The Rookie Module

Every spring a magical transformation occurs. No, I'm not talking about the flowers blooming, caterpillars breaking free of their chrysalis, or the weather warming. I'm talking about how students magically begin to forget basic things they SHOULD KNOW.  Things like where the stapler is, or what to do if they're absent.

One spring, after being completely fed up with the frustrating questions, I began writing a list of the things students were forgetting that they should know from the beginning of the year.  I wrote down all the things that were driving me crazy. I realized something though.  It was really my own failure (an example of extreme ownership) that they didn't know these things in May.  I hadn't made it enough of a priority because I fell into the same pitfall every year:

In an effort to "get going" with the content of the class, I would neglect the important relationship building and overview of the common processes of the class.

This would leave students not knowing essential processes, and would manifest by the end of the year in me getting frustrated by answering "stupid" questions about things they should know already.  If I TRULY want them know know these things, I have to make time for them at the start of year. I have to emphasize them as being essential and give students the opportunity to prove they have the competency.


The Rookie Module is Born

So I made a list. I listed all the things kids don't know at the beginning of the year, but MUST know in order to be successful in my class.  This broke down into two categories:

Physical Locations  vs Processes/Routines

And given that this is a BLENDED class, that means locations and processes were not just physical, but online too.  Here are some examples:

Physical Locations:

• Pencil sharpener,
• Handouts
• Classroom Materials: colored pencils, glue, scissors, etc.
• Turn in Box
• Fire Extinguisher

Online Locations:

• All things Canvas: Where to find grades, announcements, etc.
• How to find reliable sources
• Digital Citizenship and how to cite sources properly using EasyBib
• Important files/handouts

Classroom Routines and Procedures

• What to do when students come to class (The Warm Up/Do Now)
• Setting up and using the scientific notebook.
• Vodcast recapper: the person who debriefs the group on the homework.
• Expectations for lab work, safety, and clean up
• Chromebook use: getting/returning them, appropriate use, assigned chromebook, etc.

Online Routines and Procedures

• How to turn in assignments in Canvas
• How to set up a blog
• How to write a conclusion for a lab
• How to post to an online discussion
• How and when to communicate with me when they have a problem or need a letter of recommendation.

The Implementation: 

Once I had my list, I decided to take the first 2 weeks of class time/homework the following year to set the tone for the year.  I made my Rookie Module over the summer in Canvas. This would be a mix of physical and digital. In some cases it would be watching videos, in other cases it would be doing a scavenger hunt in class.  Their homework would be certain elements of the module, such as setting up their notebook.

The plan was this: We would do virtually NO CONTENT to start with.  Instead, they would work on the "Rookie Module" and learn all the locations and processes that were key to success.   I would start by explaining they were all rookies, which was to be expected, but by the end of that time they should know everything in the Rookie Module.   In other words: by the end of the first month they shouldn't be a rookie.

More Than Just Nuts and Bolts
The start of the year is more than just procedures and policies though.  It has to be fun, and we need to build community so that all students can work well in the many collaborative assignments that will come throughout the year.  The plan was that we would do SEL team building type activities to begin building connections between everyone.  Each day would be a mix of connection building activities and working through their module.

I have recently done some posts on the types of things I would do during the Rookie Module.  See Improv Games as SEL Connection Activities and  Active Listening as some good examples to partner with the Rookie Module.

The Rookie Quiz
All of this culminated in the "Rookie Quiz," a Canvas quiz that students had to take and pass with an 80% or higher before they can begin with the class content, and move away from the label as a Rookie.  Students could take it as many times as needed to reach the minimum standard.  This was a quiz that pulled from all of the aspects of the Rookie Module.  I created question groups, and designed the quiz so it would randomly pull a certain number of question from a pool of questions.  That way, no two quizzes were ever the same, so kids couldn't just game the system and take the quiz over and over until they passed.  By the way, I didn't give them access to it until the last couple of days of our time on the module.

How did it go?
It went well.  They bought into the idea, and worked diligently on all of the stuff.  Because I made it a priority, and emphasized it's importance, they worked hard on it.

I have to admit, it was HARD not to get started with the course content. I desperately wanted to get going on the content.  And since doing this now for several years, one year I succumbed to my own pressure and rushed the process.  It backfired.  That year's students were more rookie-ish throughout the year.

Taking the time, slowly building up, was MUCH BETTER in the long run.  Because we laid a strong foundation for the year, we were far more efficient once we got into the content, and then continued throughout the year.  Here are some particular benefits:

• Kids always shuffle in and out of classes the first two weeks.  It was much easier to get late added kids caught up.
• We built a stronger community.  Kids got to know each other, and we had greater connection throughout the year.
• I spent far less time explaining things in the beginning, or throughout the year.  It was all there.
• Kids began policing themselves.  If a kid asked a "Rookie Question" one or two months in, they would call each other out (or just help each other).  
• New students who joined the class mid way through the year, could do the rookie module and feel caught up quickly.
• Various projects or discussions would sometimes reference back to it.  For example, I would direct students back to the citing sources page when we started our first project.

And the million dollar question: 

Were they still asking those "stupid questions" in May?????

Ahem.....well.......uh....... yes. There are always going to be those kids.  BUT, I got far fewer questions like that, and like I mentioned above, I had the advantage of students policing each other by either just helping one other, or calling them each other out if they were asking a rookie question.  I would never teach a class without having a Rookie Module.

Make Your Own Rookie Quiz, or Steal Mine!


The name of the game in teaching is to beg, borrow, and steal.  So with that in mind, I want to give my rookie module to you.  For our LGSUHSD teachers, or anyone who uses Canvas LMS, I have uploaded my Rookie Module into Canvas Commons.  You can find it, import it into your own course and then make it your own.  This includes the videos, documents, discussions, and even the quiz.  Below is a video with two parts.  The first is what's in the Rookie Module, and generally what it looks like.  The second part, is how to find it in commons, and import it into your own course.

Every teacher has their own on-ramp work for the year.  I'm suggesting you dig in a little deeper, and really go over the important locations and processes for your class.  If you're reading this late in the year, make a list of the things that are driving you crazy right now.  Put that in beginning of the year routine and try to prevent it from happening.  Think about what things you do throughout the year and how much faster, if your students knew the tech steps from the beginning of the year, you could go?  Taking the time at the beginning of the year to teach how to use an Online Discussion could make it possible for you to use the discussion repeatedly throughout the year and allow the students to focus on the discussion, not the tool itself.

Make your own Rookie Module based on the most important elements of your class.  Explain why those are important, and help students develop proficiency in them.  THEN, get started with your course content.  I am certain you will be more efficient throughout the year and make up any "lost time" from the beginning.  What's more, you might not look like this at the end of the year:

I think I can, I think I can. 🚂

Check us out at https://t.co/vC5Wd63vNG! pic.twitter.com/k25yW2T2RL

— Bored Teachers (@Bored_Teachers) May 25, 2017

Blended Online Discussions

Using online discussions are form on blended learning.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blended-learning-methodolog.jpg

I remember when I was 13 years old spending the night at my friend's house and we logged in to an AOL chat room in an effort hopefully talk to some girls.  WHO KNOWS who we were actually talking to, and thankfully it was completely harmless, but I remember at the time thinking it was so amazing that we could be chatting with someone anywhere on the planet.  Those were the early days of the Internet.

Now we take these types of communication for granted as digital communication has become ubiquitous.  I think many people associate online communication such as instant messaging, social media, comments on an online article, or online forums such as  Reddit, as being some kind of devolved form of communication. No one uses proper grammar or punctuation. Everyone seems to be trolling one another or looking to prove something. And it's anything but better than real communication.

Yet, while in person communication is essential, I'd argue that online discussions can be potentially better than purely in-person communication alone,  especially when the two are blended together. 

What's more? Leveraging online discussions in the classroom and outside, teaches students important digital citizenship skills that will actually help them when they venture into those perilous digital communication platforms.

In this post I'd like to discuss ways a teacher can use an online discussion, and blend that with their own class discussions.  Specifically, since our school uses Canvas, I'll discuss how to use the Canvas Discussion feature. Embedded are some 1CoolThing videos demonstrating how to do the nuts and bolts of the discussion.

Why Online Discussions?
As I eluded to in my intro, online communication is everywhere, so like it or not, online discussion is a common practice.  As teachers, it's important for us to be current and relevant for our students.  Beyond that though, here are the reasons I think we should consider using online discussions:

1. (Digital) Citizenship: Just like we teach our students how to behave, communicate, and generally conduct themselves in a group setting, we need to teach them how to do this in a digital space.  How we behave in person should be the same online.
2. Online vs. In Person:  Don't fall into the trap of thinking online discussion or in person discussions are mutually exclusive! You can do both, and there in lies the true power of online discussions.  You can either extend a meaningful conversation from class into a digital one, or start a conversation online, and then go deeper in person.
3. Model Proper Use of Tech: We can model for students how to leverage technology in appropriate and powerful methods.  Online communication doesn't have to be a bunch of arguing or sharing nonsense.  We can have deep, thoughtful, and appropriate conversations online.
4. Go Deeper: In a previous post I wrote about how to promote greater equity in conversations.  Near the end I discussed how to up the ante and push students to go deeper in their conversations.  Well, using an online discussion tool can make a discussion much deeper because online discussions allow people to share links such articles and videos.  
5. More Thoughtful and Accurate: Ever been in a discussion with someone and you feel like they're just making statistics up? Ever finish a conversation and think, "man I should have said...."?  In an online discussion, you have time to think before commenting, and have the ability support what you say with links to sources. As a teacher, facilitating a discussion, you can require students to not only speak to your prompts, but justify with evidence. 
6. Online Learning: Chances are high our students will take an online class one day. This will inevitably have online discussions.  Let's prepare them for this kind of learning
   .

Nuts and Bolts: How to Do It:

First, since you have the rich text editor, you have the ability to embed videos, link to anything in Canvas or webpage, embed math equations, add photos/GIFs, and much more.  Here's a video describing all the different things you can do with the Rich Text Editor.

Having all of these options allows you as the teacher to spark the conversation or give something thought provoking.  Before doing an online discussion, you need to have a conversation about how to conduct yourself in on an online discussion.  Then, you need to type the exact same guidelines in your instructions.  My advice: 

• Be clear about how much or how little you want them to write.
• If you want them to provide links, tell them.
• If you want them to comment (which is kind of the point right?) Give them guidelines on how to comment appropriately.  Here are my generic guidelines I use. I think I stole them from someone at some point (sorry!).

• Remember the following when making posts:
• All comments are appropriate and on topic. This is not a chat room. The same respect  expected in person is expected online too.
• All comments are written in complete sentences with correct conventions.
• All comments follow the 7 tips:
• Give a compliment (What was a good idea? Why?
• Add new information
• Make a connection to the writer
• Advice or suggestion to the writer to help them meet their goals
• End with a question
• Proofread and sign your name
• If a post already has three comments, you must choose another post to comment on. The goal is for each post to have at least three comments. Once you have posted 3 comments, and if everyone else's posts has 3 comments, then you may comment on another post. 

Here's my video of how to create the Canvas Discussion:

Blended and Online Pedagogy

Remember, we're not using technology (in this case, and online discussion) just because we can. We're trying to enhance, or transform, what we do in ways that are better than what we could have done without the technology.  Here are some pedagogical ways you can use online discussions.

1. Anticipatory Set: 

Show a thought provoking video clip, GIF, or article.  In science, this could be a phenomena.  In math this could be counterintuitive equation/problem. In English or Social Studies, this could be thought provoking quote or passage.  Ask students to interact with that content, and then share their thoughts.  Setting the preferences such that they can't view comments before commenting themselves, minimizes the copy cat effect.

At the start of class, show these comments on your projector and discuss themes, misunderstandings, or whatever came up that you want to discuss. Use this as launching off point for what you plan to do for the day.

OR 

Have students read and ask them to come up with themes or overlap. You can have them share in person in small groups, and then as a larger group. In this way you have started something online, and are now blending it into your class.

2. Formative Assessment: Just teach them something? Now use the Discussion feature to apply what they learned: 

"Ok class, now go to the online discussion for the day and share an example of this concept in real life.  This is your exit ticket, so do this before you leave today. Tonight for homework, you will comment on 3 posts.  Use the guidelines on the discussion to make your comments meaningful and appropriate."

See how this can extend and blend what you did in class into the digital space?  Not only can it be graded (ie accountability), but gives students opportunity to think and see what others are thinking.  It builds community because they communicating with peers outside of class in appropriate ways.

3. Progressively Deeper Conversations and Work:  

Similar to #1, give them something to read, watch or do, ahead of time.  In terms of Blooms Taxonomy, have your prompts be something that is recall based or understanding.  Then, get them into smaller groups in class. Print out the discussion, or have them read through the discussion on the computer for 5-10 min.  This helps refresh their memory, and consider things they missed. A quick share out, with you highlighting the essential understandings, helps make sure everyone is on the same page.

Now hit them with new prompts that require them to apply or analyze.  Perhaps each group gets a different application or analysis with the same concept.  An example of this could be a case study. Give each group a different case study.  Ask them to discuss these in person and apply what they've learned.  Here you as the facilitator can help them as they get into the more challenging work.   Have students share out what came up in their discussions.  Now everyone is learning from each other and reinforcing the foundational understandings.  Perhaps this then transitions into an activity or longer term project that requires them to evaluate or create.

4. Video Discussions.  

Discussions don't just have to be in writing.  Depending on the goals of your assignment, maybe it's more appropriate to let students record a video of their comments. Maybe you want a video, with a link to a source.  Maybe you want to give them the choice of writing or recording.  Canvas Discussions allow you to record video within the discussion using the built in camera on the laptop.  Same ideas listed above, but now you have a video component.  You can also use FlipGrid for this kind of thing. I love Flipgrid. Here's a post I wrote about how to use Flipgrid.  Hey it also links with Canvas. Hurrah!

5. Updates and Sharing Work

Are students working on a long term project? Want to know if they're making progress?  Periodically, have them give a status update on a discussion.  Have them provide a quick link as proof of their progress.  They can also use this as an opportunity to pose challenges they're experiencing, and you can structure the process to have them comment on each other's posts and help them solve their problems.

At the end of the project, students can Share their final work and comment on each other's work.  Online discussions are a great opportunity for students to share something they've done (eg a video, blog post, Google Doc, etc.) and then have classmates comment.  Seeing other posts helps student gain a collective understanding of what others have done.

Moderating

A frequent question I've gotten is, "how do I moderate this?" or "What happens if students are writing inappropriate things?"  To that I would respond, how do you moderate in-class discussions? What happens if a students says something inappropriate in class?  Chances are you have rules in place in class, and it's just a matter of articulating to the the class that how they conduct themselves online should be no different than how they conduct themselves in class.  Consequences should be the same. What's more, districts, including our own have some sort of acceptable use policy that all students must accept.  Here's ours.  If you're worried about it, perhaps you always link this in your discussions or at least spend time at the beginning of the year discussing it.

The Bottom Line

Thankfully we've come a long way since those early chat rooms.  Now online forms of communication are everywhere and come in many forms. Our students are using them daily, and will continue throughout their life. It's not going away.  We as teachers have the opportunity to leverage this technology in powerful ways.  We have the creativity and knowhow to push students to think deeply. Whether it's engaging our students before they even come to class, or getting them to extend what they learn after they leave, online discussions can be a powerful tool in teaching.  Why not use online discussions, in a blended manner, to push our student to go deeper and learn more?  

Do you use online discussions? Have another idea of how to do it? Share your thoughts or ideas in the comments!