Corning Gorilla Glass Markerboards

Corning sent me a small review copy of their Markerboard for the purpose of this review.

Dry erase boards have always been a part of my education. They were always big in my Science and Math classes. The one thing that I always noticed about the boards my teacher used and the boards in my building now is that they stain. I can see problems and formulas from many years ago staring at me each time I walk into a room. No matter how many times they have been cleaned, the ghosts still hang out. I really wanted to see if Gorilla Glass would be able to make those ghosts vanish. I wrote on the piece of class they sent me with the Bic dry erase marker provided and let it sit in my room for 2 weeks. It was subjected to the same lights and conditions as the rest of the room. I figured I would really have to give it a good washing to clear it up. I was wrong. The board wiped clean as if I had just written on the board the second before.


Here is a good video showing Gorilla Glass in more detail:

There is so much power in creating a collaborative space for students to work and share ideas. A piece of Gorilla Glass in your room could be a perfect way to help create this environment for students and for staff. If you are looking to change the way your classroom looks and Markerboards are part of that process, take a look at Corning Gorilla Class for Markerboards. 

Here are some key features of the Gorilla Glass that are worth considering:

Damage Resistant: Thin Gorilla Glass has the damage resistance of soda lime glass that is 2-3 times thicker.

Stain Resistant: Gorilla Glass is non-absorptive - making it stain resistant, allowing writers to use vibrant markers, which are off limits with porcelain and melamine.

Weight Reduction: Thin Gorilla Glass is lighter weight which results in mounting and installation cost savings compared to heavier materials such as soda-lime glass.

Magnet Efficiency:  The thinness of Gorilla Glass supports greater magnetic pull for markerboard accessories like magnets compared to thicker piece soda-lime glass that requires rare Earth magnets to yield magnetism.

If you have more questions, check out their website. 

Have a great day!

NP

No Bubble Test Could Assess This - #EdChat #PBLChat

I'm reposting this from last year because I really loved this project and it is still relevant today.

Since I made the switch to Project Based Learning, I am always amazed at the different projects I receive from my talented students. These projects manage to show me a depth of understanding that a multiple choice test could never reproduce.

Recently, students were asked to create their own project and rubric for The Great Gatsby. I received some really good projects, but this one struck me as something really special. All projects needed to be approved before the students were allowed to start work, but I never expected this when my students asked to write a song for the book. Here is Maddie V's completed project,

Maddie wrote the music, played the piano and wrote the lyrics for this song. She did all of this while rehearsing and performing in the school's Spring Musical. For me, this is one of the best projects I have ever received for this unit. She gave me permission to post this on my website and tweet it out. I had to share this with all of the other teachers out there wondering about the value of projects over tests. 

There is no doubt that Maddie could take a test on Gatsby and get an A. She is very bright and it would have been very easy for her. However, what would she have walked away with after acing the exam? With the project, she still has an A, but she has something she accomplished. A beautiful song she will have with her the rest of her life. When she thinks about Gatsby or the green light, she can think about a song she wrote and shared with the world. I'm always looking for reasons why people should dump their tests, and this is one of the best examples to date. 

Maddie is going to go on and do some amazing things out there. How many kids are not being given the chance to express what they have learned because the multiple choice test is the "best" way a teacher can think of to assess? As teacher, we need to look for better ways to get the most out of our students. For me, projects have opened my eyes to the very different talents my students have and they have made me look at assessments in a different light. I hope this song is a light bulb for teachers considering Project Based Learning in the future. 

If you liked the song, take a moment and leave Maddie a comment on YouTube or send her a tweet at @MADdy_skillz.

The Case for Change #EdChat

"It worked for the past ten years. Why change it now?"

I think many of us have  heard this statement from colleagues over the years and I hope it drives you as batty as it drives me. For all of the teachers out there that refuse to update their lessons because they seem to "work", I have this to say, "It's not about you".

I have many lessons that have worked well and others that have worked great. However, I'm constantly changing, updating or tweaking my lessons because I believe that I need to be preparing students, not for today, but for tomorrow. My lessons need to reflect the skill sets my students will need years from now in college and in the job market. They do not need the exact same skills I was trained in when I was in high school and not the exact same skills I was using with my students 10, or even 5, years ago. 

One of the most time consuming aspects of my teaching career of late has been reflection. I think it is also the most valuable thing I spend my time on during the school year. I look at lessons after they are completed and decide whether or not the lesson itself is still meeting the goals and if the tools I use are still relevant to me and the students. If I do not like the answers I get from my reflection, it is back to the drawing board. This might be a tweak or a complete overhaul. I never know until I dive back into the lesson and move things around. 

While this can be a time consuming part of my year, I can feel assured that my lessons are always the best lessons I am offering my students that year and the next.

Just because a lesson "works" does not mean it is the best lesson for that topic. Their are many lessons that can "work" just fine, but there are others out there that could have a great and longer lasting impact on the students if the time is taken to review them and look for alternatives. We all want lessons that are great for our kids and are not too time consuming on the teacher's end. Some of the best things we do as educators takes time and lesson planning and reflection is no different. 

As you go through your school year, please take the time and look at your lessons and ask whether or not this is the best lesson for this topic. In the end, it is not about you right now, it is about the students and what they need years from now. 

Reminders with @Evernote #EdChat

I'm always looking for ways to better communicate with students and keep them up to date with what we are doing in class. One of the ways I'm going to do this is by using the Reminder feature on Evernote. It is a great way for students to remember what they need to do before they head home for the school day. Here is how I set it up.

1. I share specific notebooks with students that they join. These notebooks are assignments, handouts, notes, etc.

2. I tell students they can download Evernote for their phone if they choose to receive reminders. They download Evernote and turn notifications on for their device.

3. I create notes in the notebooks I want students to access. When I create the note, I set a reminder for the day and time I want the students to receive the reminder.

I always set the reminder for my students for the end of the school day. 

4. When the time comes, a notification will appear on their phone at 3:05 reminding the of the homework for the day. 

5. I can review all of my reminders in the notebook and check them off when they have been completed. 

This is a simple way for me to send another reminder to my students that they have something to do before they go home. I look to do some other things with the reminders as well. I can pass along messages of encouragement in notebooks and set a timer for their reminder. I can set long term notifications for projects to help them stay organized. I'm sure there are many more ways I can use reminders to help my students. Leave any ideas you might have in the comment section. 

If you want to start your Evernote journey now, follow this link to sign up!

Thanks!

Nick