EduProtocols are "workflows which can be repeated with changing content." I love the idea of helping students master certain workflows so they can focus on the content instead of learning and relearning tasks or online platforms every day. As Hebern and Corippo state, "It takes about ten repetitions for students to become masters at [a] task." In Social Studies, the very skills that we teach are protocols. Analyzing primary sources by sourcing and close reading, using evidence in an argument, and skills such as causation and comparison lend themselves nicely to repeated practice (basically, protocols). The more students practice these, the better they get at it.
While using EduProtocols, it is recommended to "Keep in mind the SPIRIT to which EduProtocols are designed..."
- Serious Commitment - These aren't one and done! Continually utilize the same protocols throughout the entire year to get the most out of the strategy.
- Progression - Start with a low cognitive load and up the ante once students master the protocol. In addition, start with one protocol and gradually introduce more. If you start week one with 5 new protocols, students (and you!) will be overwhelmed.
- Immediate Feedback - Let students know immediately how they have performed, or have them assess themselves.
- Reps - Practice, practice, practice!
- Interest - Up the pace, as this keeps students on their toes.
- Tech Balance - Use tools that help meet your goals (Quizizz for vocabulary, for example), but don't overwhelm students with too many tools. Stick with what works!
On the same vein, protocols can be used for everyday procedures. For example, explicitly teach students how to transition between activities, turn in classwork, how to find materials they can use in the classroom, etc.
Presenting in Front of the Class
While reading about the "Worst Preso Ever" activity, I was inspired by the Pechaflickr variation. Basically. Pechaflickr is a website where you search a term and a slideshow will be randomly generated that includes pictures that relate to the term. (Be careful to check the terms before doing this in front of a class!) This would be fun to incorporate as a sort of "impromptu" presentation activity where students have to present on the topic based only on the pictures. In order to start with low stakes, I would likely have the class working on one activity and then move around to groups. Within each group, each person would take turns individually presenting to their small group while I was looking on. Then we could have a small group conversation about what we liked about the presentation. Later, students would be presenting in front of the class. Presentations were something that I didn't do a lot in my classes, as I didn't want to make students uncomfortable. They have to get used to it though, so I'll work on creating a welcoming class culture at the beginning of the year and then presenting in front of the class shouldn't be as daunting. Also, the more students practice presenting, the more confident they will get, and the easier it will be.
I also like the idea of students anonymously creating a slide and a different student presenting their slide. This sees to be less nerve-wracking for students, as they don't feel ownership over the slide and will not be so nervous about being judged for the content on the slide. We would certainly have to have a conversation about not putting down what is written on the slide, but this could be another way to make presentation practice less painful.
There was another idea where "students will create five slides that advance every ten seconds" and they have to present that. I love this idea, as it will encourage students to be concise and focus on the main ideas.
On the other hand, I could have students present a slideshow that automatically advances after 20 seconds. In this scenario, students would have to talk in order to fill the time, so this could help students practice elaboration on their ideas. (This was mentioned in Chapter 17: BookaKucha EduProtocol.)
Your Opinion Is Important
One thing that I would like to incorporate more throughout the school year is discussion. Socratic Seminars are a great way to do this. One obstacle that I have noticed is that many students feel as if they will say something incorrect, think they will be ridiculed, or think that their opinion does not matter. Fixing this issue starts with establishing a culture starting at the beginning of the school year, but it continues throughout the year.
One way to remind students that their opinions matter is to do an activity such as "Things that Rock." You'd have to check out the EduProtocol Field Guide to read all about the activity, but basically, students align themselves on a continuum based on their personal opinions about a topic. For example, cats. Students will then stand along the continuum to illustrate how much they like or dislike the topic. Then they turn to the student next to them and discuss. We could also have the students that are farthest on each end give their opinions and try to convince the other side. If this activity is prefaced with a discussion about how to actively listen and wait your turn to respond, this could be very valuable. I would also teach students sentence stems related to how you can respectfully disagree. For example, "I understand your point, but..." or "I see what you are saying, but I have another way of looking at it..."
The 4 C's
The 4 C's (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity) should be incorporated as much as possible, as they are skills for college, career, and life as well as during K-12 schooling. I am simply making note of this to remind myself to intentionally include the 4 C's as much as possible!
Frayer Model / Marzano's 6 Step Process for Vocabulary
One protocol that I have used a few times is the Frayer Model. I love the idea of using this as a protocol when discussing vocabulary or important concepts, but I tend to gravitate toward Marzano's model (the 6 steps include playing vocabulary games and repetition, so the 6 steps are not all shown in the graphic organizer). The Frayer Model focuses on the definition of a term, examples, non-examples, and characteristics. Marzano focuses on the description of the term (in the student's own words) and a drawing of the term. Over time and repetition of learning the term, students can note their understanding on a 4-point scale and can add more ideas. Regardless, both models are excellent protocols for learning new vocabulary.
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| Frayer Model |
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| Marzano Example |
BookaKucha
I think this idea is interesting, though I'm not sure how often I'd use this. Basically, students read for a certain amount of time (10 minutes or so) and then they are told to stop and create a "four-slide book report at the same time, regardless of the page number" that they are on. I like this as an activity that can provide a bit of accountability, but I wonder how this would impact students who are not fast readers. I might have students stop every 5 minutes or so and write down two things that they have learned and why these things are important (big picture). This will reinforce the importance of paying close attention to the reading as well as keep students reading in order to find new information, but it is also very low-stakes and attainable for all students. Of course, reading materials could be chosen to accommodate for students with varying reading levels as well.
Great American Race
I love the idea of this activity, where "students anonymously contribute a slide to a class deck... in the second half of the activity, teams race to identify each slide." This could be a really fun short activity to help introduce or review a topic!
Cyber Sandwich
This would be an interesting way to introduce "communication in history," which is this year's National History Day theme. Each student can research a different topic concerning communication. I've been keeping a list of possible topics already, though the list is very broad:
- Printing press, telephone, internet, cell phones, postal service, television, radio, print media, world’s fairs - communicating achievements, conventions and conferences, language (including computer language, sign language, braille), hieroglyphs and cuneiform, how communication has changed (television news over time), broadcast of Nixon/Kennedy debate, yellow journalism, muckrakers, cartographic communication (maps), protests, posters, art, photography, books, social media? (probably too soon), YouTube, postcards, telegraph, music, Hello Girls, nickelodeons, diplomacy, speeches, Fireside Chats, testimony, oral history, wampum belts, franking, wood engraving to photographs in pictorial newspapers
Primary Source Document EduProtocol
I realize that I do this already in my classes. Every time we look at a new source (most secondary sources included), we discuss the source. I use the HIPP analysis (historical context, intended audience, purpose, and point of view), as that was the language that I used in my APUSH class, and it is the language in our brand new Social Studies Standards. Students practice this all year and get very good at this analysis, though I think we need to focus more intentionally on how the parts of the HIPP analysis impact the content of the source.
Mini-Reports
I like the idea of mini-reports, as this provides students with repeated practice with writing thesis statements and choosing evidence that supports their thesis. This skill is one that needs reps, and eventually, they will use this skill to fully argue a point whether it is in a presentation, paper, etc.
Somebody Wanted But So Then Slide Deck
This protocol would be great for giving students practice with elaborating on the significance of a topic. The cause and effect (this, then) model is also great for helping students to explain the impacts of a choice or event in history. (Instead of quoting a large portion of the book here explaining how this activity works, I will instead urge you to read the EduProtocol Field Guide, specifically Chapter 33: Mastery and Assessment to learn about this protocol.)
Overall
Overall, I need to remember to "give students six to eight reps on a protocol before using it as an assessment..." this will help make sure that they understand the steps of the protocol, and students can focus on the content instead of the process. I'm excited to choose two or three of these EduProtocols to focus on this year. In the future I may add more, but I am in the process of switching my classes to standards-based grading and I don't want to overwhelm my students with too much that is brand new!
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