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Standards 101 Hybriding Standards
Standards 101 Hybriding Standards
In order to simplify STEAM methods for a new teacher I was guiding, I built a semi-formal STEAM Scope on how to merge NGSS, Tech-Ed, Career, and ITL standards to create cohesive curriculumn plans. The guide itself was to help act as a support as to how you can build around a STEAM curricula merging the ideas from the California STEAM Standards. This was my first attempt at creating a curriculum standard breakdown so there is definitely room for improvement. However this did serve as a major support for trying to create cross-curricular courses without training for a new teacher.
Problem: As I was leading a large student club with multiple groups leading large initiatives, I needed a way to not only notify staff who specific students I was pulling, but also auto email the students in the groups when they would have a morning meeting.
Solution: I built a sheet that contained all of the students, student emails, and then hard-coded the all-staff email to be able to automate an emailing system for whom I needed and when. In the code, I triggered a time-based reminder to auto email me on Mondays so I can schedule to send the generated draft from the groups I would meet on Wednesdays. I also built in an On-Open trigger so when I clicked into the email sent to me, the system auto activates the HTML UI to schedule send out the emails I need.
MAKE SURE to modify the email context and details so it meets your need versus my auto Wednesday Details for students and staff.
Problem: One of the classes I was teaching had a problem. Being a higher-level course, the class had a section where students simply needed to refresh their safety tests. However, due to this being a capstone course, there were over 30 different Safety tests and ALL of them needed to be posted in the new classroom. After using a whole 90-minute class period to use the reuse post function in Classroom, I knew there had to be a better way.
Solution: I had found that AppScripts can scan classrooms and pull data from them. So, using the details pulled so far, as well as ChatGPT to find the hidden appscript commands, I was able to create a mock-classroom assignment creator to rapidly deploy assignments from a template classroom.
***In-Progress Project: The project is still a beta project, as I was not happy with not being able to nail down the assignment recreation in the Make a Copy per Student mode on for assignments. However, the current system does auto make a view only of any attachments within the template class, so it is still usable. ***
Google Classroom Standard-Based Grading Automated System
Google Classroom Standard-Based Grading Automated System
After attending the Solution Tree PLC Conference in Madison WI, one of the takeaways was how to adapt your Learning Management Systems (LMS) to use standards-based grading. Due to the fact that we use Infinite Campus, the switch was going to be tricky if it was not an "All for One" approach. So to mitigate the complications in Infinite Campus, I found a workaround through Google Classroom and Google Sheets. While it involves some AppScripting, the payoff works quite well! All it requires is a hashtag in the assignment.
Problem: Most LMS require an "All for One" approach. This means if everyone is using Standards-Based Grading, then the LMS can accommodate. This creates a major lag if individuals are trying to pilot the system while others are still using traditional point or weight-based grading. Our primary LMS is Infinite-Campus, which has a pass-through point to Google Classroom. So knowing we have to work within the Google suite to Infinite-Campus, there is a grade hand-off hurdle that needs to be met.
Solution: Use a Google Sheet to triangulate and intercept the assignments from Google Classroom to complete the Standards-Based Grading solution, while Google Classroom also passes the assignments and details over to Infinite-Campus.
Teacher Standard Tracking: I designed the code to pull standards in what I believe, is the simplest way possible. Inside ANY Google Classroom assignment, if you include the standard as a hashtag in the assignment description, the code will pull that standard and use it as the base for the grade calculation automatically.
Recency Calculation: On top of the auto calculation for grades per the Solution Tree PLC Standards-Based Grading System, the sheet also includes auto adding the most recent score per standard within the sheet column. This allows you, as the instructor, to compare the most recently completed assignments in that category against the average skill of each student.
Student Dashboards: You may have noticed the teacher dashboard has a button to create student dashboards. The first step to use this function is to import your class from the classroom and have it populate. On the teacher dashboard, unhide the B column to input the student emails. The system auto-filters emails based on the import from the classroom, so as long as you are not switching classrooms on the teacher sheet, the sheet will sync with the student profiles.
*** The AppScript and Google Sheet help to meet a few problems we were trying to mitigate. Please keep in mind, we are still trying to meet and adjust what Standards-Based Grading looks like for our district so these details are not absolute. This is just a snapshot of what has been developed and modified so far. The current AppScript code is to the right, the student profile, the code explanation, and grade portal access for students is above. This was a combined personal coding and ChatGPT coding solution due to AppScripts hidden commands***
Advanced Technology Class
Advanced Technology Class
This was my second presentation at the Wisconsin Technology Education Association Conference for 2025. For this round, the focus was on meeting industry needs. So I presented on our Advanced Technology class we run in Dodgeville. With the project based style and allowing certifications to be earned in the same route, this presentation covers our way of meeting the new industrial requirements while allowing students to specialize in what they need to be successful.
MTSS Sorting Google Sheet
MTSS Sorting Google Sheet
Problem: We needed to find a way to create an automated sorting Google Sheet so we could request struggling students at a specific time-frame so when we ran Dodger Core (Our version of homeroom) the sheet could tell students which room they should report to.
Solution: I worked and built an auto-sorting google sheet that will trigger 7 minutes into homeroom. 1 minute before the homeroom start time (Cell B1), the sheet will auto sort by teacher so the sheet is ready at the start of homeroom.
Then the timing system kicks in. After 7 minutes, the sheet will resort based off of the date within the day columns. This allows teachers to mark who made it to the requested room. This way Admin can track and correct students who did not go to the requested room. As we had been using and updating the system, here are the following modifications and Appscript updates to run the system more efficiently:
Auto-Regenerate/Hide: By building a few specific triggers (Detailed below), the sheet will auto-hide previous days when the next day occurs, when the weekend hits, it will hide the auto-named sheet tab, and then create the next week's sheet by copying the Template1 tab and adjusting the date details within the sheet. We adjusted the system so the next week's sheet will generate on Wednesday at midnight so we can forecast and claim students efficiently.
Email on Delay: I auto-coded in a warning system so when the code is taking to long to run through, it will email me with a warning for over-clocking since Google has a timeout limit for AppScripts. The benefit is it will also auto-rerun the timeCheck system so in case I was not able to correct the issue, it will initiate a BailOut procedure to reactivate a new timeCheck to save the system.
Email All Staff: You may notice the big Dodger Core Time Set button. This was to meet the need that if Dodger Core ever changed or had to be run at a different point in the day, and I had not modified the code directly. ANYONE could adjust the time and click the button. The system will then auto-email the staff directory, not only informing everyone that the time has been updated, but also including WHO had hit the button. (To prevent multiple people resetting their own trigger to re-activate the system) Keep in mind, this would still require me to kill their trigger to restore mine, so there is only a single trigger functioning for a shared sheet.
Permission Lock: I used the sheet's default "Protect sheets and ranges" to auto prevent any editing of the names of the students, as Control + "F" to find students often caused the problem of overwriting the student's name with the teacher's name for those who are less technologically literate.
MTSS Student Request Sheet CodeThe document on the left is the base code for out MTSS System. (NOTE: You need to replace 3 spots in the code to include the proper emails for notifications) The right image is the trigger set up for our current system.
STEAM Education
STEAM Education
This was the first topic I was asked to present on at the 2024 Wisconsin Technology Education Association Conference. Focusing on the rapid changes in industry, this presentation covers the adaptation from STEM Education to STEAM Education, the oncoming fourth industrial revolution, and different class models that I use to help meet those needs.
Virtual Hall Pass (VHP)
Virtual Hall Pass (VHP)
In the height of the pandemic, and to attempt to meet the need of our school district, I had designed a virtual hall pass system using Google Forms and a connected Google Sheet. The system compiles the information and then compares it to a pivot table to actively see who is out and about within the building. While we ran into some system issues (If not everyone was using the VHP, the system couldn't count correctly) it was a good test of my Google Sheets abilities for connecting systems.
A Question for Salman (Sal) Khan, from Khan Academy!
A Question for Salman (Sal) Khan, from Khan Academy!
As part of the Distinguished Lecturer series at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, of which I am an Alumni, students were able to submit questions to ask Sal. My question, which was selected from the student body entries, was "COVID has pushed the boundaries of technology and education to the absolute limit. As someone in the education field, I am curious how you see the future of education changing because of this unique situation we are facing?" Salman Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, the massive, free, online mastery learning system.
The Rock Cycle Google Earth Virtual Field Trip
The Rock Cycle Google Earth Virtual Field Trip
For one of my teaching interviews, I was assigned to teach about the Rock Cycle virtually. In order to both have fun with my virtual students and to do something more than just "look at slides", I used Google Earth and designed a full field trip taking them to actual places around the globe to see evidence and proof of the rock cycle.
The map only has main locations due to the nature of KML files. If you want to see the full Virtual Field Trip, click the button below!
Out of everything I had been prepped for when it came to student teaching, doing so in a pandemic was undoubtedly not one of them. From systems changing a few days before starting school to getting an hour's notice to going virtual for a month, this student teaching experience is certainly one to remember. Click here or the title to learn more.
As part of a science inquiry project completed with Harely Baty, we decided to test which soaps and cleaners work the best when dealing with a pandemic. Our squeaky clean results had some very clear winners and a lot of surprises that we where not expecting.
At the time of writing this paper and complicating this project, it is May 12th, 2020. So any information sourced or used in this project was based off of information we had available at this time. Click here or the title to find out more.
As part of a group project for the Teaching Advising, Interaction, and Communication class, taught by Dr. Monhardt at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, we had to develop a cross-curricular unit. My group decided to cover population. Click the title or here to be taken to our overview and base cite on teaching Populations as a cross-curricular unit.
Stereotypes and Scientists
Stereotypes and Scientists
As a combined effort for multiple classes, I taught a science lesson for a group of nine senior high school students who were all going to 4-year universities. Almost all of them were going to college for STEM-related degrees. The presentation on the right is a review of the aggregated data. I have attached my data review in the presentation titled "What does a Scientist Look Like?". Below that is the presentation used in class, a video recording of the aforementioned lesson, and a self-reflection from completing the lesson.
Drawing a Scientist Discussion
Drawing a Scientist Discussion
Why did you select the student you did?
As I was pre-student teaching at the time, I had access to high school level students. These students were also, as noted by my cooperating teacher, college-bound students. The coop teacher and I flushed out the goal of the "What it takes to be a collegiate level scientist" and then I was to fully design the lesson from the ground up.
How did the student's results compare to the researched findings?
Almost all of the student's drawings aligned with the research in the first table. The fact that, even among high schoolers, the stereotypes are not only strong but typically stronger than previous years of education. This not only is terrifying that, as students age, the misconceptions are reinforced, but the fact that they become so prevalent they begin to believe it. Witnessing that for students going to college is so sad that, even as students going into science fields, they were subconsciously thinking about the stereotypical scientist.
What did you learn about the students after talking to them and scoring their tests?
The majority of the students were sad, if I am going to be honest. The class was almost a majority of women going into science and the fact they had almost realized first hand what they were comparing themselves to lead to some melancholic feelings. As seen in the video, I quickly transferred this to a learning point as focusing on the negative doesn't allow for students to realize why it's bad. From there, the students became much more interested in what they had learned and that fostered additional conversations about why that occurred in the first place.
As a teacher, what could you do to give students a more positive attitude toward science?
While not seen within this specific video, I followed that up with a discrepant event for the students to practice good science in their unique way. This not only led to a more engaged class but also lead to the typically quiet class to open up and ask good questions. By covering and explaining the true obstacles in their way, students were able to actively fight against that even within their own classroom. Many of the students later also reported to my coop teacher that they really enjoyed my lesson and that I gave them a lot to think about, which, at the end of the day, is the most important thing when it comes to science.
Mrs. Bomkamp
Insta360 Camera Work
Insta360 Camera Work
As part of the UW-Platteville STEM Exploration Day, myself, Mrs. Bomkamp, and Ms. Holland spent time with students to teach about 360 story videography. By helping to image our UW-Platteville campus, we were also able to test different environments and see what works and doesn't work for 360 photography. Our location was the Karmen Library, linked in maps below. If you click view larger in maps and drag the little yellow stick figure, you can drag them onto any of the blue dots to see the 360 photos! The four questions below is the discussion topics our group did together to converse about the experience.
*Note* If you are on a mobile device, you will need to view through Google Street View app for Apple or Android!
Ms. Holland
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
What did the guests learn or what skills did they gain as a result of this station?
We worked with one student on the basics of the 360 degree camera. He learned what it was, how it works, and different ways people use it. For example, on YouTube, Facebook, and mainly for our purposes, Google Maps. We took him out to try the camera and he got to see what a picture taken with a 360 camera looks like. We also showed him how to upload it onto Google maps and how you can find it in Google.
Our guests also learned the unique power technology has in sharing and telling stories. 360 videography has the ability to fully capture an environment exactly as it appears. Reinforcing that technology is much more than an entertainment device, but also has many forms of expression. It just takes a willingness to learn to be able to find new ways to share your story.
2. What did you do to prepare for the evening?
We prepared for the STEM day by taking the 360 cameras out and practicing with them in class previously. Specifically, we found different ways of using the camera to make shots more clear. Such as placing the camera bulb in a shadow and pivoting the camera so the sides lined up with the shadow minimizing the stabilizer stick's shadow. We practiced outside and inside to make sure we were able to work well with the camera and the app. We also walked around our assigned buildings to see what interesting features they have that would be fun to photograph. We also learned how to upload the pictures onto google maps street view so people can see what campus looks like without coming.
3. How did you adjust for different age groups?
Due to the fact that we only had one person in our group, we did not have to adjust to different age groups. However, we could have made adjustments had the student been younger. If they were younger, we may have adjusted our focus to just taking photos and videos, rather than uploading to Google Maps. We also would perhaps simplify some of the vocabulary terms used when it comes to describing the 360 degree camera. However, I think students of all ages could get a valuable experience from the 360 degree camera in one way or another.
4. If you could do it again, what would you do differently?
Perhaps have the student download it on their phone or take an iPad so they can actually do the picture taking. That way they get a more genuine tutorial of how they work, and they would be able to practice uploading it to Google maps themselves. Another thing to modify, is to try and have clear goals set for the students. Examples like "Have an Easter egg in one photo","Be entirely invisible in one photo", ECT may help the students to puzzle out their own ideas for how to capture photos that meet those needs.
Passion Topic Video
Passion Topic Video
The goal of this project was to tell a story that means something to you. As someone who has had some video editing experience, I wanted to make one of those Choose Your Own Adventure style video. This would help to express what it is like to play Dungeons and Dragons and give people that experience.
In Depth Reflection on the Passion Topic Video
In Depth Reflection on the Passion Topic Video
I recorded this video on January 24th in my basement. This is the actual location I play D&D with my friends as it has a very vintage feel which adds to the ambiance of the whole experience. I am sharing this video over my educational Youtube channel as it is a way for students to get to know more about me but also know that I do more than just teach in a classroom. It also makes it super easy to share and show people!
Purpose:
My video is about what Dungeons and Dragons is, how to play it, and a Choose Your Own Adventure system embedded in it for people to experience something akin to a D&D experience. I chose this because I am a firm believer that people need the opportunity to be the heroes in their own story. In the information age where many people feel like they have no control, D&D gives everyone 100% agency and allows you to be anyone.
Style:
As a Choose Your Own Adventure, I want the video to be stimulating and engaging for anyone who views it. I want it to be a sensory experience so I chose specific imagery and audio to go with the narration I give to increase the total experience. This helps to elevate the story immersion and giving the ability to chose how the story goes makes the adventure specific for each person.
Emotional Appeal:
With the nature of the adventure, and wanting it to be a positive experience for all, everyone becomes something. Whether that be a roguelike wizard trying to uncover dark secrets or a noble Reclaimer who works for the Empire, everyone gets to be a hero in their own unique way. I'm applying to the emotional appeal of being able to become a hero in your own story that you decide your fate in. At the base level, I want you to experience wonder, hope, and adventure!
Edits:
By specifically using narration, I had to choose imagery and audio cues that would help to immerse and envelope a sense of reality so the user experience was engaging. I had to purposefully cut out and rearrange certain clips in order to provide fluidity and immersion so the viewer was never bored or disengaged.
Final Thoughts:
As this is my first attempt at doing a project like this, I am 100% certain that I was not able to nail my overall goal exactly. Even though I did the best I could, the amount of free and royalty-free options for video editing is quite sparse. While I still like how it turned out, I know I have a long way to go for it to be considered professional. However, I also know that the video will have a small amount of my own personal charm and quirks so I hope, in the end, people can still have fun!
Designing the Perfect School
Designing the Perfect School
As part of my Teaching Methods and Instruction class, our final project was to create an entire school system from scratch. From the design of the building to the function of the curriculum, this cumulative project was a cooperative effort between myself and Cora Holland.
The main three tenants of the school, which was our design focus, was that each student would encounter a new challenge, creative solution, and explore a new idea each day. With those three goals in mind, Innovation Middle School was designed to both meet and allow those tenants to flourish for each of our students.
By mixing a full semesters worth of research, Cora and Myself designed Innovation Middle School to be a testament to the possibility of what education of the future could be. Attached is the presentation and the research paper given in part to that final.
Another part of the introduction class was creating an infographic on a subject of interest. This was given a few days after the Opportunity Rover had lost communication so I viewed that as an excellent lead to focus my Piktochart around. This covers base information on the Opportunity rover, links and images for more information, the challenges it overcame, and its final moments before contact loss.
Video Project - Is Pluto a Planet?
Video Project - Is Pluto a Planet?
As part of my education at UW-Platteville, Educational Media is split into an introductory and advance class. As part of the introductory class, we had to go through and make a video pertaining to a lesson we would actually teach. If I was to remake this video, which I am strongly considering, I would like to use a real green screen so my video isolation is better and refocus my camera since it was focused on the background over me.
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