QR Code Inventory

As my students did their Genius Hour projects this year, I've been working on my own. It's something I've wanted to do for a while and was inspired by a post on doing a QR Inventory in the Band Director Group on Facebook. I didn't follow what was shared there exactly, but it was a great spring board for how to make this work in the way I imagined using Google Drive and QRs. It's been tedious, but so worth it. I checked out an instrument to a student with nothing but my phone today!

Here are the nuts and bolts:

• First is one master inventory folder.

• Within those instrument group folders are sub folders for each individual instrument. The QR links back to these individual folders. The green folders are instruments that are checked out to students right now. To change the color, either right click the folder or, if you're on a mobile device, click the three dots on the folder, then select Change Color. Each folder is named with the brand and serial number.

• Each individual instrument folder has yet more sub folders for pictures (to track instrument condition), repair slips, and a Google Sheet with the instrument check out information such as Student name, case number, date the instrument agreement was handed in, any accessories in the case, etc. Pictures taken can be added to Drive through the app on a mobile device.

• Once all of the folders and sub folders are created, this magic extension will populate a Google Sheet with the links to each of the sub folders! I use the URL option. Use the link to the Instrument Group folder and it will give you a sheet with the sub folders for that instrument.

• It makes a folder of folders into this!

• From there, this QR Generator will create a page of QR codes from the column of links. 

• The QR codes can then be printed and attached to the instrument cases. Through the sharing settings on the folder, I am the only one who can access the information when the QR is scanned to protect student information. After downloading the Google Sheets app, the spreadsheet can be edited from my phone.

Voila! A QR inventory system!

Now to check the instrument in/out I just scan the QR, update the Sheet, and change the folder color!

Hopefully this made sense, but I'm happy to elaborate and clarify if needed! It's always a little different when describing the process for someone else than it was going through it at the time. Thoughts? Questions? Additions?

Return of #GeniusHour Part 3

Progress! Students are working hard on their projects. This year seems to be going better than last, and a lot of that has to do with having a better idea of how to get students rolling and laying out clearer expectations. There's a greater variety in what they're working on this year as well (we'd LOVE it if you leave them a few comments!!!) Last year, all students were limited to relating their project to music. Because the 8th Graders have done this process once though, they had the option of anything related to the arts.

I am running into a few more engagement issues this year than last. The first time, I had them in the media center to work on projects less often so work was more focused. However, most students said last year that more time would have really helped. We've been in there pretty much exclusively over the last week and a half though, so there's less of a drive to get things done in the time we're here. Next year will need some revamping of our time and possibly steering more towards calling these Passion Projects instead of Genius Hour.

Next week will be focused on putting together presentations and practicing them!

For my inventory project, I have almost all of our instruments into the new system and with going through this process, I also have a better idea of my repair priority list too. Next week's goal will be finding the remaining straggling instruments still at students' homesprinting and attaching all of the QR codes. I'm really excited with how this is turning out and am looking forward to creating a "how to" post that others might be able to utilize to set up their own QR inventory.

To share my process with students (since I'm doing a project along with them), I'm thinking an infographic might work out. It will have information including a breakdown of how many instruments, how many of each type, links and resources I used, etc.

Two weeks to go!

Return of #GeniusHour Part 2

Student projects are already starting to take shape and I've gotten to start working on my inventory project as well.

Student projects:

• We've started blogging! Building on last year's experiences, I wrote this post to help provide guidelines for writing blog posts. (Thank you to Aubrey Yeh for sharing and helping me gain some feedback to share with students!!!) From reading through what they've shared so far, it does seem to be helping. Blogs were a big thing I wanted to improve on from last year and they're looking better already. The students would LOVE some feedback on their writing and projects. Please check out their posts and leave a comment. It would be really cool if you mention where you're from in the comment too!
• There's a pretty interesting array of projects being worked on so far. Since the 8th Graders did this last year with a focus around anything musically related, we opened up to anything in the arts. Some students are excited to be working on things that interest them even more than what they were able to do last year.
• With two weeks of in class working left, time is going to go faster than they realize. I'm going to get the presentation sign up posted for them next week so that they can start planning accordingly.

My project:

• I've actually started getting instruments added to the inventory I laid out here. This is going to be a challenge as tedium is not a strong suit for me. However, it needs to be done and will be a huge help in the long run.
• Our district technology specialists came through big time and found me an extension to add links to the folders I create to a Sheet! From there I'll use another extension to create the QR codes. 
• I'm really wishing I had a label maker to do the QRs as I go along. Things could start to get confusing when instruments I haven't made it to yet get added to those I have. Right now I'm going to focus on getting everything into the system and doing the QR's at the end. 
• Borrowing a cart so that I can move instruments down to the media center as the students are working is going to be a must if I want to get this done in time. Time to talk with the custodians to see what I can use for a bit.
• I am planning on presenting at the end too since I'm following along with the project guidelines the students are following. Since I gave them such a hard time about Thinking Outside the Powerpoint, I really want to come up with a fun way to share on a not particularly fun subject. I'm open for ideas on a cool way to present my learning!

Blogging Basics

With our Genius Hour in full swing, one of the big things I wanted to improve on from last year's experience was blogging. Using this post as an example for my students, here are some of the basics we'll be following as we use KidBlog.Org again this year:

• Use only your first name and last initial in your blog.
• Make sure you have permission to use any images you share, including your background or header for your posts. DO NOT just take an image from a Google search. Use your own photos or try Creative Commons or Pixabay.
• Come up with some kind of catchy title and then stick with it! Use Part 1, Part 2, etc. It will be easier for others to track your blogs though our KidBlog link and something more interesting than "My Project" is going to attract more attention.
• Your blog, including the avatar you choose, represents you, our band, our school, our district, our county, our state, and even our country! 
• Writing for a blog is a little less formal than an essay for class, but your writing needs to be something you're comfortable sharing beyond those who know you. You should still use complete sentences, punctuation, etc. 
• Posts don't need to be a full five paragraph essay, but just a couple of sentences is not enough either. Give details. Be specific.
• Link back to previous blogs to help others track your journey. 
• Your blog should reflect on your process, share new things you've learned, and request feedback from your reader.
• Invite your reader to be part of a conversation! Ask questions, seek advice, etc. Getting comments is a great way to learn from others and can be a lot of fun!
• It doesn't just have to be writing! Include pictures of your project, links to sites you're using, screenshots, etc.
• Posts do not have to be very long, but do need to have some substance.
• You should be doing a minimum of one post per week through the end of our project. 

To those experienced bloggers and/or Genius Hour-ers, do you have some other tips you'd include for my students? Please leave some feedback and say Hi to my students in the comments!

Return of #GeniusHour

One of my favorite times of year has come. We're starting Genius Hour projects again! Last year was the first time we tried this and it was an outstanding experience. With only one performance remaining, we're finally getting to dig into our projects we'll spend the remainder of the year on.

Since last year I was learning a lot of the process to help students, doing Genius Hour with them was my Genius Hour project. Now that I've got a better handle on things, I've decided to do my own project and go through the process along with them.

My first idea had been to learn some guitar basics. On top of always wanting to play it, it would help refresh some rusty theory skills which can only be a bonus.

Then this post came across my feed and got me thinking differently:

A1: In my class, students choose one of the Four Pathways to Genius.
Read about them here:https://t.co/GU8Hhp2qyF #HackLearning pic.twitter.com/VpvAdMBZBm

— Lee Araoz (@LeeAraoz) May 14, 2017

If I'm going to ask my students to step outside their comfort zone and go for a project that can have a bigger impact, why would I not do the same?

My project is going to be to create an inventory system for our school owned band instruments using QR codes, Google Sheets, and Google Drive.

Building on an idea shared in the Band Directors Facebook Group, here's what I'll try:

1. Master folder in Drive for Inventory.
2. Subfolders categorized by instrument.
3. Subfolders within those for each individual instrument, labeled with the brand of the instrument and its serial number.
4. Each individual instrument folder will have:
1.  A Sheet with information on who it was checked out to, how/whether they paid the school fee, rental contract return date, etc. 
2. Pictures of the instrument so I can track its condition
3. Copies of any repair slips.
5. The QR that I'll attach to the instrument case will link to the individual instrument folder.

My only concern is that this won't give me one master spreadsheet to track things. I've had suggestions to create a script or code to add a link in a sheet whenever I create a folder, but that's pretty far outside any of my technical abilities.

Has anybody ever done their inventory like this? Or have a different suggestion on how to do this using QRs? I'm open for suggestions before getting this started next week!

My #GeniusHour Self Evaluation

What an awesome adventure this was! I am already very much looking forward to trying this again, especially now that I've got a better handle on how the students will go through the process.

If you'd like to see some of the other posts about the great things kids did and how this all started, check these out:
Genius!
All They Can Say is 'No
I Wish EVERY Hour Was #GeniusHour

Here are some additional highlights and things that need improvement for the next time:

Highlights:

• Most students gave very positive feedback about the whole thing. Common themes in their evaluations were how much they enjoyed the freedom of choice in groups, topics, and presentations.
• While there was some overlap, we learned about a very broad range of topics. Everything from programming Arduinos, to the financial backing needed for a Broadway show, to the history of Korean music, to music's impact on the body and mind, to making reeds, mallets, xylophones and even music boxes! Many students also worked on composing and performing new music, with several even working on secondary instruments.
• Finding mentors was a challenge for many groups, but those that were able to get feedback learned so much! The excitement of receiving an email or blog comment was a great thing to witness. 
• If you really want to see kids work hard on their writing, have them write for someone who's not you! They wrote, rewrote, peer edited, and rewrote again before blogging, emailing, or responding in either of those platforms. We discussed so much about email and blog etiquette...in band!
• Most students were excited to come in and work every day. Not only that, but most were very self directed because they were interested in what they were working on. My concerns about doing this in such large classes were mostly unnecessary. Minus the occasional quick verbal redirect, students were engaged right through the end of the year and it was a lot of fun to watch!

Kicked off #geniushour presentations w/ performances, demonstrations, and some cool tech! #leadwithHART #RCSarts pic.twitter.com/G2O6EaiFtq

— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) June 15, 2016

Needs Improvement:

• Needing more time was a common complaint. We had several days a week to work during the last month of school, but parts did feel rushed, especially because we should have spent more time brainstorming project ideas together. Many students said that they didn't know what to choose and wished they would have picked a different topic than what they ended up with.
• One thing I didn't take into account was the summer break schedule at most colleges and universities. Many students reached out to professors for help, but since we didn't start these until late May/early June most were not around to respond. Because we'll likely do this again in the spring next year, we'll have to start things earlier so that they can hopefully make contact before many professors leave for summer.
• While many students really enjoyed the freedom of the set up, it made many students uncomfortable. Several said that they wished I'd given more ideas for projects, but I really tried to avoid that so that they'd pick something they were really interested in and not just go with something I said because it was easy. Giving more time to brainstorm together next time will be a definite must. Doing more structured brainstorming would be helpful too, but I'm not sure what that would look like. Ideas?
• I mentioned this in a previous post, but we really need to do more talking about blogging before they start writing them. The format was very unfamiliar and while some took to it pretty naturally, many struggled with it.
• Presentations posed a few challenges:
• I needed to come up with the max time limit sooner in the process as students prepared their final presentations. Many had to make alterations to fit in the available time slot.
• We needed to discuss more about what a presentation should/should not be. Many were so focused on creating a final product (ie:  composition) that they didn't really present any learning, just perform. The idea that this was supposed to be more about their learning process rather than a final "thing" was a newer idea for many and something I needed to be clearer on.
• Too many slides with too much text. I really tried to drive home the idea of "what kind of presentation would you enjoy watching?" but the slides are just too deeply ingrained. Maybe in the fall, we can do some kind of Ignite style presentation to help at least get past the idea of writing whole paragraphs of information and then reading the slides to us. Then we could do Genius Hour again next spring and they'll have some other ideas for how a presentation can look.
• Because presentations took  place during the very last couple days of school, there was no time to discuss their self evaluations. Next year I need to allow for a little more time at the end for students to complete them during school and to give us time to debrief after everything is done.

Lots of composer/performers today too in #geniushour! pic.twitter.com/hpPkrH7T9s

— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) June 17, 2016

For our first try, this was (as I kept saying every time someone asked me about it) SO cool! While there were some problems I should have better anticipated, there are just some things you have to try yourself no matter how many great people share advice and ideas. 

Even though it's almost a year away, I want to plan and prepare so that I can set students up for more success next time around. What do you think? Suggestions to help with processes that need improvement for next time? Other thoughts? Please share in the comments!

I Wish EVERY Hour Was #GeniusHour

That title is a from a parent quoting her student as he talked about his Genius Hour project. It also came as part of one of the nicest emails I've ever gotten from a parent. If that's not a sign of heading in the right direction, I don't know what is.

Along with continuing their research and seeking out mentors, students began blogging this week. Though I wanted to use Blogger, I'm starting to see the benefits of using KidBlog.Org. The options to do things like moderate comments or help edit a post have been really helpful, especially since this is their first attempt blogging. They even mentioned us in a Facebook post after we tagged them in a tweet!

I've already got some ideas on how to approach blogging better the next time around. Some of the titles of their posts are engaging or at least help the reader have an understanding of what their project will be, but others aren't as much and so they're not getting as many comments. Next time, students will pick one title and each post after that will be a "part 1, part 2, etc" to have better continuity. Another thing I needed to better impress on them was to leave some questions at the end of their post to invite the reader into a conversation rather than just an update. Specific questions are more likely to gain comments.

At this point I think every student has gotten at least one comment on a post, thanks to some awesome friends and people who have been keeping up with us through things like Twitter. It's been an important aspect to help them really get that what they're sharing is going out to the world, not just me. If you've got a few minutes and would be willing to comment on some posts and leave your location as part of the comment, it would mean so much to them! 

Something else I introduced this week was that they'll be self-assessing their grade. Some students were overly excited ("Sweet. I get an A."), but most seemed excited and understanding for the right reasons. I'm planning on having them do a Google form that will serve as not only their self assessment, but a survey on the Genius Hour process. Any grade will have to be justified with evidence of what they've done and learned over the course of the final few weeks of school. 

While there were some concerns about the size of my classes (45 and 55 students) most students seem to be not only on task, but really engaged with what they're doing. Watching them get excited about what they're discovering, or getting an email from a mentor or comment on their blog has been some of the most fun I've ever had as a teacher! We have one full week of school to go so from here, the focus will start to shift to how students are choosing to share their learning. 

Thoughts on the process or projects so far? This is absolutely something I'll be doing again, so I really want to continue to improve it. I'm particularly interested in suggestions about self assessing their work.

If you're interested in where this started from, here are my first two posts:

Genius!

All They Can Say Is 'No'

All They Can Say Is 'No'

We started talking about our Genius Hour projects a few weeks ago, but this past week we officially started working on them. If this week was any indication I'm going to quickly go from a genius hour enthusiast to an evangelist.

Just like the teachers who have done this project before me, I'm happy to share that enthusiasm and engagement is pretty high. Considering that we only have three weeks of school left filled with tons of other activities, that alone is pretty exciting. There are a few students who are aiming a little lower than they're capable of, but I'm hoping that seeing the work their friends are doing will inspire them for when we do these projects again in the future.

Getting to work on #geniushour in 7th Grade! #leadwithHART #RCSarts pic.twitter.com/XkJjzKIznK

— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) May 25, 2016

I think the best part of this week has been going through the process of finding and contacting mentors.  We started with a detailed discussion of what a professional email should look like including an introduction, description of their project, specific questions, and a closing. I've had students spend two classes writing, revising, asking for help, and revising again so that they can get their email just right. The idea that they're reaching out to someone other than me or another teacher has been really  motivating.

Another big standout moment was helping a student find a mentor to help her learn more about the differences in pop music around the world. She asked for advice on who to contact and I was honest saying I wasn't sure, but I'd ask on Twitter (which once again came through and helped put us in touch with some great people!) and her eyes got big for a second. She said "I was just going to ask for help in the media center, but I can see you're thinking bigger than that."

The mantra of the week has become "All they can say is 'no.'"  Students are reaching out to professional musicians, composers, college and university professors, programmers, researchers, writers, ballet companies, instrument manufacturers, and more! They've really taken the idea of aiming high to heart and it's been wonderful seeing the excitement when they get a response.

Next weeks goals are to have a mentor in place if that hasn't been done yet and to take our first steps into blogging. There won't be much time for a lot of posts, but I really want them to have the experience of writing for a wider audience than just their mentor and me.

Stay tuned for more updates next week as we continue the adventure!

8th Gr hard at work on #geniushour projects! Excited to start getting mentor responses! #leadwithHART pic.twitter.com/Ju0kTgLnMC

— Hart MS Bands (@HartMsBands) May 27, 2016

Genius!

I've been in love with the idea of Genius Hour/20% Time ever since I heard of it, but up until now didn't quite have the circumstances or comfort to give it a try. My original plan had been to use it at the start of next school year with my seventh and eighth graders, but then I saw this tweet and decided to try it in the last month of school instead!

Right now is the perfect time to try your crazy ideas, don't wait until a new school year when you will feel overwhelmed again #wgedd

— Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp) April 9, 2016

I recently finished Don Wettrick's Pure Genius and have been researching the vast wealth of educational knowledge that is Twitter to come up with a game plan. Since my students and I have never done this before, I wanted to share the tentative plan and see what those who are more experienced with Genius Hour have to say.

• Though our last performance isn't until May 20, I'm going to introduce Genius Hour through a video or two posted on Google Classroom in mid-May (I'll do some suspenseful build-up in class before posting the videos). Several awesome people have shared some great resources after I tweeted out a question last week and I've been sifting through videos for a couple of days but haven't made the final call yet. I'm thinking one that gives the basic idea of it and another one for inspiration such as Kid President's Pep Talk or Famous Failures. 
• As this is band class, their project must somehow relate back to music. To get them brainstorming ideas, I'm going to have them try Dotstorming to start thinking out loud and commenting on each other's ideas. Again, the link will be posted on Google Classroom.  Padlet could work for this too, but I like that they can directly comment on each other's posts on Dotstorming. I'm hoping that most students will have an idea on the direction they'd like to go by the time performances are done so that they can focus on working through their project when we really start spending our time on this starting May 23. I'm planning to let students work in groups if they want, but no more than three in a group.
• Students will begin blogging (possibly with Blogger, but waiting to hear on a request to have it opened for my students) about their projects. I'll take the classes to the library to show how to set one up as well as create a Screencast they can use to reference when working on their own. I'll create a Google Sheet with links to their blogs and descriptions of their projects and share on our class social media accounts as well as my personal ones. They'll have to blog weekly at the least, though many will likely decide to use it more than that to share and seek ideas.
• Through their blogs and reaching out individually, students will seek out mentors. I love this aspect of Genius Hour because it gets them thinking outside our school community and there's SO much I don't know. I want them to get information from those who know their chosen topic best. I'm aiming for students to have mentors by June 1, but that could change depending on how things go.
• I've got the library's computer lab checked out several days a week from the end of May through the end of the school year to get kids access to the information they need. They will also be encouraged (as they have been all year) to bring personal devices to class.
• Presentations will be done during our final exam times on June 15 and June 16. I'm tempted though to ban the use of PowerPoint. Is that too constricting though for something like this? There are SO many other ways they can share information (even using Google Slides would be easier if multiple students are working together) and I'd like to get them thinking of more creative ways to share. 

I freely admit that I'm often better with big picture planning than with details (unless I'm rehearsing music) so I'd love to hear what do you think. My 7th grader class has 55 students and my 8th grade class has 48. Can I even pull this off with that many students?  Is there enough practicality in my plan to allow all students to be successful? What else should I be keeping in mind? What experiences have you had? Please share in the comments!

To see how this all turned out, check out the follow up posts:
All They Can Say is 'No'
I Wish EVERY Hour Was #GeniusHour
My #GeniusHour Self Evaluation