tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71234465369619377782024-03-09T18:45:58.663-08:00Try It Tuesdays! Concrete, practical strategies for energizing your work with young people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-48638778258814666132016-07-01T07:03:00.000-07:002015-06-01T04:56:16.911-07:00Welcome to the Try It Tuesday Blog!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fai9hSRrtsY" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you work with teens, you know that it can often be a challenge to keep them interested and engaged, especially if you are running a youth program. How do you keep them focused, excited and inspired?</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Try it Tuesdays</b> is all about bringing you resources, tools and strategies that you can use to re-invigorate your programming and get your teens excited to come in every day. Each week, we share a practical, concrete idea or strategy that you can experiment with in your work. We also post resources that will help you grow your skills as a youth development practitioner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take a look at the overview webinar above where we look at what REALLY motivates people (it's not what you think!) and we provide a basic framework for thinking about how to engage with teens. You can <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/p/tips-and-tools-for-engaging-youth.html">get the slides and follow-up resources here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />Then, scroll down for our latest "Try It Tuesday" posts. These are practical, hands-on tips, strategies and ideas that can spice up your group and individual work and help you keep young people engaged. We bring them to you every week, along with other great content and ideas. </span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-73602922432227381222015-09-01T07:37:00.000-07:002015-09-01T07:37:49.017-07:00Try It Tuesday: Help Kids Fall in Love With Their Lives by Finding Their "Sparks"<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TqzUHcW58Us" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In this incredibly powerful TEDTalk, the late Peter Benson talks about the research he conducted into understanding what animates and motivates young people. First, some key points from his talk:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Only 1 in 4 kids is on a pathway to thriving.</b> It's no longer about purpose and hope. It's about being alone, empty, medicated, confused and lost. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">"Youth are not vessels to be filled, but fires to be lit." </span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">The best of development is from the inside out, not the outside in.</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thriving begins with the idea of the</b> <b>human spark</b>--what gives young people joy and energy? What gives their lives hope, direction and purpose?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Through his research, Benson has found that 1<b>00% of middle and high school students get the idea of "spark" in a heartbea</b>t. They say that they can point out the kids who have it and the kids who don't. You can see it in their face and in their body posture. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">But then these kids say--<b>"No one has ever asked me about that before.</b> Usually people want to know about our drug use, our sexuality, our predilection to violence, our approach to school."</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2/3 of America's young people can name at least 1 spark. </b>Another 20% can name their spark with a nudge from a caring adult. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">There are three kinds of sparks as identified by young people--a s<b>kill/talent</b>, a <b>commitment</b> (social justice, stewardship of the earth), or a <b>quality</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Knowing student sparks draws us toward them</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Human development is about <b>awakening</b>--<b>how we are seen, how we are known and how we are embraced by others</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Our spark is <b>not necessarily the work that we will do every day</b>. Our <b>spark is our "life orientation"</b>--our way of being present in our own lives. </span></li>
</ul>
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<h4>
Major Categories of Sparks</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Benson found several major categories of sparks, including:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Helping, serving, volunteering</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Leading</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Learning a particular subject matter that was interesting to the teen</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Stewardship of the earth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Athletics</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The number one spark that he found was the creative life--arts, writing, dance, drama, music etc. </b>This is the arena in which most kids say "I'm my best self." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<h4>
Finding Student Sparks</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's the <b>question</b> we should be asking all young people and helping them to discover for and about themselves: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell me what it is about you that gives you joy and energy. What's going on in those moments when life feels the richest and the fullest with purpose and hope? What is your spark? I'm dying to know. </b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you hear a teen name their spark, identify it. <b>Tell them that you hear it/see it and thank them for possessing it</b> because their spark is "good, beautiful and useful to the world." </span><br />
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<h4>
The Thriving Equation</h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">According to Benson, thriving requires:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Spark + 3 Champions + Opportunity</span></b></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Spark champions are caring adults--family, teachers, people in the community--who see the spark, name it, help young people see the spark in themselves and help them find opportunities to express their sparks. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Great things happen when we enact this equation. Benson's research shows that:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Academic performance skyrockets</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Engagement goes up</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Compassion for others increases</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">A sense of purposes rises</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Violence decreases</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">But only 50% of teens say someone in their family nourishes their spark. Only 1/3 say someone in their school is a Spark Champion and in the broader community, only 25% of kids report having a Spark Champion. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So the big question for us as youth development practitioners is:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How can we put identifying student sparks and implementing this equation for thriving front and center in our work with youth? </b></span><br />
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<h4>
Additional Resources</h4>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.stepitup2thrive.org/sparks/introduction/">Step It Up to Thrive</a>--some good resource and tip sheets here. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.search-institute.org/research/developmental-relationships-and-sparks">Sparks: A Gateway to Thriving</a>--from the Search Institute, Bensons' organization on sparks and thriving. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://character-education.mhs.mehlvilleschooldistrict.com/modules/groups/homepagefiles/gwp/2367642/3005374/File/SPARK%20Document.pdf">Sparks Worksheet</a>--Helps teens begin to identify their sparks and helps them with a plan for the thriving equation. This could be a good resource to adapt for your own work. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://youthtoday.org/2009/11/the-six-essential-questions/">6 Essential Question for Identifying Spark</a>--these questions could be a great way to talk with young people about their sparks and about how to enact the thriving equation. </span></li>
</ul>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-28813640904462110612015-08-25T02:21:00.000-07:002015-08-25T02:21:13.464-07:00Try It Tuesday: Interview with Sannii Crespina-flores (Part Two) <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/135667225" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/135667225">Interview with Sannii Crespina-flores, Do Remember Me and Yram Collective--Part T</a>wo from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user3693880">Michele Martin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/08/try-it-tuesday-interview-with-sannii_18.html">we brought you Part One </a>of our interview with Sanni Crespina-flores of the Do Remember Me Project. This week, Sannii is back, sharing more of her favorite tips and strategies for engaging with young people, including how she does her own personal outreach to invite students to be part of her projects. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-38250435630630787182015-08-18T04:25:00.004-07:002015-08-18T04:35:18.475-07:00Try It Tuesday: Interview with Sannii Crespina-flores (Part One)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/136525546" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/136525546">Interview with Sannii Crespina-flores</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user3693880">Michele Martin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Earlier this summer, <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/06/try-it-tuesday-connect-with-students.html">we shared </a>the <i>Do Remember Me</i> project with you and talked about how you could connect your teens to young people around the world, as Sannii Crespina-flores does through <i>Do Remember Me</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We caught up with Sannii a week after she took her students to the UN to learn more about her work. Today she shares with us how she started both <i>Do Remember Me</i> and a companion project with young women called <i>The Yram Collective</i>. She also discusses the impact of her work on both her students and herself. From using cell phones to create presentations and do research to how students react when they connect with teens from Paris and Nigeria, we covered a wide range of topics. We had a blast and you'll see why the students she works with love her and the work she does with them!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-65276302923425528502015-08-11T05:09:00.002-07:002015-08-11T05:09:37.222-07:00Try It Tuesday: Do IGNITE Presentations!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rRa1IPkBFbg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Many of us have students do presentations to end a program or unit of learning. But often these can be kind of dull and teens may really resist making their presentations.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One way to bring some more fun and excitement into the process is by having students make their presentations as IGNITE talks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">An IGNITE talk is really simple. It is:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">20 PowerPoint Slides</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15 seconds of talking per slide</b>--the slides advance automatically, so students must time their presentations to keep up with the moving slides. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Each talk lasts only 5 minutes</b>, so students must learn to be concise and succinct in their presentations. With the slides advancing automatically, this also makes it easier to hold kids to the time limit without feeling like you're interrupting or rushing them. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Take a look at the presentation at the top of this post to get an idea of how an IGNITE talk works. And then go through the presentation below for some tips. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/9SSpQxdWIOiTQ8" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="425"> </iframe> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<strong> <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/IgnitePhoenix/ignite-presentation-tips-1524584" target="_blank" title="Ignite Presentation Tips">Ignite Presentation Tips</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/IgnitePhoenix" target="_blank">Ignite Phoenix</a></strong> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Best Practices for IGNITE Presentations</h4>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some best practices to keep in mind as you work with students to create their IGNITE talks:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Help students identify the main point of their presentation and key ideas they want to cover. </b>This format requires them to be clear and succinct, so helping them to clarify their ideas first can make it a lot easier to create the presentation. One way they may want to think about it is do they want their presentation to <b>inform, motivate or entertain</b>? </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Encourage them to tell stories</b>. Probably the most powerful way to structure an IGNITE is to have it revolve around a story that conveys a student's messages. Help them find stories that will make their points. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Slides should be visual</b>--go for photos that capture a main idea, not a bunch of bullet points! A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 3-5 words on a slide. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Use the Notes view in PowerPoint to write a script.</b> This is one presentation format that requires you to know what you're going to say and how long it takes you to say it. By creating a script, students can be sure that they stick with the 15 seconds per slide requirement. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Practice! And then practice some more!</b> Getting the timing right is key in doing an IGNITE presentation. They also want to get comfortable with their scripts so they are looking at the audience and using comfortable body language, rather than staring down at their notes. Make sure students have time to practice their talks so that they know where they have to cut and where they may need to add more. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have fun!</b> The IGNITE format is meant to be fun and entertaining, so encourage students to use this as an opportunity tap into their creativity. </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV9lrqM7dVLybWgbxHBVjjdFAbCX5BvkBvhT2Rg8frCw5Pwpzf9nU6SnJvwFn5UQgh4qJkARDc7VvnAxL3t-hRQjcIUTKX0hTBzz88pGnOqS_-lNooIMbIbnwZEVh2RgMLD5cUHVoIwGV/s1600/Ignite-Presentation-Six-Tips-to-Give-the-One-of-Your-Lifetime.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKV9lrqM7dVLybWgbxHBVjjdFAbCX5BvkBvhT2Rg8frCw5Pwpzf9nU6SnJvwFn5UQgh4qJkARDc7VvnAxL3t-hRQjcIUTKX0hTBzz88pGnOqS_-lNooIMbIbnwZEVh2RgMLD5cUHVoIwGV/s320/Ignite-Presentation-Six-Tips-to-Give-the-One-of-Your-Lifetime.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
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<h4>
IGNITE in Action</h4>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I run the Youth Leadership Academy in Delaware County for HS sophomores and we use IGNITE presentations as the culminating activity for our 3-day event. Because of the limited time, we have students <b>work in teams of 3-4</b>, having them <b>create a presentation on what they have learned about leadership</b>. You could do something similar, having students work in teams to address a particular question or topic from your program. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I will point out, though, that I<b>GNITE works best if teens are enthusiastic or passionate about their topic, so look for topics or questions that provoke or excite them</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We do give students a lot of latitude to put their presentations together. I don't see them until they present, unless they have specific questions they want to ask. I'm invariably blown away by what they produce. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After they present to our leadership group, they present to an audience of their parents and teachers. This is something else to consider--having students present to an external audience. This adds some extra excitement to the process. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, we record their presentations. Although we haven't done this, you could record and then upload to YouTube. An IGNITE makes a great addition to an online portfolio or to your website. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The IGNITE format can be a powerful and fun culminating activity for students, one that challenges them to be creative and succinct. Let us know if you try this with your students. Better yet, record their presentations and share them with us. We'd love to feature them on the Try It Tuesday Blog!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-23100199050521506462015-08-04T03:04:00.000-07:002015-08-04T06:21:27.749-07:00Try It Tuesday: Have Your Students Create a Virtual Field Trip<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Q38K6uOa4E?list=PLvzOwE5lWqhRHqpfdbWKg0J5KI8oZAO4W" width="560"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: large;">Most teens love the idea of using video to tell a story. Why not have your students use their smart phones to take people on a virtual field trip!</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
What is a Virtual Field Trip?</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">At its simplest level, a virtual field trip is a video exploration of a location that educates people about that space. You could have students give guided tours of their neighborhood, their schools, of a workplace or any other location connected to what they are learning in your program. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You can also extend the idea of the virtual field trip by using video to explore "A Day in the Life" of a particular person. This could be a great way to explore occupations ("A Day in the Life of a Designer") or social issues ("A Day in the Life of a Homeless Person"). </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Planning the Virtual Field Trip</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss the virtual field trip concept and share a few sample videos with students. </b>You can search YouTube or <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-virtual-field-trips">check out this article</a> on virtual field trips to get ideas. </span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brainstorm with students about how they could use the virtual field trip concept to explore places or people related to your program and learning objectives</b>. Depending on your topic, you could have students do a combination of field trips that include both people and places so that as a class, they explore different aspects of the topic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Discuss guidelines </b>for creating the virtual field trips. Some questions to consider include:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Do you want a <b>time limit</b> on the length of the field trips? If it's your first time doing this, 5 to 10-minutes is a good starting point. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What <b>key questions</b> should be addressed? </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Are there <b>specific roles</b> that students should take on within their teams? What are they and what will be expected of each role? (At a minimum, you will need a camera person and someone to give the tour if you are touring a specific location) </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Will students be able to edit their videos or will these be "one-take" virtual field trips</b>? (<i>If you want to let students edit their videos, here's <a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/free-video-editing-software-guide,4050.html">a link to several free video editing options</a>. If you are using Macs, they can use iMovie and for PC there's Windows Movie Maker. There are also several more robust options you can download</i>.) </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyRjMfqv9rZiKzWu4RF3sXu2mNXhMp2nh0_EKrZ9t6yZU0t4adrmO5vvTv7rY5KTJ1JkUKsDvEL5UFrkLSlSskBYPjhzUUdqIS6dZ9b84stt0zneDiz5q9hfT_Z96wVLB3vC7jgFj-hKV/s1600/virtual+field+trip.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyRjMfqv9rZiKzWu4RF3sXu2mNXhMp2nh0_EKrZ9t6yZU0t4adrmO5vvTv7rY5KTJ1JkUKsDvEL5UFrkLSlSskBYPjhzUUdqIS6dZ9b84stt0zneDiz5q9hfT_Z96wVLB3vC7jgFj-hKV/s320/virtual+field+trip.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Identify topics and have them form 2-4 person teams to plan for how they will document their field trip</b>. Questions they should consider include:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What will they be exploring? If it's a place, what are the key areas they want to document? What are key learning points they want to bring out? If it's a person, who will they be talking to and what do they want to learn/document about that person?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What research do they need to do ahead of time to plan for their virtual field trip? </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">If they will be doing a "A Day in the Life" video, what questions do they want to ask their subjects? And what do they need to do to prepare their subject and capture that day in the life footage? </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Who will be the "on-camera" person (the person who gives the tour) and who will film the video? What roles will other people play? </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's a good idea for students to draft a "script" for their virtual field trips. They want to plan out the order of their trips, what they will talk about at each point and how they will conclude their videos. </span></div>
<br />
<h4>
Sharing the Virtual Field Trip Videos</h4>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once students have filmed their virtual field trips, upload them to YouTube. Note that YouTube has a 10-minute limit on video uploads, so don't make them any longer than that. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You can then <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57792?hl=en">create a Playlist on YouTube</a> that gathers all the videos together in one section. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you wanted to get fancier about it, use <a href="http://www.google.com/sites/overview.html">Google Sites</a> to create a basic website that explains the theme of your virtual field trips as well as any other information you may want to share--an introduction to the teams that made each video would be a nice addition. You can then use the embed code from YouTube to embed the videos directly into the website so that viewers could watch everything from your site. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Give it a try! Let us know how it goes and share your links with us!</span></b><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-82991546523774551192015-07-28T05:54:00.000-07:002015-07-28T05:54:48.586-07:00Try It Tuesday: Strategies for Capturing Greatness with Melissa A. Rowe (Part Two)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="234" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/129653956" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/129653956">Try It Tuesday: Melissa Rowe on Strategies for Capturing Student Greatness (Part 2)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user3693880">Michele Martin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last week we shared with you <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/07/try-it-tuesday-strategies-for-capturing.html">Part One </a>of our interview with Melissa A. Rowe of <a href="http://capturegreatness.org/">Capture Greatness</a>. Melissa is a WHYY American Graduate Champion who works with young people on college readiness, helping them to prepare their personal essays for college admissions and scholarship opportunities. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This week we bring you Part Two. In this segment, Melissa talks about personal branding and how she works with young people to help them identify and communicate elements of their personal brand for both the college admissions process and for employment. She also shares with us the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jWVyCVFZu6TDYzNG9rc2VTTl9IOWRqSWN5V3RiNGVfVEkw/view?usp=sharing">Branding Worksheet </a>she uses with students in her workshops and individual sessions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-72724475145397296892015-07-21T05:09:00.003-07:002015-07-21T05:09:54.046-07:00Try It Tuesday: Strategies For Capturing Greatness with Melissa A. Rowe (Part One)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/129654680" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/129654680">Try It Tuesday: Melissa Rowe on Strategies for Capturing Greatness (Part 1)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user3693880">Michele Martin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the goals for Try It Tuesday is for us to share with you programs and people who are working to engage young people in exploring their futures and developing their skills.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This week we are bringing you Part One of our interview with Melissa A. Rowe of <a href="http://capturegreatness.org/">Capture Greatness</a>. Melissa works with young people on college readiness, helping them develop their personal essays and access scholarship opportunities. She was recently featured by WHYY as one of their American Graduate Champions and has coached three young people who received the Gates Millenium Scholarship. </span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wCGbmjd2NWI" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In this interview, Melissa gives us some background on Capture Greatness and how she helps young people access and tell their stories to discover their strengths and write powerful personal essays for college admissions and scholarship essays. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the interview, she discusses how she uses prompts to engage young people in journaling exercises and conversations. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jWVyCVFZu6aHh5UHlzV1VtTFZHamdlX005d1lVMTd3WnF3/view?usp=sharing">Here's a link to some of her favorite prompts</a>, which you can use as icebreakers, conversation starters or journal prompts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Next week Melissa will share with us how she works with young people on developing their "personal brand," which she uses both for college admissions and also to help young people think about careers and job opportunities. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-83193986002712911142015-07-14T03:47:00.000-07:002015-07-14T03:47:00.583-07:00Try It Tuesday: Use Question Balloons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOE5XVKM_6NdLPfxVRqOodBh3exE0a3oM9-C_necZthroAk-LE8G2X4OlPfN1609mX-CS5vAeiRxkr3I8y_sAqufZ5MTTLYCKmmHU7rGV7djKguI8L3YWTLxNVRJ2_KpfrbskMqBN6hV0/s1600/DIY-Balloon-Surprise-for-Birthdays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOE5XVKM_6NdLPfxVRqOodBh3exE0a3oM9-C_necZthroAk-LE8G2X4OlPfN1609mX-CS5vAeiRxkr3I8y_sAqufZ5MTTLYCKmmHU7rGV7djKguI8L3YWTLxNVRJ2_KpfrbskMqBN6hV0/s400/DIY-Balloon-Surprise-for-Birthdays.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a fun and different way to handle questions during a class, presentation or workshop--use <a href="http://gamestorming.com/games-for-any-meeting/question-balloons/">question balloons</a>! This is a strategy that can be particularly effective if you're working on a very information-heavy topic where there are likely to be lots of questions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">At the start of the class or presentation, give students 2 or 3 helium balloons, along with a marker. Be sure that the balloons have strings or ribbon attached so that you can reach them!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the presentation progresses, students should write their questions on the balloon and then let it float in the air. They should have 1 question per balloon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If the question is answered, then the student pops their balloon. If there are balloons left over at the end of the presentation, then the presenter/instructor should grab them, read the question out loud and then respond to the question. Then, of course, they pop the balloon!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, this may be a noisier strategy than usual, but it can also be a way to add some fun to what might otherwise be a more "boring" presentation. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Give it a try and let us know what you think!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-31309347273500849432015-07-07T00:55:00.000-07:002015-07-07T04:04:41.377-07:00Try It Tuesday: Play a Cooperative Board Game!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHdfC3XoraUagFZ5tDEudTU5SZTJBjKTDGIooQkFz-_NEG3BfZpODkEGYtMm872pp5s8TP8RRB7FWkenbYUCOvdTIi1Ku-Lakv02770jm6IO70k_10vaEOJWUMJRSl5Y3Q25p-b1RBtdt/s1600/pandemic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHdfC3XoraUagFZ5tDEudTU5SZTJBjKTDGIooQkFz-_NEG3BfZpODkEGYtMm872pp5s8TP8RRB7FWkenbYUCOvdTIi1Ku-Lakv02770jm6IO70k_10vaEOJWUMJRSl5Y3Q25p-b1RBtdt/s400/pandemic.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking for a fun way to help young people learn teamwork, collaboration and strategic thinking and problem-solving? Try playing some cooperative board games!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">While most games pit one player against another, in cooperative board games all players work together to beat the game, pooling resources and developing cooperative strategies through discussion on how to handle the game's challenges. They must also use strategic problem-solving to figure out the best ways to achieve the goals of the game. </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Pandemic</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the best known cooperative games is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Z-Man-Games-ZMG-71100-Pandemic/dp/B00A2HD40E/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1436181229&sr=1-1&keywords=pandemic">Pandemic</a> ($29). Designed for 2-4 players, the group works together to save the world from 4 diseases before time runs out. Players must coordinate their actions and use their roles (assigned at the beginning of play) to treat and cure the four diseases raging throughout the world. You can also buy add-ons for Pandemic that provide additional challenges, including trying to capture a bio-terrorist who is secretly spreading disease. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Below is a brief video that gives you an idea of game play, as well as the power of cooperative games.</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ReqVNoi17V0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrW1C42lIgFVbWF_cWO-_uBqgS8kzhgFRQ0w9Ws6Y-xtpYWGb7_LCkeqtagJP_gIoxt3TjtSXkiQwTQtxBIOSIESW182GgR4gsN5hbWtO_YyhWFvbP-vuXrqbt3QNuspyHDDoeo81TJSr/s1600/flashpoint.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrW1C42lIgFVbWF_cWO-_uBqgS8kzhgFRQ0w9Ws6Y-xtpYWGb7_LCkeqtagJP_gIoxt3TjtSXkiQwTQtxBIOSIESW182GgR4gsN5hbWtO_YyhWFvbP-vuXrqbt3QNuspyHDDoeo81TJSr/s1600/flashpoint.jpeg" /></a>Flashpoint</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084M8UEE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0084M8UEE&linkCode=as2&tag=boagamque-20&linkId=ISQOQ4LH7FLGTLAX">Flashpoint</a> ($28) 2-6 players form a firefighting team where they have to gather equipment, rescue victims and fight a major blaze. It offers two different rulesets (families and more experienced players) and three levels of difficulty and no two games are the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eWG1B7XqkwHP9HfvUmoRgccN_Gn7XuTe7PxqmP3a3IkFsvFm297CurQBgiatp3rlWOhHiyejFQb-T3HYqkn385DpecOTc_5RuErZOFn5ybUI0DRCsK2c7fs_76Uk1xPTBzELAQEGdkpm/s1600/sentinels.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eWG1B7XqkwHP9HfvUmoRgccN_Gn7XuTe7PxqmP3a3IkFsvFm297CurQBgiatp3rlWOhHiyejFQb-T3HYqkn385DpecOTc_5RuErZOFn5ybUI0DRCsK2c7fs_76Uk1xPTBzELAQEGdkpm/s320/sentinels.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<h4>
Sentinels of the Multiverse</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Do your kids like superheroes and comics? Then this the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095ZFA5Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0095ZFA5Q&linkCode=as2&tag=boagamque-20&linkId=7IZK7ODHFA7KTNDC">Sentinels of the Multiverse</a> card game ($28) is for you! Each player has one of ten heroes to play as the team battles one of 4 villains in different environments. Each hero plays differently, so players have a chance to find different ways to battle the villain and learn a little about their own preferred team strategies. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ktBTiHJnTAzkTlq39GZsIpvaZ4ZfQ9k_pC71bVOWgO0LWWZv16c2nkjaZvxeelmNZTRF09E34IYtySanT8PVYu6Wva783yyk-BWod7Na51A7j16viDTtOwS4xOcyRmhofgbOrazDj3u/s1600/forbidden+desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ktBTiHJnTAzkTlq39GZsIpvaZ4ZfQ9k_pC71bVOWgO0LWWZv16c2nkjaZvxeelmNZTRF09E34IYtySanT8PVYu6Wva783yyk-BWod7Na51A7j16viDTtOwS4xOcyRmhofgbOrazDj3u/s320/forbidden+desert.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4>
Forbidden Desert</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-415-Forbidden-Desert-Board/dp/B00B4ECHJI/ref=pd_sim_21_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=15YNQC8X8A2NCKE36RMX">Forbidden Desert</a> ($20), 2-5 players must survive scorching heat and a relentless sandstorm to recover the pieces of a legendary flying machine buried in the desert. Along the way, you must find water, food and other supplies to keep yourselves alive. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHwZMF7rhG41EKVieU8VxUeNtwIy18vSSOwQPtYDBHfXJtUgo5BRTs1H0bjuVIIbWF4eCDKQ5Y4JH1gF3kqyK39qNjUfWKOzvTX0TmxRVyNFAhPIX4fcKKTXPe2OkhKsUFHxg7TcP3JWG/s1600/forbidden+island.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHwZMF7rhG41EKVieU8VxUeNtwIy18vSSOwQPtYDBHfXJtUgo5BRTs1H0bjuVIIbWF4eCDKQ5Y4JH1gF3kqyK39qNjUfWKOzvTX0TmxRVyNFAhPIX4fcKKTXPe2OkhKsUFHxg7TcP3JWG/s1600/forbidden+island.jpeg" /></a><br />
<h4>
Forbidden Island </h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">On <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-317-Forbidden-Island/dp/B003D7F4YY/ref=pd_bxgy_21_text_y">Forbidden Island</a> ($17), you must find 4 hidden relics while keeping the Island from sinking, capitalizing on each player's strengths and talents to beat the game. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Why not give one or more of these games a try with your students. Let us know how it goes. Or if you are already using cooperative games, drop us a comment to share what you're using and how your students are responding. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-14375012942017696362015-06-30T06:12:00.000-07:002015-06-30T06:12:01.240-07:00Try It Tuesday: Use DoSomething.org To Connect Students to Social Change Campaigns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2wzdfUI58DBlVnTKDgc2WW1XPtdWCb72zo5PNRsasyBSylLYtNlvN0FuSJUAvEEXyTidbPguXQG_pSKobNZrVZBQnZ8gANmPUcJw7c-rdL3f0WLGe1ixeJfnEMA1U7GM4FkA6xlWumvO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+8.57.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2wzdfUI58DBlVnTKDgc2WW1XPtdWCb72zo5PNRsasyBSylLYtNlvN0FuSJUAvEEXyTidbPguXQG_pSKobNZrVZBQnZ8gANmPUcJw7c-rdL3f0WLGe1ixeJfnEMA1U7GM4FkA6xlWumvO/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+8.57.00+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As we look at ways to engage young people in our programs, one area that's ripe with possibilities is connecting them to purpose-driven activities. We know from r<a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/p/tips-and-tools-for-engaging-youth.html">esearch on motivation</a> that all humans want to feel a sense of purpose in their lives, and that they are more engaged and motivated when they are connected to causes they care about. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://dosomething.org/">DoSomething.org</a> connects young people to social causes in their drive to "make the world suck less." With over 3.9 million members world-wide, they focus on providing young people with a variety of creative opportunities to make a difference in the world by connecting them to other global campaigns and giving them a platform for starting their own. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Young people can <a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns">browse available campaigns</a> or use <a href="https://www.dosomething.org/">the search option on the main page</a> to find campaigns that fit a cause that interests them, the time they have available and/or the type of activity they'd like to engage in, such as hosting an event, making something, sharing something, etc. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY92khF0ivSLRizrjU9UCBBAY6PNGI6hMNHg9QRf2vgACVzSrXfxfOuHYLLP7OnvbdmSDQI4W5UyflmC-Jcb4QiZtzWp74Hi5UEKljvkkEAx3gTaNCvn-ycAvaTaVDCMoVvE8Uv4uiKrLY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+9.01.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY92khF0ivSLRizrjU9UCBBAY6PNGI6hMNHg9QRf2vgACVzSrXfxfOuHYLLP7OnvbdmSDQI4W5UyflmC-Jcb4QiZtzWp74Hi5UEKljvkkEAx3gTaNCvn-ycAvaTaVDCMoVvE8Uv4uiKrLY/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+9.01.06+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Students can do things like:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/patient-playbooks?source=campaigns"><span style="font-size: large;">Create activity books for children in hospitals</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/mic-check-racism?source=campaigns"><span style="font-size: large;">Write or share a poem with reactions to the Charleston shootings</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/babysitters-club?source=campaigns"><span style="font-size: large;">Create a "Babysitter's Club" that provides free childcare for parents getting their GEDs</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/school-vote?source=campaigns"><span style="font-size: large;">Run a Voter Registration Booth</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/headhunters?source=campaigns"><span style="font-size: large;">Hunt down job openings with friends to create a local job board</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Each campaign includes resources and tips for implementing the idea. In some cases, students can also sign up to be entered into scholarship competitions related to the cause. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3_CQCu3UZ3nsmKIiFtPLwaslsgBP7rqxUv0QfP9MYUSK2GuytR-t1ERdEutxTc7oKQfsxC68sikMaJosowswq9VmhqnCyNVYIEJuJE2hOSXA35bFjOTqpUnaqSGtefaomUwC7xouPaC2/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+9.11.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3_CQCu3UZ3nsmKIiFtPLwaslsgBP7rqxUv0QfP9MYUSK2GuytR-t1ERdEutxTc7oKQfsxC68sikMaJosowswq9VmhqnCyNVYIEJuJE2hOSXA35bFjOTqpUnaqSGtefaomUwC7xouPaC2/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-06-30+at+9.11.01+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">To participate, students must create a DoSomething.org account. When they are logged in, they can then sign up for the causes they want to support. If they want to compete for scholarships or get credit for completing their campaigns, they will also need to submit photos of their event/activity. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">You could integrate DoSomething.org into your program by:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Using DoSomething.org causes as <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/02/try-it-tuesday-genius-hour.html">Genius Hour</a> individual projects</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Having students work in teams to implement one or more of the causes</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Using the DoSomething.org causes as a way to run a program or module on the value of service and volunteering</b> or as part of <b>developing youth voice</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Working with students to develop and <a href="https://www.dosomething.org/campaigns/submit-your-idea">submit their own ideas for a member campaign</a></span></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There are tons of creative opportunities to use the DoSomething.org campaigns to build student engagement and passions. Let us know if you use the site and what happens as a result!</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-86245121911082030882015-06-23T03:50:00.000-07:002015-06-23T03:50:00.546-07:00Try It Tuesday: Connect with Students From Around the World Using Skype<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/116915456?badge=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/116915456">"The World Is As Big Or As Small As You Make It" | Sundance Institute</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/sundanceinstitute">Sundance Institute</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Last Friday, June 19, 2015, was the 4th annual ENGAGE 2015 conference sponsored by the Philadelphia Youth Network. One of the most exciting projects showcased at the conference was Sannii Crespina-Flores's <a href="http://www.dorememberme.org/">Do Remember Me program</a>, featured in the 12-minute film above. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There's much to love about how Sannii runs Do Remember Me, but one of the most profound things she does is connect the young people she's working with in Philadelphia with other young people from around the world using the free video-conferencing software, <a href="http://www.skype.com/en/">Skype</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As she told us at the ENGAGE conference, the conversations young people have through Skype opens them up to a much wider world and so many different perspectives. It helps them see possibilities and opportunities that might never have occurred to them at an age when it's critical for teens to be exploring a wider world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One look at the video above, and you'll see how engaged these young people are in sharing their worlds with each other through Skype. In this week's Try It Tuesday, we're going to show you how you can do this yourself!</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Getting Started on Skype</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Skype is a free application that you can <a href="http://www.skype.com/en/">download here</a>. It works with both Macs and PCs and can be used on a laptop or desktop computer and even through a smartphone or tablet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Help Guides for all versions of Skype are available <a href="https://support.skype.com/en/skype/android/">here</a>--just select the platform you're using from the drop-down menu. You can then find guides for adding contacts and making both video and voice calls.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Finding Classrooms to Connect With</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Your next step is finding classrooms you could connect to. A good place to start is with <a href="http://www.epals.com/find-classroom.php#age_range=0&collaboration=0&country=&language=0&num_students=0&p=1&region=&search_text=">ePals</a>, <a href="http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/site-reviews/epals.shtml">recommended by Education World </a>as one of the best communities for making global classroom connections.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Membership is free </b>and once you create your profile, you can search for classroom matches with criteria such as language and country. You can also browse for classroom connections or create your own profile to be found by others.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some classrooms are looking to do collaborative projects, while others are looking to make more informal conversational connections to connect young people and broaden their perspectives.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When you find a potential match, you can contact the educator and discuss scheduling, ideas for discussion, etc. as well as get their Skype contact information.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Ideas for Connecting/Discussion</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqqcNq1sr3uRDWXP1YTkiRtG8msjjZ8w7Wfvb6Waaq4K1E46zaUwTvOty0Ek7AprvUoQ9IbS_rQa3VtFpufypPRfDkPWbhYVPmP3lQaNYYmogSJvrslzbVUbxQPytxJ0qyMHW4OV5UrBH/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-06-22+at+10.37.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqqcNq1sr3uRDWXP1YTkiRtG8msjjZ8w7Wfvb6Waaq4K1E46zaUwTvOty0Ek7AprvUoQ9IbS_rQa3VtFpufypPRfDkPWbhYVPmP3lQaNYYmogSJvrslzbVUbxQPytxJ0qyMHW4OV5UrBH/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-06-22+at+10.37.42+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you're looking for some ideas for topics, one fantastic resource is the <a href="http://gng.org/yv-programs">Youth Voices Programs</a> from the Global Nomads Group. Each program explores a "big" question and there are student and educator workbooks you can download for free. They provide some great ideas, lesson plans and frameworks for talking with youth from around the world about important issues.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">You can also go really basic--brainstorming with your students about what they would want to learn about students from other countries and coming up with a list of questions to ask each other.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is an idea that can be used as part of an existing program--or you could develop an entire project around the concept of making global connections. If you try this out, let us know how it goes--we'd love to hear from you through comments!</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-8259420853616447012015-06-16T03:00:00.000-07:002015-06-16T03:00:02.623-07:00Try It Tuesday: Starting Things Right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3AVlESdWZlKr4zoiu3KIjTy7lJOR_WSdrDrZvGmAI1vWbdR-oNXos7JslHyrOBjGXmz6IgKdAm1TVDDwHAbHp0uN4N-e87DeIFj95r0g3sGHbaKZZKbQ6yMFmEdqj4nTjNs2XpPsQbwu/s1600/beginning-quotes-a-new-beginning-quotes-on-new-beginnings-quote-the-secret-of-getting-ahead-is-getting-started.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3AVlESdWZlKr4zoiu3KIjTy7lJOR_WSdrDrZvGmAI1vWbdR-oNXos7JslHyrOBjGXmz6IgKdAm1TVDDwHAbHp0uN4N-e87DeIFj95r0g3sGHbaKZZKbQ6yMFmEdqj4nTjNs2XpPsQbwu/s400/beginning-quotes-a-new-beginning-quotes-on-new-beginnings-quote-the-secret-of-getting-ahead-is-getting-started.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As many programs are gearing up for the summer, we wanted to revisit ideas for starting well. How we welcome young people into a program and how we start each day can have a profound impact.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's easy for us to get hung up on starting with things like paperwork or telling students the rules, but if we are more intentional and creative, we can create welcoming space that both set expectations and help young people feel invited into the work. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What's particularly important in starting a program is creating relationships, so that young people feel connected to others in the program, as well as to the adults on staff. The more connected young people feel, the more likely they will be to complete the program and to persist if/when things get challenging. Our focus should be on "relationships before content," understanding that the more young people feel a part of a community, the more positive and successful they will be. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">First, here's <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/06/try-it-tuesday-great-beginnings.html">a post on Great Beginnings</a> that we published last June. It includes a number of different activities for program starts and for daily starts. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, a few more ideas. . . </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Create a Future Self-Portrait</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Invite students to reflect on where they want to be at the end of the summer as a result of participating in your program by having them create a future self-portrait. Let them use collage and drawing to reflect on this future self--who they want to be and what they want to achieve by the end of the summer. Then have them share their self-portrait with a partner. You may want to hang their self-portrait or have students keep these in a reflection folder that they can work with throughout the program and return to at the end of the summer. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc-vC3kLf1JWW9o5jUcCHtVbSXeABpOH08AA0XzFM5uiZXGSwD9eldVDbz0D0YoSpvNDg5J1SfCjFQ49ymgIIWjxeGSaIUnvZpZ-OEvGO8ceJo9pAiOVq6ZnIYnk4vui7I-tCMvLC63QZ/s1600/lab-no-4-more-motivational-inspirational-quotes-in-collage-400x400-imae2gzevs6bpuyf.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSc-vC3kLf1JWW9o5jUcCHtVbSXeABpOH08AA0XzFM5uiZXGSwD9eldVDbz0D0YoSpvNDg5J1SfCjFQ49ymgIIWjxeGSaIUnvZpZ-OEvGO8ceJo9pAiOVq6ZnIYnk4vui7I-tCMvLC63QZ/s400/lab-no-4-more-motivational-inspirational-quotes-in-collage-400x400-imae2gzevs6bpuyf.jpeg" width="296" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Create a Motivational Collage for a Classmate</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Start by having students interview each other to learn about what motivates their partner. What colors do they like? Are there particular images that motivate them? Particular phrases or words? It can help to interview a partner about times when they've felt particularly motivated and to have them think about what helped them feel motivated during those times. Each partner should get 10 minutes to talk about what motivates them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then provide students with a variety of magazines and images. (Here are a <a href="http://arttherapist.blogspot.com/2010/02/magazine-clipping-templates.html">bunch of magazine phrases</a> organized in various collections that you could download and print out for students to use) If possible, you can allow them to look online for images that they can then print out. Also provide them with glue sticks, markers, scissors and card stock or construction paper to glue the images onto. Invite each student to create a motivational collage for their partner. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Once the collages are complete, they should present the collage to their partner and talk through why they selected the various images, etc.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Create a Timeline to Introduce Yourself</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">One creative way to get students acquainted with one another is to have them create a timeline of their lives, identifying the most significant (to them) events in their lives thus far. You can <a href="http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PostItNA/Home/Ideas/Articles/Timeline-Chart/">do this with Post-It Notes </a>or with a few sheets of paper. Invite students to create their timelines and then share with a partner or small group. Have them look for similarities and places where their lives have been different.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqzNKpv63N-a7v7dChHvO7Bnz5oEdksi4E7j_Xjej7ReA6pyD3wfm8XHidssMI54HjuHWSOgk86h3mzoafAW7p57cl5vNAmTH12OM28tlCqiUw197bg7aowlZL_37tZ3lYeZsM49wv-b/s1600/Step_friends_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcqzNKpv63N-a7v7dChHvO7Bnz5oEdksi4E7j_Xjej7ReA6pyD3wfm8XHidssMI54HjuHWSOgk86h3mzoafAW7p57cl5vNAmTH12OM28tlCqiUw197bg7aowlZL_37tZ3lYeZsM49wv-b/s400/Step_friends_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>Notes to a Friend</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Prior to the start of class, write down the names of every student on separate slips of paper. As students enter the classroom that day, have them draw someone's name and give them 5 Post-It notes. Have them keep an eye out for something they appreciate about the person whose name they've drawn and have them write down their observations on a Post-It. By the end of the day, they should leave these notes on the person's desk. It's fun to do this anonymously!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>These are just a few ideas to get you started. What other creative ways do you have for beginnings--either beginning a program or beginning each day? Leave us a note in comments!</i></b></span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-43704594084701905602015-06-08T03:39:00.000-07:002015-06-08T10:39:57.403-07:00Try It Tuesday: Create Chat Stations!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFUL4yP0vqo" width="560"></iframe>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Looking for a way to keep students energized and engaged for class discussions? Try creating "Chat Stations"!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In elementary school, students often do a lot of station work, where they go to a "station" set up in the room to work on a project or complete a task, moving from station to station. We tend to do less station work as children get older, even though everyone benefits from an opportunity to move and be active at different stations. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The "Chat Station" is a watered down version of the stations used in elementary school that requires less set-up and preparation. It's a great way to help students get an introduction to a new topic, review materials or explore something in more depth. For example, let's say you're introducing the topic of job interviews. You could set up a few Stations, each with a question, such as:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Why do you think businesses interview someone before they hire them?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think businesses are looking for through an interview?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What kinds of questions do you think they ask during an interview?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What seems like the hardest thing about a job interview? What seems like it would be the easiest thing? </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a simple process that can be adapted for a variety of purposes and is a change of pace from our usual large-group or even small group discussions. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The 5-minute video above provides a good step-by-step introduction to the set up and process, along with some tips for using Chat Stations in the classroom. Let us know in comments if you try it out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-65883397779292140072015-06-02T05:22:00.003-07:002015-06-02T05:23:26.601-07:00Try It Tuesday: Use the AudioBoom App to Make Audio Recordings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU7_xvxecIUOIJhtFa5DJDYnGA23VHXJgwgNw4pMIML2Wq8-2sRjetUy9COY9GbTwTnGEG6m9GgSn5xFgfCzvJuso8dP3F9oQiayE_-B86-i4AFxs6CDDHFPw7m1K9IdyHQHAP919Aq4y/s1600/Podcasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU7_xvxecIUOIJhtFa5DJDYnGA23VHXJgwgNw4pMIML2Wq8-2sRjetUy9COY9GbTwTnGEG6m9GgSn5xFgfCzvJuso8dP3F9oQiayE_-B86-i4AFxs6CDDHFPw7m1K9IdyHQHAP919Aq4y/s400/Podcasting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the best ways to engage young people in the classroom is by using multimedia tools. In previous Try It Tuesday posts, we've exploring<a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/02/try-it-tuesday-use-nutshell-iphone-app.html"> the Nutshell app</a> (which combines audio and visuals), <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/08/try-it-tuesday-make-screencast.html">tools for making screencasts</a> and the <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/05/try-it-tuesday-use-pic-collage.html">PicCollage</a> app, where you can create collages and overlay text. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This week we're introducing you to <a href="https://audioboom.com/">AudioBoom</a>, a website and app for iPhones and Androids that allows you to create and share audio recordings.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Getting Started</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">To get started, you will first want to visit the <a href="https://audioboom.com/">AudioBoom website</a> to create a free account. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">With AudioBoom <b>you can do recordings on the fly through your smart phone or tablet computer by downloading the app </b>or you c<b>an record directly through the website via a laptop or desktop computer.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you plan to record using a smartphone or tablet, then you will also want to download the app, either by going to Google Play (for Android) or to the App Store for iPhones/iPads. </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Making a Recording</b></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Once your free account has been created, you can record or upload audio clips of up to 10 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To upload a previously saved audio file, follow these instructions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To record through the website, follow these instructions:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50Him6nSQSJGKo7FgmHiYR1V6RfalihCTHKi8AQw9w622ia1j1MmZbdtCWZ8fVhiFl3zwQF1PNWosf1RH_nvBxnECp3D-We0w7jBD27ep9b5VCFWiC1Anr2Uu5mPTyFNrdPzsojS-qLpC/s1600/AudioBoom+Record.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50Him6nSQSJGKo7FgmHiYR1V6RfalihCTHKi8AQw9w622ia1j1MmZbdtCWZ8fVhiFl3zwQF1PNWosf1RH_nvBxnECp3D-We0w7jBD27ep9b5VCFWiC1Anr2Uu5mPTyFNrdPzsojS-qLpC/s400/AudioBoom+Record.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can also record through the smartphone/tablet app. </span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">On the main page of the app,<b> look for the red button on the top right of the screen</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Select the button, which will take you to the "record" screen. <b>Click on the red Record button to begin the recording. </b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">You can pause the recording and you can also use the scissors on the Pause screen to trim out any mistakes or excess audio.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Once the recording is complete, <b>select "Publish"</b> and the recording will be uploaded to your profile. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can access the recording by logging into your account and going to your posts or through the app where you select your Account and then select "posts."</span></div>
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<h4>
<b>Sharing Your Recordings</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To share your recordings via a blog or website, you simply go to the individual Post page, where you can copy the "Embed" code for the file, as you would with a YouTube video. You can then paste the code into a blog or a website for online sharing. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6wcfqwBa9eM8weLVZ3rXVXnm94-dr6LZykXef1ZSpDTbpTfeKxz_o3cDfJir_p9_76OI-eUP-DcPN_GIkWC-9NFHWkfEwERiDVhQOHqBlL6Tr3fjFLT3Vp2vsanVQ7UUlaAfZgonC1x2/s1600/Embed+AudioBoom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6wcfqwBa9eM8weLVZ3rXVXnm94-dr6LZykXef1ZSpDTbpTfeKxz_o3cDfJir_p9_76OI-eUP-DcPN_GIkWC-9NFHWkfEwERiDVhQOHqBlL6Tr3fjFLT3Vp2vsanVQ7UUlaAfZgonC1x2/s400/Embed+AudioBoom.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Ways to Use AudioBoom in the Classroom</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are so many ways you could use AudioBoom to support learning and engage students, including having them:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Do 10-minute <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/03/try-it-tuesday-do-appreciative.html">Appreciative Interviews</a> with each other. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Interview adults about their careers as part of an internship or a career exploration module. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Produce an audio "commercial" about themselves. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Create and tell a story about a personal experience.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Produce an audio reflection piece on what they've learned from a particular experience or from classroom activities. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Do an audio "review" of a book, play, music, etc. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Do a spoken word or poetry reading. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There are a million possibilities for these 10-minute audio clips--try asking young people how THEY might like to use the tool to express themselves or reflect on their learning!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you use AudioBoom or a similar tool, leave us a note in comments. We'd love to hear more about how you use audio with your students!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-62698799784633220592015-05-26T01:25:00.000-07:002015-05-26T01:25:00.514-07:00Try It Tuesday: Become a "Hands Off" Instructor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByqpSmx8ageaPjeZtLpPIg78TSg6Rxf0W4z6sf_dp21HICavoL1tYp11RAnMFGEW-sN5pB1yRyrL2mt3rzGEZDfi8-opEAyr3XRbGjWZvQn0_mjr4rTHzzQ6U2n0dN5ensbeuoRK5d6mz/s1600/students+teaching+students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByqpSmx8ageaPjeZtLpPIg78TSg6Rxf0W4z6sf_dp21HICavoL1tYp11RAnMFGEW-sN5pB1yRyrL2mt3rzGEZDfi8-opEAyr3XRbGjWZvQn0_mjr4rTHzzQ6U2n0dN5ensbeuoRK5d6mz/s400/students+teaching+students.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.0004997253418px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
I<span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">n 2005, the National Academy of Sciences reviewed everything we know about learning in a paper called </span><em style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">How Students Learn</em><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">. In this report, 600 pages of research culminate in a single word, which the NAS identifies as the key to effective learning:</span><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;"> </span><strong style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">metacognition</strong><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">. Metacognition (or thinking about thinking) is the secret to and driving force behind all effective learning. If you want your students to learn as much as possible, then you want to maximize the amount of metacognition they're doing. It's a pretty simple equation.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.0004997253418px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
The only problem is that most classrooms are set up to promote metacognition in the teachers, not the students. To succeed, you need to think about your own thinking (How did I learn this? How have I taught this before? What worked and didn't work?) as well as your students' thinking (What do they know? What will keep them engaged?). However, it's far too easy for your students to kick back, disengage, and wait for <em>you</em> to simplify the material for them.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.0004997253418px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<b>You're like a personal trainer who says, "I'm going to help you meet all your fitness goals. Now sit back and watch me lift all the weight."--</b><i>Hunter Maats and Katie O'Brien, <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/hands-off-teaching-cultivates-metacognition-hunter-maats-katie-obrien">Hands Off Teaching Cultivates Metacognition</a></i></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20.0004997253418px; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In our work with students, we often talk about the need to create "lifelong learners." But in reality, in many cases we are teaching young people to be "lifelong passive recipients of information." For students to become lifelong learners, they need more opportunities to think about their thinking and more opportunities to teach, rather than just to listen or engage in a teacher-directed activity. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppzr1e8o-9AH7XMJl3qYE12npB7SpFjnTCwRUH8Jzhywll90MgLN9LjxVemsaJ63IJD_fOWiuCGCVtLYzXN7EXLVIZopE7eYHisqCiNaemMFUni38O5rip-cCleaT8dqR-Q7hRyuThnbv/s1600/Derrius-at-Kenwwod-Academy-2010-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppzr1e8o-9AH7XMJl3qYE12npB7SpFjnTCwRUH8Jzhywll90MgLN9LjxVemsaJ63IJD_fOWiuCGCVtLYzXN7EXLVIZopE7eYHisqCiNaemMFUni38O5rip-cCleaT8dqR-Q7hRyuThnbv/s400/Derrius-at-Kenwwod-Academy-2010-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So how can you become more "hands-off" in your classroom and help young people take more responsibility for their learning? Here are some simple ideas, several of which come from the article <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/hands-off-teaching-cultivates-metacognition-hunter-maats-katie-obrien">Hands Off Teaching Cultivates Metacognition</a>:</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;"><b>When students ask a question, don't automatically give them the answer.</b> Instead, say "I don't know--let's find out" and then have them look things up for themselves. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">If you are marking a young person's work--say reviewing a resume or a cover letter, for example--don't mark and correct the errors. Instead, <b>tell the young person how many errors you found and then challenge them to identify the errors and to suggest corrections themselves. </b></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;"><b>Challenge students to give "mini lessons" to their classmates</b>. Have them become the "expert" in a topic area and then teach others how to do something. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;"><b>Do some "Q-Storming" when you introduce new topics</b>. Rather than focusing on answers when you introduce a new topic, try having young people brainstorm all their questions about the topic. For example, what are their questions about job interviews? Or what questions do they have about the workplace? Once they've identified a bunch of questions, then consolidate the questions and challenge them to work in teams to come up with their answers that they can then share with their classmates. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;"><b>Have students "learn out loud."</b> If they are working through a problem or questions, have them narrate out loud the thinking process they are using to get to the answer. It might be helpful for you to first model this process yourself, demonstrating to young people what you are thinking as you solve a problem or challenge yourself. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20.0004997253418px;">Becoming more "hands off" will increase student engagement and help them take greater responsibility for their own learning. What "hands off" strategies do you use with your students? We'd love to hear from you in comments!</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-11242013786487071812015-05-19T05:25:00.001-07:002015-05-19T05:25:11.737-07:00Try It Tuesday: Explore The Ron Clark Academy<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w5SBsk3rS6s" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here at Try It Tuesday, we are all about using <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/07/try-it-tuesday-lets-get-physical.html">movement</a>, music and fun to keep young people engaged in the classroom. As you can see in the video above, the <a href="http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/">Ron Clark Academy</a> (RCA) takes this to a whole new level!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">RCA is a nonprofit middle school in Southeast Atlanta that also operates as a demonstration school, providing educators from around the world with opportunities to visit, observe and learn about the unique strategies RCA uses to engage students, promote academic rigor and create a climate and culture that promotes success.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They were recently featured on CNN:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kFSR53NJFAY" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can learn more about their <a href="http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/Educator-Welcome">Teacher Training Experiences here</a>. A 1-day workshop is $375 and a 2-day workshop is $720 and they have <a href="http://www.ronclarkacademy.com/Register">upcoming dates</a> in the summer and fall. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">They've had fantastic success and as the videos demonstrate, their students are fully engaged in and excited about the learning process!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What could we learn from RCA and their strategies? </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-24532075276700828882015-05-12T01:30:00.000-07:002015-05-19T05:25:40.660-07:00Try It Tuesday: Use the Pic Collage Smartphone/Tablet App For Learning and Reflection<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UCD0SQi_wts" width="420"></iframe><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">In many of our programs, we incorporate opportunities for young people to reflect on what they're learning--a valuable way to help them incorporate their experiences.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One creative way to encourage reflection is by having young people use the smartphone app <a href="http://pic-collage.com/">Pic Collage</a>. There's also a version for younger students, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pic-collage-for-kids-best/id977081997?mt=8">PicCollage for Kids</a>. With it, students can arrange multiple photos into a single collage and then add text to the final creation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Above is a brief tutorial to get you started, from the article, <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/07/how-to-use-piccollage-and-five-ideas.html#.VUyubNNViko">Five Ideas for Using Pic Collage in the Classroom</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And here are some suggestions for how you could use it:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Invite young people to collect photos of their work experience (or some aspect of it) and then put them together into a collage reflecting on their experience. They can use the text tool to include a summary statement. Then have them share with the class. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Have them take photos that represent a particular concept or idea from their perspective--such as "respect" or "professionalism"--and then stitch these together into a collage for sharing. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Have them use the app to create a poster for an event or activity. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">They can create collages of things (and/or people) they are passionate about, their aspirations, etc. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">If you're integrating<a href="http://www.michelemmartin.com/design_thinking_for_youth/"> Design Thinking</a> into your program, students could use the app to collect customer experience photos that represent a particular customer need or want. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">You could also challenge students to come up with their own creative ideas for using the app. If you do, please share them here in comments! We'd love to hear from you!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-63942961412803774592015-05-05T03:00:00.000-07:002015-05-05T03:00:05.366-07:00Try It Tuesday: Keep a Learning Journal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wj5PSLWkyR8hDOfntrn2JFLKYjucJolu2wqImTchD2qp7iOWum8SuGoUk4GoVK06NLTGTa7Xp8WM0DNDVIRrjL9iiz0jlYSGfaTxmxOaOoXyFqAXVTWqm0xsMV1JPtqxe3UseQjqok4F/s1600/composition+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wj5PSLWkyR8hDOfntrn2JFLKYjucJolu2wqImTchD2qp7iOWum8SuGoUk4GoVK06NLTGTa7Xp8WM0DNDVIRrjL9iiz0jlYSGfaTxmxOaOoXyFqAXVTWqm0xsMV1JPtqxe3UseQjqok4F/s1600/composition+book.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most important skills we can develop is our capacity to learn new things. We live in a society where change is rapid and ongoing and if we aren't comfortable with the process of learning, we will be left behind. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One way to help students become more effective learners is by helping them to maintain a learning journal. In it, they reflect not on WHAT they've learned, but on <b>HOW they are learning</b>. The goal is to get them to think about how they learn best so they can use the strategies that are more likely to work for them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some questions they can respond to include:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What was easiest for me to learn this week? Why?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What was challenging for me to learn this week? Why?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What learning habits seem to be working well for me? Why?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What habits aren't working as well? Why and what could I change?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">What are new learning strategies I could experiment with for next week? How will I know if they work for me? </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Working with a learning journal is something that we can model for young people, using the time that they are responding to reflect on our own learning during the past week. Then we can share our observations about our learning and invite our young people to do the same with each other. This creates a stronger learning community for everyone. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Reflecting on the "how" of learning is part of <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/04/try-it-tuesday-cultivate-growth-mindset.html">cultivating a growth mindset</a>. It helps young people see how their efforts do and don't pay off in the learning process and where they may need to make adjustments. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It can also give us some insights into what works and what doesn't work for our students so that we can suggest new strategies and opportunities to experiment with learning. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you use learning journals? How have they worked for you? Drop us a note in comments to share your experience!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-538941859558313402015-04-28T11:40:00.000-07:002015-04-29T12:06:41.531-07:00Try It Tuesday: Jam4Justice 2015 Wrap-Up<iframe height="480" src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-k3Wg-HS6jcMFBNT1kxRms3VGs/preview" width="575"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had our Jam4Justice event on April 24, 2015 and it was </span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">AMAZING</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Over 30 people showed up and within an hour, we had identified 6 passion-based social justice projects and had formed teams for each. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The teams worked for the next 6.5 hours (with short walking and lunch breaks) on some fantastic ideas, including a musical (see the video below), a six-week digital storytelling curriculum--even an adventure-based learning school and a youth-run spoken word cafe! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<iframe height="480" src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-k3Wg-HS6jcLXppX0RJWFpSZVk/preview" width="575"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The feedback we got from participants was fantastic--check out the video at the top of this post for what people learned from the day. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And here are some comments we received from our survey:</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be honest I was quite surprised at how the day went. I first thought I was walking into one of those long workshops where I sit for hours. But I learned a great deal about myself and help to realize my project on paper. Thanks to Kelly Wilson and Mr Bob. I had a wonderful time and would like to do this monthly. I could go on sharing and sharing what the outcomes were for me on that day. I am so glad I went to the Jam. It was bigger than what I consider a jam. </span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having the space to come up with real solutions to assist youth while networking and having fun. Also, having creative liberty and not being bound to unnecessary restraints. I had a really great time and worked with an amazing group of people who were all so different, but came together and created an awesome experience that I believe can empower our youth to positively impact the world. </span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Loved the action-oriented nature of the event. And that it was organized around a central theme/topic of social justice. There was enough structure to keep everyone "on task" but not too much to stifle our creativity.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.michelemmartin.com/jam4justice_2015/">Check out the Jam4Justice website</a> for more information and pics. We're already thinking about how we can do Jams on a quarterly basis and how we can bring young people into the Jam process. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If you'd like to join us for future Jams, fill out the form in the right sidebar so we can keep you posted. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-60950566001679668282015-04-21T03:58:00.002-07:002015-04-21T03:58:56.135-07:00Try It Tuesday: Use Classcraft to Gamify Your Classroom<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="313" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/117431751" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/117431751">Classcraft Introductory Webinar - 2015-01-21</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/classcraftgame">Classcraft</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The most popular post on our Try It Tuesday blog was the one we wrote last year on<a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/07/try-it-tuesday-gamify-your-classroom.html"> Gamifying Your Classroom</a>. In this post, we're introducing you to <a href="http://www.classcraft.com/">Classcraft</a>, a free online tool you can use to turn your classroom into an immersive role-playing game.</span><br />
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<h4>
How It Works</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Classcraft, each student can <b>choose to become one of three character types</b>--a mage, a warrior or a healer. <b>Each character has different powers</b> that can be activated as part of game play and these powers change as they gain levels in the game. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6zp6daEvldZ-Q5hEiFmGc1CKPIwCZ9Kl1IjuRItZ_qAR5StGbwNwvdsHHL9AZThyphenhyphenOw9_RZL07ZCQZ-7iWw-gU8BYvNfQ1XwoES53Y2ShPqc2rpmuAmXJ8N83v99RE9i6n-6oTS6Skd03/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-21+at+6.22.51+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6zp6daEvldZ-Q5hEiFmGc1CKPIwCZ9Kl1IjuRItZ_qAR5StGbwNwvdsHHL9AZThyphenhyphenOw9_RZL07ZCQZ-7iWw-gU8BYvNfQ1XwoES53Y2ShPqc2rpmuAmXJ8N83v99RE9i6n-6oTS6Skd03/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-21+at+6.22.51+AM.png" height="242" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Students <b>work in teams and can be rewarded (or penalized) both for individual actions as well as for actions that impact their teams</b>. As they progress through the game, they can earn experience points and gold pieces that allow them to customize their characters and obtain new gear, including pets. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Instructors can also assign rewards and penalties for different classroom behaviors</b>--for example, help a teammate with their work and earn experience points. Show up late to class and your character may lose health points and ultimately fall in battle! The image below shows an example of the kinds of behaviors that might cause students to lose hit points. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx5td5nm4_Mm09lv3ZTC_OZNSb242i2nNTVktGjQ9XlTzV6kWjChyphenhyphenpoBrrCs5B3_xgE6w8wf8f4n3vG968KbuAwvYMHtx2f_MZuVUhUMrtdpBiUwi7v7ktYuHOF8I4h8SQX9R9pkL955N/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-21+at+6.34.48+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLx5td5nm4_Mm09lv3ZTC_OZNSb242i2nNTVktGjQ9XlTzV6kWjChyphenhyphenpoBrrCs5B3_xgE6w8wf8f4n3vG968KbuAwvYMHtx2f_MZuVUhUMrtdpBiUwi7v7ktYuHOF8I4h8SQX9R9pkL955N/s1600/Screen+shot+2015-04-21+at+6.34.48+AM.png" height="233" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can run the game using a laptop and projector or it can run on individual iPads or iPhones. You have options to reward or penalize individuals, teams or the entire class and students can use their "powers" to help each other, thus building their collaborative skills. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The video at the top of this post gives you a thorough overview of gameplay, as well as all of the features and how they can be used in the game</b>. </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
How Could You Use It?</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Classcraft will work best in support of a classroom-based setting. You could introduce it at the beginning of a program and use it throughout, or you might experiment with using it to support a particular unit or portion of the curriculum to see how it works. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more on Classcraft, check out their <a href="http://www.classcraft.com/">website here</a>. And if you give it a try, leave us a note in comments to let us know what you think. </span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-65199893254421069202015-04-14T03:00:00.000-07:002015-04-14T04:07:11.335-07:00Try It Tuesday: Cultivate a Growth Mindset<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vQpgU2ybEhCW0MADjY2tqx43nkJnFZGZ8WqAdOxFCm2fHLOITJorf34rXWSEjaaOp_Bn4S3ykV5yNnpbnWbzKpMKWNX9J9HsbMbQmIPluN2ACjGLrGcatPk82Hsu7JxoVy1j9cbp5iWT/s1600/fixed+vs+growth+mindset.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vQpgU2ybEhCW0MADjY2tqx43nkJnFZGZ8WqAdOxFCm2fHLOITJorf34rXWSEjaaOp_Bn4S3ykV5yNnpbnWbzKpMKWNX9J9HsbMbQmIPluN2ACjGLrGcatPk82Hsu7JxoVy1j9cbp5iWT/s1600/fixed+vs+growth+mindset.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>For twenty years my research has shown that the view you adopt of yourself profoundly impacts the way you lead your life.</i></b> --Carol Dweck</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">In working with young people, one of the most frustrating and heartbreaking things we can see are students who seem to have given up on themselves. In this week's Try It Tuesday, we are going to look at one explanation for that behavior that comes from extensive research into the impact of our mindset on our ability to grow.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets</h4>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Carol Dweck has done a great deal of research into how mindsets impact our ability to grow and learn. She has discovered that in dealing with various life domains, we can have either a "fixed mindset" or a "growth mindset," as illustrated in the graphic above.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The <b>"fixed mindset" is a belief that qualities such as intelligence, creativity and personality are fixed traits that cannot be changed.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the <b>growth mindset, on the other hand, we believe that we can develop our basic qualities</b>. Yes, we may have various aptitudes and talents, but through effort and experience, we can grow our basic abilities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the graphic at the top of this post demonstrates, each of these mindsets leads to a series of behaviors that can have a profound impact on student learning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The fixed mindset creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over again and any negative feedback is perceived as an attack on your character. The growth mindset, on the other hand, encourages effort and learning. If you truly believe that you can grow, then you recognize that through practice and experience you can develop your intelligence, your creativity and so forth.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Watch the short video below for more information on these two mindsets and their impacts.</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-_oqghnxBmY" width="560"></iframe><br />
<h4>
Supporting the Growth Mindset</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">In working with young people, we want to encourage them to adopt the growth mindset about things like intelligence and creativity. We want to help them to see that these are NOT fixed traits, but, in fact, aspects of ourselves that we can develop through learning and practice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So how do we do this? Here are some ideas. . .</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Test your own beliefs</b>--Take <a href="http://mindsetonline.com/testyourmindset/step1.php">this short mindset quiz</a> and see where you land. If you have a fixed mindset, especially when it comes to working with your students, then you'll want to do some more reading and research to understand exactly how this might be influencing your work with young people--and with yourself. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Introduce your students to Dweck's research</b>--Share with them some of the video, audio and other resources listed at the bottom of this post and have a discussion about fixed vs. growth mindsets and how they might be influencing them. You might want to have them take the quiz above and then use the results as a jumping off point for discussion. Help them to understand how their mindset might be influencing them and discuss ways that they can start changing their approach. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Praise students for effort and hard work, not for being "smart" or "creative"</b>--One of the most important ways we can help young people start making the shift into the growth mindset is by showing them the connection between their effort and their achievement. If they do well, then show them that it was a result of their effort. If they are less than successful, make the link between lack of effort and their lack of success, making it clear that it's the hard work and persistence that make the difference. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Teach students the <a href="http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html">4 steps for changing to a growth mindset</a> and reinforce these regularly</b>--These include recognizing when your internal monologue is using a fixed mindset "voice," talking back to it with a growth mindset, and then taking growth mindset actions. This is a strategy that you can embed into both classroom interactions, as well as into your individual coaching and work with students. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Be mindful of your own fixed and growth mindsets and share these stories with students</b>. We are not immune to the fixed vs. growth mindset beliefs, so it's helpful if we work alongside students to see where we may be fixed and need to make a shift into growth. Pay attention to the domains of your life where you may have more of a fixed mindset and share this with your students. Discuss how you can work to shift into growth and what efforts you have made in this direction. This is a great place for modeling the <a href="http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html">4 steps for change</a> so that young people see how it can work in their own lives.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fixed mindsets develop over time and it will take time for young people to adopt more growth-oriented beliefs. Look for ways to embed this work into your daily practices with young people so that they are regularly looking for ways in which they are growth-oriented and further developing their growth mindsets. </span></div>
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<h4>
Additional Resources</h4>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some additional resources for learning about the growth mindset:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/">Brainpickings Summary of Mindset</a>--good summary of Dweck's book. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://mindsetonline.com/index.html">Dweck's Mindset Website</a>--Includes links to some good articles and podcasts. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://jamesclear.com/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset"><span style="font-size: large;">How Your Beliefs Can Sabotage Your Behavior</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/">How Not to Talk to Your Kids</a>--great article!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j2ght6CVk4"><span style="font-size: large;">Free audio version of Mindset on YouTube</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGvR_0mNpWM"><span style="font-size: large;">Dweck Talk on Mindsets on YouTube</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-90093739819606300622015-04-07T04:00:00.000-07:002015-04-07T04:00:04.779-07:00Try It Tuesday: Knee to Knee Conversations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/conversation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/conversation.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When we meet with people, we usually do so with a table or desk between us. This creates a subtle barrier that can block us from full engagement and conversation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To invite deeper, more intimate connection and conversation, consider the power of having students talking "knee-to-knee." This can be a way to open up a discussion on a new topic or to invite them deeper into an exploration of a topic or theme you're already working on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The set-up is easy. Invite students to go into pairs, trios or even quads, moving away from their desks or tables and pulling up to each other so they are sitting knee-to-knee. If you want to start a session in this way, arrange the chairs ahead of time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Then invite students to have a conversation. Some questions to consider (that you can adapt to your topic):</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What draws you here today?</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What are you bringing to this community?</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What excites you or interests you about this topic?</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What audacious goal could we set around this topic?</span></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What is your best experience related to this topic?</span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">What have you learned today that has the most meaning for you?</span></b></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">How would you like to bring what we've learned today into your life?</span></b></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Knee to knee conversation would work well in <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2015/03/try-it-tuesday-do-appreciative.html">doing appreciative interviews</a>. They can also work well in conjunction with <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/06/try-it-tuesday-great-beginnings.html">great beginnings</a> and with some of the strategies for <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/07/try-it-tuesday-promote-happiness.html">promoting happiness</a> and <a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/08/try-it-tuesday-ending-in-style.html">ending in style</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Try <b>reflecting with students on how different conversations feel when they are sitting knee-to-knee rather than talking to each other across a table or desk.</b> Do they notice a difference in the quality of the discussion? What are the differences that they observe? If they were uncomfortable with the set-up, why was that? What can they learn about themselves, as well as about the power of simple changes to the physical set-up of a conversation? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is also something to try with other staff. How do staff meetings change, for example, if you spend a portion of time reflecting on an important question, sitting knee-to-knee with other people? Does the level of engagement change? Are you able to have a more authentic conversation? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you try this strategy, leave us a note in comments on how it works. We'd love to hear from you!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-66033646394411914502015-03-31T02:00:00.000-07:002015-03-31T02:00:03.367-07:00Try It Tuesday: Make a 5-Minute Online "Film Festival"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://f.vimeocdn.com/si/videoschool/filmfestival2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://f.vimeocdn.com/si/videoschool/filmfestival2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Young people who have grown up in the Internet and YouTube age are definitely drawn to video as a medium for learning and expression. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One way to tap into this is by engaging young people in creating their own 5-minute film festivals--a collection of 5-minute films linked by a particular theme or topic. This could be done for a variety of learning objectives from learning workforce skills to exploring topics such as social justice, art or how to make things. </span><br />
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<h4>
Planning for your Festival</h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">You'll get the most bang for your buck if you work with students through all aspects of your "festival." Have them consider questions like:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is the theme? </b>How do you want to link the films together or what larger story might you want to tell? </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Who is the audience?</b> Are they putting this together for themselves? For other young people? For another audience? What will the audience want to see?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What criteria should you use for evaluating films to include?</b> Besides running 5-minutes or less, what else should they look for? </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How will you share your videos?</b> Blogging software, like <a href="https://www.blogger.com/home">Blogger</a>, or something like <a href="https://sites.google.com/">Google Sites</a> can be simple ways to get your films online. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The process of talking through the plan with students can open up rich opportunities for learning!</span></div>
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<h4>
<b>Getting the Videos</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are a few ways to pull together films for your festival. </span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Video Collections</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One quick and easy way to do this is to invite students to <b>look online for existing videos</b> that meet your festival criteria. If you're just testing this idea, finding existing videos can be a good place to start. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Student-Made Videos</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another way to approach your film festival is to engage students in developing their own films. This opens up many avenues for learning, including how to tell a story and how to accomplish the technical aspects of creating a movie, such as capturing and editing video, including music, etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you decide to try student-made videos, have them upload to YouTube or Vimeo. This will allow you to get "embed" code so that your final videos can be embedded into the blogging or website building platform you're using for the festival. </span></div>
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<h4>
Screening and Evaluating Videos</h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whether students find existing videos or decide to make their own, you will want to schedule an initial screening where students can see all the submissions and decide on which videos should be included in the final festival. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They can evaluate the videos according to how well they address the themes and criteria you discussed in the planning phase, as well as discuss how they might work for your chosen audience. </span></div>
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<h4>
<b>Launching the Festival</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the final videos have been selected, you can work with students to get them into your chosen platform. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You will want to include a brief description of the film, any appropriate credits for who made it and any other information you think it would be useful for your audience to have in viewing the video. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you use Blogger or Google Sites, you can easily embed the videos and then write in descriptions and other information. Then share the link with your audience!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123446536961937778.post-56062750254593382352015-03-24T03:31:00.000-07:002015-03-24T03:31:00.253-07:00Try It Tuesday: Create Rituals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5p_z64fsaJqjpCT6Zsb_bMMhggZxaOqTEMYeuY74BCgVcIuQyRatqNdrFauYVqDXgyxovbbUfuEU9TnY-yviLzhpwv6jPCXWV-tWyKWBdT8iTsEHZS0GhrU4vhkpDeYB1PGnDECY1Ag/s1600/teenClubHeader1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5p_z64fsaJqjpCT6Zsb_bMMhggZxaOqTEMYeuY74BCgVcIuQyRatqNdrFauYVqDXgyxovbbUfuEU9TnY-yviLzhpwv6jPCXWV-tWyKWBdT8iTsEHZS0GhrU4vhkpDeYB1PGnDECY1Ag/s1600/teenClubHeader1.gif" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">All students learn best when they are in an environment where they feel safe and connected. This creates an opportunity for curiosity to emerge, where risks can be taken and where growth can occur. One of the best ways to create this kind of environment is by incorporating classroom rituals.</span><br />
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<h4>
<b>What is a Ritual?</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.peacefirst.org/digitalactivitycenter/files/rituals_toolkit_10.30.2012_0.pdf">Peacefirst</a> defines a ritual as:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">actions, activities or ceremonies, repeated on a regular basis, that have specific meaning or significance and that reinforce a desired behavior.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Many of us already have classroom rituals we use, although we may not call them that. We may, for example, have a morning check-in or a way of calling students to silence that we use regularly. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Rituals can occur on a daily or weekly basis. We can also have regular rituals we use to start and end our programs or in connection with specific events or projects.</span><br />
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<a href="http://justmeandyoukid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nighttime-activities-for-teens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://justmeandyoukid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nighttime-activities-for-teens.jpg" height="165" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>How Can Rituals Support Student Learning?</b></h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Done well, rituals can:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Provide students with <b>a sense of safety and community</b>.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">Provide <b>structure and clear expectations for behavior</b>.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Help students practice key skills</b>, such as communication, cooperation, empathy and conflict resolution. </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Create space for students to reflect</b> on their work and their behavior. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Create a more <b>peaceful and cooperative learning environment</b>. </span></li>
</ul>
<h4>
<b>Using Rituals Effectively</b></h4>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To ensure that your rituals are effective, you need to:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Explain</b>--Introduce each ritual to students, explaining its purpose and what's involved. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rehearse</b>--Have students practice the steps involved in the ritual, giving them an opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback. Depending on the nature of the ritual, this may not require much, but it's still important to treat the first few times as "practice" sessions, allowing students to become accustomed to the ritual. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Reinforce</b>--Be sure to model the behavior you're looking for and to reinforce young people as they use the ritual. Recognize those young people who are positively participating in the ritual and reinforce their behavior. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Be consistent</b>--Use the same language and routine every time. This is what reinforce the ritual. </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.ourkids.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock-Teenagers-in-Classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ourkids.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock-Teenagers-in-Classroom.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h4>
<b>Selecting Rituals</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>As you think about which rituals to use in your classroom or program, consider engaging young people in this process.</b> Work with them to brainstorm about the kind of positive classroom/program environment they want to create for themselves and then look at possible rituals to help reinforce that environment. Have your students identify which rituals resonate the most for them and try those out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And consider <b>having students lead some of these rituals</b> as a way for them to practice and develop their skills in this area. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Don't be afraid to experiment</b>--possibly trying out different opening and closing rituals and other types of rituals to see which work best for the group of students you're working with that the time. Some rituals work better with some groups than others. If a ritual that worked with a previous group doesn't seem to be working well now, find another ritual to take its place. </span></div>
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<h4>
<b>Resources on Rituals</b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Below are some resources with suggestions for a variety of rituals to use in your individual classroom and in developing your programs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.peacefirst.org/digitalactivitycenter/files/rituals_toolkit_10.30.2012_0.pdf">Creating a Peaceful Climate in Your Classroom and School Using Rituals</a>--A fantastic resource from Peacefirst, with tons of practical suggestions for opening and closing, for classroom management and for activities. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/pdf/11-12/10tips_classroom_management.pdf">Ten Tips for Classroom Management</a>--Great ideas from Edutopia.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://coachingchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/10/few-of-our-rituals-routines-and.html">Coaching Chronicles: Routines, Rituals and Expectations</a>--How one classroom teacher uses various rituals. Although written from the elementary teaching perspective, many of these apply and can be adapted for older students. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pumkin345/rituals-routines/">Rituals on Pinterest</a>--Some good examples and ideas here. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/06/try-it-tuesday-great-beginnings.html">Great Beginnings</a>--Some Try it Tuesday tips for beginnings.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/07/try-it-tuesday-lets-get-physical.html">Let's Get Physical</a>--Try It Tuesday ideas for incorporating movement rituals into your classroom. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/07/try-it-tuesday-promote-happiness.html">Promote Happiness</a>--Try It Tuesday rituals to encourage appreciation and happiness in your programs. </span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://tipstoengageyouth.blogspot.com/2014/08/try-it-tuesday-ending-in-style.html">Ending in Style</a>--Try It Tuesday tips on endings. </span></li>
</ul>
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