Let's Discuss Schoology Discussions

For anyone that knows me, it's no surprise that I am obsessed with Schoology. I bombarded my district's in-house professional development program with courses about how to use Schoology and courses taught online completely in Schoology. I recently tweeted about an easy way to have students evaluate each other's work through a Schoology discussion, so I decided to elaborate on that in today's post!

Here's what my eighth graders did in Technology Applications:
As their first coding project, students create a "guess the number" game in Scratch. It's pretty simple - the player is supposed to guess a number within a given range, and the player will receive hints like "too low" or "too high" each time they guess incorrectly. The player has five chances to get it right before the game ends. Because Scratch is such a visual program, I also use this game to teach students the elements of game design. Students incorporate these elements in their game; for example, a game might be along the lines of "Help me figure out my locker combo so I can get to class on time" game. Students (or should I say, game designers) develop a scenario and a space where their guessing game takes place. They incorporate components that enhance the game play experience.

And here's where Schoology comes in:
Playing the games in the end is one of the best parts of the project! So often, I've seen students create amazing projects using some technology application, but then the only person who ever sees the project is the teacher. I get it, there isn't time for students to present every project they create. This is where Schoology discussions shine. They allow students the ability to link or attach any product to their post. As the teacher, I can also grade the projects using a rubric attached to the discussion.

Once everyone's work is posted, students can view each other's projects easily and quickly. For this particular project, I assign three questions that students must answer in their reply to a peer's posted guessing game. To make sure everyone receives a comment, I require that students reply to whoever posted just before them (or just above them if you're thinking about the discussion thread visually). How easy is that?! I project the questions for replies on my SMART Board and then students get to work. Once students reply to their required "partner," they are free to play and comment on anyone else's game.

Requiring that students evaluate and think critically about their classmate's work is essential to learning. We can not expect student growth if students are not required to evaluate their own work and the work of others. Receiving deliberate, constructive feedback on their work from a peer may be received more positively than the feedback of a teacher. Crafting feedback for peers requires a deep level of critical thinking. Schoology discussions provide my students the medium for sharing and reflecting on their own work and the work of the peer's. There are so many positives to Schoology discussions, but this is definitely one of the strongest in my opinion.

The Algorithm is Gonna Get You

One of my biggest challenges is getting students in my Technology Applications course to understand the value of coding and technology in our everyday lives. Yes, students use technology every single day. They don't even know what life was like without a smart phone, and yet, they don't seem to question how this technology works or appreciate the massive impact technology in our lives today.

Determined to bring the real world into the classroom more, I recently added on to my introductory Algorithms lesson. I typically introduce algorithms with the Friendship Algorithm featured on The Big Bang Theory. Sure, this is a great hook, and an awesome introduction to flow charts, as well, but I still wanted more.

I found four super interesting articles featuring "algorithms in the real world." I've linked them here:

Mercedes' Self-Driving Cars Will Save Passengers, Not Bystanders

What Happens When Algorithms Design a Concert Hall?

Every Trump Tweet Activates Thousands of Algorithms

Facebook Trending Topics Algorithm Changes to Better Reflect Real News

I kept things simple: I printed copies of the articles, each on their own color of paper. I passed the articles out to the students so that each student read one. Using the traditional jigsaw strategy, students then matched up with the other three colors of articles and shared what they read about.

Perhaps the most interesting article was the one on self-driving cars and the "kill the driver or kill the pedestrian" algorithm. The article led us into rich discussion about ethics and the role of humans in designing technology. We also spent some time debating the "trending topics" algorithm. Do algorithms designed to show us what interests us make the Internet more appealing to us or simply keep us wrapped up in our own bubble?

It seems really corny, but as I took in the discussion, I saw the faces of some of my students light up. It was a humbling reminder that as much as my students can't wait to get to work on their computers, it's so important to also TALK about technology and the effect it has on us.