for joining! Welcome to
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Yes I am. The sun is shining.
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Awesome. Thanks for sharing. Many Ss really like this proj, not the introverts
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Wow! So many people here tonight. Hope everyone had or is having a great spring break!
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Q1: As spring/summer approaches, how do you keep Ss engaged and motivated?
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Welcome to tonight's chat!
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Listening in to and at the same time--I'm ambitious!
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Thank you. Happy to be here!
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Hi - Tim from PA - HS social studies teacher using comics in the classroom!kids are fussy - will try https://t.co/a7q1wCJ8F5
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A1: Teach outside and enjoy the nice weather.
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A1- genius hour can be great- but have also found Ss to be either way into it or way out of it
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A1 I allow more choice with independent research projects where Ss can go deeper on something they liked
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A1 I am hardcore for three quarters and set the tone - now is the time to let go the reigns and have fun and fully engage
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Q1: Currently playing a semester-long game involving superheroes This quarter's goal involves Eng and Soc St. Ss love it!
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A1 My Ss get excited when they are getting closer to that "cool" project they heard about past students doing
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A1: I'm on the struggle bus right now with my Ss. I have a tough group this year who don't want to do anything.
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A1: 4th Q is student-choice novels in lit circles. Ends with a panel discussion. Immediate buy-in b/c they chose their subject.
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A1) When I was teaching in NY and VA, there were end of course exams so we all had that extrinsic motivation ... for good or ill.
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Yes! Love the concept! It is a great way to get Ss excited about their interests/learning
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Welcome back to tonight's chat!
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A1: always celebrate national poetry month. Poetry is short and can get a lot of bang for buck this time of year
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Hey ...Blake from Auburn. It has been a while, but glad to join tonight
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A1: Using technology definitely helps with student engagement towards the end of the year ( and all year)
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Very cool! Love the idea of student-choice AND lit circles!
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Welcome to tonight's chat!
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A1 I'm using multigenre writing projects with my 2nd semester seniors--big hit so far!
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My US2 Ss are also doing lit circles in 4Q- we did 1 practice lit circle at the start of the year, but now groups can choose book
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A1: I think providing activities where student's have choices keeps then motivated!
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In class so I cannot participate tonight, but I'll be reading it later! happy chatting!
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Absolutely! Technology is a great way for Ss to share out projects and ideas with real-world audiences, too.
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A1 Games, creative projects? I do a history tournament, let the Ss do some teaching. Coloring maps.
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Big concept is to frame course w/ a culminating goal/increasing challenge-cannot simply have goal of finishing the textbook
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We are here tonight if anyone is interested in a song, hit us up!
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The archives will be up later! Thanks for listening in!
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A1 I allow Ss 2 choose the formative assessments 2 do as they review material. Try to choose more engagaing topics like Civil War
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A1: We are building up to a capstone project - present, present, present!! And when in doubt, Socratic seminar it up!!
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Lit circles sound really cool. How do they work?
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A1: Capstone projects and portfolios are great ways for Ss to reflect on learning from the whole year!
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A1) We had big simulation (Mid East peace negotiation) in 4th Q for world hist. Built up to it all year (skills).
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A1: Engaged & motivatioed through relevance! What worked in Sept can work better in June with increased knowledge & skill
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A1 I always find choice a huge motivator in the end of the year--shows trust, growth
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A1 Going to read The Things They Carried in World Hist class while Eng T reads First They Killed My Father.
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A1 We have end of course exams (play review games) & then a student choice project
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choose a few titles if your school has or will buy and have groups pick book- they set their own reading sked
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It's a lot of fun! I'm having fun doing it too!
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Great idea...AP review must be engaging & rewarding/create a challenge-build your own textbook proposal, etc.
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and each person has an assigned role in their weekly discussion on books- can send you roles
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So very cool. And Ss are self-motivated to meet and discuss? Or it's T-led?
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I'm noting a common theme already: Student choice. Nice!
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As the year winds down, it seems Ss have more autonomy and choice in their learning! Definitely a motivator!
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I love it. That's a struggle for me with my Ss. I want to get them more motivated to read independently.
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Q2 is coming up shortly... Keep the awesome ideas flowing!
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Q2: What are some final units and lessons that you end your year with?
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A2: This year, I'm winding down my games with elements of characterization, pronoun work, and commas.
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A2: Junior English Ss complete an I-Search Research/Writing project. It's a nice capstone to the Junior experience
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A2) In world hist, we have ups & downs: independence movements but genocides/ethnic conflict, globalization & related issues.
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A2: We do a community service/research social justice project called Challenge to Change. Students choose issue, pursue, present
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A2: Build your choice of ancient architecture in Minecraft. Research dimensions and use before building.
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A2 we connect all the dots to 9/11 - beginning with the crusades, WW1, etc. what happened then matters now - lightbulb moments
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Can you send some of what you do to motivate kids to read independently?
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What an awesome idea! Do Ss complete a community service project? I'd love to hear more.
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A2 cont) Ss usually get engaged in those topics though b/c recent/current & moral/ethical dilemmas.
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A2: Dr. Suess unit. Students love the stories and there are great lessons to be learned!
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is a wonderful element in classrooms!
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A2: AmGov ends with SCOTUS: structure, function, historic cases & new ones... and appointment controversy
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Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?! :)
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YES! I can email it to you!! That goes for anyone else in here 👍🏻
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Yes! There are so many great historical and moral themes to be learned. Love Dr. Seuss!
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That would be great! Any help offered is greatly appreciated!
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A2: Research projects and presentations. My students are doing great presentations with gifs, images using GoogleSlides
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A2: I did it early this year, but a memoir proj. Ss model after texts. 4 writings total. Then reflect on their first year in HS.
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I used Dr. Seuss Goes to War with his WWII pol cartoons w/ Ss - they always recognized his style.
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I just DM'd you! I'd love to read more about your project. Thanks for sharing
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Sure! I'll put together a document. #1 is my enthusiasm, for sure #2 is choice choice choice!
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Can you send me more info on this? Looks awesome and exactly what my Global Perspectives kids could use
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Thanks for sharing! It's such a neat experiences. I was reading my Ss part 1 before the chat. Such powerful reads!
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Awesome! Thank you so much!
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That's such a great idea! Fits in with how pivotal the 9th grade year is and helps them keep moving forward.
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A2 Last year I tried a proj. Instead of exam. Ss had to come up w/ best invention/innovation from eastern hem. Created poster.
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A2: My global students make global citizenship storybooks for elementary school students which has been fun
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Val, Texas.8th grade US hist
A2: We do a cultural study at the end of the school year. Want them to do a Ted ed talk this year.
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Memoirs are such powerful writing experiences for Ss and wonderful reads! Great project.
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Much prefer a project to a test! I think Ss do too!
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A2 My 9th graders type up a 5 pp research paper using their previous in-class essays. Lesson in organization.
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Nice! And it sets them up for a win since they already have the information/practice.
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That sounds great! Wonder if they could produce other products, see what trends they notice, etc.
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A2. Research project on current issues and foreign policy using the Points of View Reference Center.
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So much more authentic learning occurs with projects rather than memorizing information for a test.
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S's can write historic fiction; create a character who could have lived in a certain time/place, apply elements of storytelling
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We use The Sneetches to to relate to what we learned about the Holocaust.
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Project-Based Learning is the way to go. https://t.co/4Sp1ScXTav
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So much more authentic learning occurs with projects rather than memorizing information for a test.
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Love the combination of history and creative writing with historical fiction! Great cross-curricular experience.
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Saw presentation at NCSS13 where Ss did research to create white paper to advise president about foreign pol issue.
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I'm reading it now. Going to teach a MOOC on Speaking & Listening this summer
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A2: I have created a simulation has Ss participating in mock session of Congress.
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A2: In US Hist, I end the year at present day and let Ss propose current events to study. Gov't ends with voting, parties, etc.
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I like the TED idea. Need to look into it.
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Speech/Communication is such an important part of literacy! Love it!
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A2 I've had a lot of success with ending with TED talks. They study the genre, then research, write, and present their own
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Would love to join it! Keep us posted on it.
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A2: I have also done a simulation of a cabinet meeting where Ss pitch ideas to president.
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A2: Mystery Skypes are a good way to engage as well.
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Remember TED talks are 18 min. I ask my Ss to do 4 min speeches.
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I am super inspired by all the ideas flowing tonight. This is just what I needed to kick off 4th quarter. Question 3 is coming up
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I love this idea! https://t.co/ruIVK6rw9B
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Val, Texas.8th grade US hist
A2: We do a cultural study at the end of the school year. Want them to do a Ted ed talk this year.
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Current events = great idea esp since focus has been EOC! Good combo for TED talk.
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Q3: With all this talk about assessments, what skills do you hope your Ss gain before moving on to the next grade/level?
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Ss design ??s up front. Skype a location, but don't tell Ss where. They ask questions to find out location.
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A3: I'd like to see my Ss develop critical thinking skills. Also, willingness to fail and try again!
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A3) Finding, evaluating, analyzing, and using sources to answer a question, support a position, etc. Need that as citizens.
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So the Ss are trying to figure out setting?
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A3: how to listen, how to ask Qs about what they wonder, how to wonder, how to search, intellectual discourse: empathy!
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A3: I want Ss to reflect on their own learning before moving on and leaving for the summer. Reviewing and setting goals is key!
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A3: I would say to be inquisitive - to want to learn and research more about a topic without prompting
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There is no shortage of ideas such as TED but there is a great shortage of teaching students how to do those talks well.
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How to ask questions is such a vital skill!
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A3: Self advocacy, Acceptance of themselves and others, critical thinking skills,
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Yes! I love the idea of having Ss reflect and ask questions. When Ss question the world, they will always be learning
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Absolutely; & recognizing that asking is a sign of growth, not weakness is so important!
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A3: feel confident in their successes and independence while knowing they need to keep improving. Cheesy, but imp for freshmen.
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Yes!Teaching critical thinking & making learning connect to the real world is key as the school year winds down.
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Yep. They ask location questions like weather, Lat/long, urban/rural, etc. The other locations also does it.
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A3: Reflection and goal setting are two skills I hope Ss gain
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A3:I'd love for them to be able to FINALLY see the big picture - we ask them to answer our essen.qstn we've been asking all yr
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I'd say curiosity and problem solving. Am I interested in the world? Can I help myself find answers/solutions?
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It is awesome - I have used and shared it with many colleagues; part of our school vernacular now
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Missing out on as I prepare for PTC. Looking forward to coming back & learning from all of you. Have a good week!
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A3 I'm measuring Ss listening skills. Ss spend most of the day listening, but we offer no instruction for it
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Love acceptance of themselves and others. So important!
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A3 Improvement at critical thinking skills, especially sourcing.
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A3 cont: we ask, "who controls my future?" through all units. Now, what does it mean? Why did we do all of this learning??
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Thanks for chiming in! So true. https://t.co/o2etU5qMXX
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There is no shortage of ideas such as TED but there is a great shortage of teaching students how to do those talks well.
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I'm sure you're one of the people I've heard singing the praises. ;) Looking forward to reading it.
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Thanks for sharing these resources!
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The archives will be up later tonight. Good luck!
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thanks! I found it, but I didn't create it.
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Officially adding it to my reading wish list!
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A3: Develop their voice as a historian, critical thinking skills, identify valuable sources, self advocacy, improved writing.
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WHEN WE HIDE, AVOID, AND ENABLE PAIN it bugs us wherever we are, what ever we do. Read why -> https://t.co/F1CkhdsTbH
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Such great skills for our Ss to learn in the final quarter! Question 4 is coming up...
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A3 Ask questions, support & evaluate decision then reflect on process. Be curious about the world!
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A3: for civics this year, one main hope is that my Ss will be able to solve the mystery of how federal / state governments works
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Yes! Great skills here! https://t.co/3WTvyeKBkn
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A3: Develop their voice as a historian, critical thinking skills, identify valuable sources, self advocacy, improved writing.
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Q4: Besides traditional testing... How do you assess these skills in your classroom? Share your favorite projects/ideas.
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Note how few have mentioned speaking well, yet almost every adult values speaking and wishes they were better at it.
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If we make them curious in our class, they will continue to be curious beyond our class! https://t.co/etDDE55bwl
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A3 Ask questions, support & evaluate decision then reflect on process. Be curious about the world!
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A4) In simulations, Ss assess selves on how well meet criteria for working in group, presenting info, negotiating, etc.
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A4 they will inevitably get stuck but they will also get themselves unstuck
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Everyone speaks as part of their jobs & personal lives! Communication is a life skill that needs to be cultivated
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A4) I do a history of texting and then have them pick something current and present how various historical events led up to 1 CE
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A4 I did Book Talks where sm groups of Ss lead a 10 minute conversation on a book they read Hard 2 fake
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A4: Fishbowl discussions responding to S's Q's and research with backchannel chat to engage whole class: a class favorite
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A4 My Assessments page https://t.co/Q06pwgykId So many ways to assess without testing. Have students assess their own learning.
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Question what they see in the news...so needed in this election.
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A4: Portfolios are great ways to evaluate and apply many skills. They are also great reflective tools for Ss.
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A4: Research projects and Socratic seminars are two of my favorite! ,
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A4: S's take on role of historical character in revolutionary time and live tweet the experience
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Yes! Love fishbowl discussions. They are a great way to get every Ss involved and create deep conversations.
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Listen to PBL presentations, student TED talks, class discussions: how many speakers impress? We accept/expect too little.
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A4: Reflecting on process of learning- what they did well and how they can improve- helpful to look back at previous work
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Love that! Have also had Ss role play imp figures in history & have "meeting of the minds" discussions of big ?s.
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With the backchannel they keep everyone involved, w/o it too many lose attention and only a few dominate
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What methods do you use to backchannel? Do you use ?
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So bummed I have to hop out and drive home! Nice meeting everyone and see you around Twitter!!
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A4. Love discussions. Questions and answers.
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A4) Ss in groups raced to answer MC scenarios about the constitution- used racing game which kids enjoyed
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agreed! Ss are blown away by how much they have grown over year- not easily seen in the day-to-day work
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Thanks for sharing such great ideas, Amanda! The archives will be up later tonight.
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Just "discovered" those this year! Love them. .
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Yes, then archive the chat transcript as a Gdoc so S's can write reflections on the chat
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The goal is to make them informed citizens. Our Founding Fathers valued protecting political speech. https://t.co/6QWOtNSVQt
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Question what they see in the news...so needed in this election.
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A4: Skills are embedded in the projects we complete.
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Have you looked into Fakebook? Create a fake "Facebook" page: friends, events...
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A4: Ss did TEDtalks where they had to choose a topic presented in Junger's War. The emotional connection made them powerful!
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Awesome. I love the archive and reflection layer. Thanks for sharing such a great idea!
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A3: I need to know that my students are capable of writing. If I ask them to defend something...it shouldn't be a report.
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Yes, I've seen it. I do like Twitter because S's can interact with so many other S's and experts
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Not if there is nothing worth listening to...
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A4: Student response systems like Kahoot or Quizzizz are also great for engagement and assessment.
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A5: Cumulative proj. based arnd the 5 Themes of Geog. We focus on these 5 themes all yr. Students do a great job with it
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Great idea. Do you allow them other mediums besides Twitter for project execution? https://t.co/dIlbOUCR7V
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A4: S's take on role of historical character in revolutionary time and live tweet the experience
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S's making interactive videos (choose your own adventure) shows what they know and how they connect with each other
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Ss report greater listening comp when they ask questions, manage interest & elabor8
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This year we are planning SnapChat stories and Vines, too.
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I love using and QuizIzz and my Ss have a blast with them as well!
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Sounds like a fun project! Do you have any Ss examples to share?
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They are awesome! Use talking chips to ensure every student gets in the discussion!
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that's cool! how are you going about doing this?
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Yes, Ss need to be actively engaged in order to truly listen and reflect.
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I agree. Ss need to be able to write concisely. A valued skill beyond our classrooms. https://t.co/1MHw7IeEja
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A3: I need to know that my students are capable of writing. If I ask them to defend something...it shouldn't be a report.
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Ss get so excited when they hear the music! What a fun way to review
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Thought of Ss making CYOA books on topics we've covered. Has this activity worked well?
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Seems like we're already starting to slip into Q6. The next question is coming up...
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With videos it is awesome - YouTube creator studio makes the hyperlinking so easy. My S's learn it quickly
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Q6: What are some web tools or resources that you use to help Ss create final projects/assessments?
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I have a separate Twitter for my classes that they use; some S's create separate accounts
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Sounds like a $5M study to me. I'm in! Let me know when you get it funded.
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Cool stuff! In my school, most Ss do not use Twitter. I am always looking to offer variety. https://t.co/ZVwhEN9Nyv
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This year we are planning SnapChat stories and Vines, too.
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A6: my Ss like this site; many ways to showcase learning good for Ss created movies
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A6: LOVE this! Explain Everything (close reading), Google Sites (dog portfolio), WeVideo (reflection videos, movie projects)
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A6) Giving Ss free reign w/ format of final capstone projects but linked them to this Padlet wall: https://t.co/k4DLGeRvHD
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I use https://t.co/TDMS2HAG3V to have students record the rough drafts of speeches and email them to me for feedback
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A6: Also have used and google slides for creating infographics
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A6 I've been using apps within this year. So many to choose from. Even one for portfolios!
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I want to learn more about ThingLink and use it in my classroom! Just need time!
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I use Google Voice to have students record the rough drafts of speeches and email them to me for feedback
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Have embedded some Thinglinks into online course this sem. Ss seemed to like.
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Gr9 S made Vine account for posting fake tweets from China to show censorship issues after researching Arab Sp
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A6 inklewriter is really cool for Choose Your Own Adventure projects
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I love giving Ss choice in how they create projects. So many great webtools. is a fun alternative to Google Slides!
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Correction: I use Google Voice to have students record the rough drafts of speeches and phone them to me for feedback
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Ss can build a collaborative Weebly site (research paper + trifold?)...here are instructions I provide https://t.co/SuKPZwL7Cn
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I just need to learn how to use it effectively. I'm glad Ss like it! :)
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I use Google Voice, but never thought about using it that way
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agreed. Some Ss need more words than others. Important to construct rubric to not be about "length".
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Audacity for recreating a radio programs 1940s style.
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Love this idea Do you assess them separately, or do they all get the same grade?
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A6: students created storyboards for the Iliad in my Eastern Hemisphere class. We used https://t.co/tCy35iqzsh Ss crushed it.
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Google Sites is great to teach Ss how to integrate a wide-variety of projects, writing, and videos.
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A6: Weebly site for final projects. All resources on the site for easy access by students and parents.
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very cool idea. ironically 2 of Ss ask if they cld speak their ans into their phone then cut / paste into document
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Love this app! Found it in
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I cannot believe the hour is winding down... the final question of the night is coming up!
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You can't grade the rev memos. Set goals. You just have to praise & promote the excellent examples
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Q7: As we wind down, take a minute to share your favorite resources/ideas/lessons to challenge/keep Ss engaged in 4th quarter!
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I love your ideas for student activities. Thank you for sharing.
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A7: I really want to use or to engage Ss. Images can communicate so much. Plus, they love these apps
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VIsuals are essential these days, esp for my population! IG is wonderful!
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I like StoryBuilder and Buncee as well.
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Great idea! Might use this when we read Beowulf
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All part of the dialogue; AmGov can be challenging to teach!
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Pop Stars projects. Study African history by making dolls of famous Africans. Dolls are made out of two-liter bottles.
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Thanks for sharing these projects. I cannot wait to explore more.
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A7: work toward independence. They have the tools,let them show YOU how it's done. Give a standard for consistency but that's it
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I'm a firm believer in modeling . Best way is by using it in the classroom!
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Love any ideas you can share! I have never taught it before, can you believe?!
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folks now ready for 4th qtr? Time to plan for next yr! 3 chances to learn this summer! https://t.co/1GBgwEQG9X
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Diversify your curriculum! Attend a 2016 summer conference on the - an innovative approach to st led learning https://t.co/ziOTHxazKZ
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do the free trial...more options. Kinda limited in free version.
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A7) Rely on Ss to answer my fave ?s "So what?" and "Who cares?" as wrap up the year. What did you learn & what will you do w/ it?
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Yes-I agree. Ss need to realize how web tools can be used to share knowledge and to promote positive relationships
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A7 My favorite is "student choice".
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A7: Open ended assigns: What does democracy mean to you? Accept movies, Ignite talks, papers, audio...however they reply is fine
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Great questions! Such simple and yet critical questions to ask our Ss and ourselves!
