Bellwork in the Blended Classroom: KQED Do Now

The blended classroom in which students have some control over pace and may not all be at the same place should not mean the death of bellwork. An engaging classroom environment should have something for students to do as soon as they enter the room. This is part of a series of posts that offers suggestions for how bellwork can be used in a blended classroom by engaging students in something interesting that develops their skills in a key area while taking the burden off of the teacher to produce something novel on a daily basis. 

Tool: Do Now

Description: According to the Do Now website, it "is a weekly activity weekly activity for students to engage and respond to current issues using social media tools like Twitter."

Students can respond to the weekly prompts using Twitter or the comment section directly on the website. For bellwork I have used it by having students read, watch, and listen to the resources that accompany the prompt on one day, have them compose tweets or comments the next day, and then respond to others tweets and comments the following day.

The current event tie ins are perfect for social studies classrooms and there are also dedicated prompts for  science and the arts provided.

Key Skill Development:  By engaging with social media, students are developing competencies in the positive use of technology to develop and support arguments with an authentic audience. They practice building a positive digital footprint and making concise arguments supported with evidence from a variety of multimedia sources.

In an age where Twitter has become an often quoted source in the political spectrum with the ability to impact elections, having competence in using it for effect has emerged as an important 21st century skill.


*Note: Many districts have blocked access to Twitter and other social media tools. Do Now can still be used for short writing prompts that are shared in the classroom in those districts. Students could contribute their comments to closed discussion boards or shared Google Docs to engage in discussion. 

Bellwork in the Blended Classroom: A Google a Day

The blended classroom in which students have some control over pace and may not all be at the same place should not mean the death of bellwork. An engaging classroom environment should have something for students to do as soon as they enter the room. This is part of a series of posts that offers suggestions for how bellwork can be used in a blended classroom by engaging students in something interesting that develops their skills in a key area while taking the burden off of the teacher to produce something novel on a daily basis. 

Tool: A Google a Day

Description: Google a Day presents 3 new internet search challenges on a daily basis.  Users are awarded points based on getting the right answer and how quickly they are able to find the correct answer by using good search practices. 

Key Skill Development: Students engage in a daily reinforcement of good internet search practices. In most classrooms, search skill are taught once at the beginning of the year or along with a project that may require them. While students are expected to retain the skills taught in a lesson or two, those skills typically are not revisited for the rest of the year. Using Google a Day for bellwork would allow students to practice and develop these skills on a daily basis. 

Adapting to Your New District

Several years ago I left the district that I was at for 7 years and it happened to coincide with the Edutopia post “How to Divorce Your District.” I loved the post and it perfectly summed up how I was feeling about leaving my position at the time. One of the things that I did not anticipate was the difficulty of adapting in a new district and the real sense of loss that I would feel for the comfort that I had taken for granted. I got through it and have no doubt it was the right move but it took a while for the new position to feel comfortable.

This year as we have expanded with 28 new teachers in my current school I can sense the same feelings in them. Many of them are experienced teachers with decades of experience and are outside of their comfort zones for the first time in a long time. It felt like a good time to pass along some suggestions based on my own experience as well as from working with a rapidly increasing staff over the past 3 years.

• Don’t Mourn the Loss of Reputation

Teachers who have been in the same position for years develop a reputation and it makes your life a lot easier. One of the hardest lessons that I had to learn when moving to a new district after 7 years in the same position is that your reputation, no matter how good it is, will not mean anything to the students and parents in your new district. I felt a sense of loss my first year in the new district as students were coming in the first day and it became clear they had no idea who I was and all of my past accomplishments did not matter to them. They were evaluating me based on what I was doing at that moment and taking any time mourning the loss was not going to help. You have to move forward in your new position and trust that your old reputation was based on a reason. Your reputation will develop again quickly in your new role.

• You Left Your Old District for a Reason

We tend to get caught up in nostalgia when remember the past and forget all of the things that drove us to look for a new job in the first place. You may have grown bored with what you were teaching, ran out of opportunities for growth, or had enough of negative co-workers. When you made the decision to move it was for a reason. Trust yourself and have confidence in that decision instead of engaging in revisionist history about your past.

• Embrace the Loss of Your Comfort Zone

Along with the loss of your reputation you are going to be well out of your comfort zone. Learning a new culture, co-workers, community, and instructional methods is going to put you in a place where you may no longer be the go-to person in your new role. The most destructive thing you can do is to cling to all of your old ways of doing things and constantly tell everybody how you did things in your last position. Approach the new position with an open mind and be willing to let go of some of your past ways of doing things. Also understand that you were hired for a reason and that your new co-workers and administrators want to hear your ideas but constantly telling them what your old school did is probably not going to be met with support. You have experience and expertise in what you are doing so let your actions and abilities catch the attention of those around you. Adapting to your new environment will make you a better educator and people will be more open to your ideas once they see you have embraced and understand the culture of your new school.

• Your Situation is Temporary

Any time you switch roles or move to a new district it is going to be like your first year all over again. It is especially true if you are moving from a position with low expectations and a traditional approach into a blended environment. You are going to be learning a new culture and many of your tried and true lessons are not going to work in a new setting. Just like with your first year teaching things will get easier and your situation is only temporary.

Moving to a new school is hard work but with patience and adaptability you will persevere and be better for it. Your new students and school are going to benefit from the continual addition of new staff with fresh perspectives as well. Keep focus on doing the best that you possibly can in your new role and pretty soon you will be the one welcoming a fresh batch of newcomers into your culture.