From the 15+ variations of the Scoreboard in Chapter 11, pick five you will use in the school year. Explain why you picked each one and estimate how long you will use your selection before going on to the next.
Pages 62-76
Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points
Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
Reminder: Please sign your post with your real first and last name.
Julia Berry / Chapter 11 / September
ReplyDeleteI teach gifted students K-5th grade and only have them one day per week. I really have to stay focused and reinforce The Big Seven, Five Class Rules and especially the importance of the Scoreboard throughout the day for my students to retain WBT until the following week.
The Five Scoreboards I will use are:
1. Ping-Pong can help reinforce good behaviors and eliminated the negative in a positive manner. Many times my good students get discouraged when a certain few continue to misbehave. Ping-Pong will help elevate the problem because the good students are not being penalized every time. The whole class will see how easy it is to earn a smiley face just by following the rules and in turn, want to help earn more. It is a Win-Win situation! I will use Ping-Pong for six weeks and reiterate when needed throughout the year.
2. Pirates is another great scoreboard that will go along with my Pirate unit. The “Arrrggs” and ”Yo, ho, ho” will add a lot of excitement to my unit. The estimated time just depends on the unit (four to five weeks).
3. Beat The Clock will be used anytime when disruptive behavior is hard to handle. I have a huge elapsed time clock where they can visually see the time disappearing. My students are familiar with me using elapsed time and it will not be long before they start earning smiley faces. I really do not have an estimated time for this one. It can be used whenever I need a strong visual reinforcement throughout the year.
4. Mystery Road is a change from the traditional scoreboard and I really love this one! I plan to use Mystery Road when I teach my creative writing unit “The Mysteries of Harris Burdick”. The estimated time is around four weeks.
5. Double will be used the last nine weeks when students start to lose interest after testing. Double or Nothing is what I am going to call the scoreboard. A guarantee to get them back on track!
6. I also have created a scoreboard for my K-1st graders. Sock Monkey is my theme for the year. I will start off using Barrel of Monkeys to hang on the scoreboard. The estimated time will be the first nine weeks. When enough points are earned we can do the Sock Monkey dance and our mighty “Oh, yeah” will be “Sock it-to-Me!”
In an earlier assignment, I mentioned that my classes would help me select some rewards. Some of my rewards (until they can choose) for the above Scoreboards will be extra recess, puzzle cubes, logic links, mystery objects from the past, the Sock Monkey bubble time and dance.
Julia,
DeleteYou have chosen some great ways to make the scoreboard fun! I love the tie in with Harris Burdick! (My class loves that as creative writing too!) Here are 25 certification points!
1. Gridboard: We are currently using this scoreboard. I love using this scoreboard because we are working on opposites as well as following directions quickly. The Gridboard this addresses both concerns when I use “Fast” for the Smilies and “Slow” for the Frownies. Kindergarteners can take up to five minutes to get out their textbooks and turn to the correct page. When I use the Gridboard, students not only get their own textbook out quickly, but they encourage and help their teammates! I will use this scoreboard for approximately 4 weeks.
Delete2. Drum Roll: My Kindergarten students have lots of energy, so this is a great way to get my students following directions quickly in a positive “Whole Brain” way! I will use this scoreboard for approximately 4 weeks.
3. Team Scoreboard: I will divide my students into two teams of boys and girls. The winners get to line up in front all the next day! I will use this Scoreboard because I think it will be effective and fun! I will use this scoreboard for approximately 4 weeks.
4. Virtueboard: I will use kindness as a special Smiley category because our school rules include “I will treat others with kindness and respect.” The Virtueboard will reinforce this rule. I will use this for approximately 4 weeks. Then, I will change the special category to “GREAT QUESTION” to encourage critical thinking skills. I will use this for another 4 weeks.
5. Leaderboard: I will have each table of 5 students nominate their table captain. This will be used near the end of the school year. When the marks reach 10, students will earn an extra 10 minutes of recess. I will use the Leaderboard to get students to think about the leadership qualities they will need next year. I will use this Scoreboard for approximately 4 weeks.
Krissa White
Krissa,
DeleteGreat job! I like the tie in between the grid board and teaching opposites! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11 The Scoreboard Bethany Kirkland
ReplyDeleteI began this year using the happy/frowny face scoreboard because as a motivational tool, these symbols are well recognized by my students. Once the scoreboard is embraced, I will change the label to Pirates; me being the captain, students being the crew. I think my students will love this version of the scoreboard mainly because of the change from Oh Yeah! and Mighty Groan! to Yo Ho Ho! and Arrrgghh! Changing the way the board is labeled will prevent habituation and boredom. I have no concrete plan on when to change up the scoreboard. I am hoping that I can “read” my students, their enthusiasm, and know when to vary the game.
Once I begin to see interest waning with the Pirates label, Ping Pong will be introduced. Students love competing against their dear teacher! Ping Pong will be introduced using a quick positive, then negative point tally. I chose Ping Pong because the quickness adds an element of excitement to this game.
Next, Beat the Clock will be introduced using a “Time Timer” giving students a visual reminder of time so they can see how long they can go without negative behaviors. The “Time Timer” will increase student motivation to beat the clock. When interest peaks, the scoreboard will change to Boombox where a boombox will change positions closer to or further away from a power outlet based on positive or negative behaviors displayed. My students love music and I think they will work hard to win boombox time.
For the year finale, Doubles will be introduced. Using Doubles, students play for double points. By doubling points, I believe my students will take this challenge on! To keep students focused on their goal of positive learning behavior, the games on the scoreboard will be changed occasionally with a keen eye on maintaining student motivation.
Bethany,
DeleteI agree, the Pirate Scoreboard is a lot of fun! As you pointed out, "reading" your students will help them avoid habituation as you move to a new version of the scoreboard. Here are 25 certification points!
The scoreboard will definitely motivate my children.
ReplyDeleteI will start with the simple smiley and frowny faces scoreboard. Our rubric system uses the smiley and frowny faces so my first graders will already be familiar with these symbols. I think it is good to begin with something simple and something to which my children can relate. I’ll use this for about three weeks.
I want to implement Ping Pong in order to add some excitement. At this point my children should be thoroughly familiar with the scoreboard concept and will really appreciate a new “twist” on it.
Ping Pong will also allow me to easily encourage a small group’s good choices, while also addressing a group’s off task behavior. I will probably use this a month. I’d like to use it until the end of October.
I plan to use Pirates around Halloween because that is when I teach a pirate unit and work on the “r” controlled vowel sound/spelling. I think Pirates will integrate nicely. I will label the scoreboard captain and crew. I will use Pirates a couple of weeks.
I already know that Drum Roll is going to be a favorite! I’ve noticed my children enjoy patting their desks anyhow. I could even encourage each group to develop their own “drum roll.”
The drum roll patting could work well with learning about mathematical patterns. Can’t wait to implement Drum Roll and stay “on a roll” for at least a month.
Time duration is a difficult concept to teach in first grade. Beat the Clock will not only energize the scoreboard, it will also help with teaching the concept of time duration. Beat the Clock will also enable me to address specific rules with laser precision. I think this scoreboard strategy could be used for over a month.
These easy to implement strategies are just what I’ve needed to keep the scorekeeper happy. Thank you, Mr. Biffle.
Kay,
ReplyDeleteI love that you are connecting the pirate spelling/phonics unit to your pirate scoreboard! Drum roll will fill your room with funtricity! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Pirates – This variation changes it up from our everyday routine and makes it more exciting for them to win, then to give the captain the points instead. I would use this method one day and come back to it occasionally throughout the year.
ReplyDelete2. Drum Roll – I picked this one because the students get hyped up and emotional when they know the mighty oh yeah is coming. It builds up excitement and some laughter as well. I would use this variation throughout the year because my students would enjoy doing it regularly.
3. Beat the Clock – This is one of my favorites because I can target a rule that the students may have a weakness in. The rule that comes to mind is rule 2. I am constantly having students state this rule when students speak out. I like that it’s an additional way to remind students to follow this rule. I would probably use this for a week or so before changing it up.
4. Boombox – This will probably be the variation that gets the students wound up the most. Visually seeing the cord on the boom box getting closer and closer to the outlet, leaves them anxious and wanting that small music party. I have some dancers in my room too so perhaps I could have them dance during this short time frame in which they win. I would use this method occasionally throughout the year but not consecutively in a row each day.
5. Team Scoreboard – This variation will be used in a couple different ways. First, my class is divided into three areas or groups. I’ve noticed recently that two of my groups are quieter than the third so this could help motivate them to beat the others. The reward would start out small with each smiley meaning one extra minute of recess for that particular group. I would use this variation for a couple of weeks. In addition, I want to use this method for teams between the girls and boys. The girls would be on one side and boys on the other side when doing this. This would be the type of competition that I would use one day and then come back to it a week or two later. I wouldn’t use it everyday.
Liz Cheney
Liz,
DeleteAren't we lucky to have the Scoreboard as a tool? Nice job detailing how you will use each one! Here are 25 certification points!
Marker Move: Marker Move reminds me of moving with in close proximity to a student who is having behavior issues. It gets there attention, and stops the behavior without you needing to talk to them. Moving the marker closer to the scoreboard or further away would give them the anticipation of a mark and students would shape up to get the mark. I think it would be a good motivator and keep them on their toes. I would use this strategy sporadically through the year to reinvigorate the board, for a week or two at a time.
ReplyDeleteFake: I like the idea of this strategy to get those last few students to get on board with what we are doing. I would incorporate this strategy when we are really struggling for Smiley points. I think these would be very useful before holidays or breaks when we can use every helpful trick we can think of to maintain a positive focus. So the last two weeks in November, December, and the middle of March just prior to spring break. Do not let me forget the last week of school.
Beat the Clock: I really like beat the clock and will probably start this next week in my class. My students are struggling with Rule #2, Raise your hand for permission to speak. In a lesson they start off great, but when we really get into the lesson and they are excited to answer they start yelling out. So I will definitely start using this now for the next few weeks until the behavior improves. This strategy is one I would pull out and use for a few weeks whenever we need to work on a specific rule or behavior.
Team Scoreboard: My students sit in teams, so I would really like to expand this to a Line for all five teams. Working on extra recess time for the team that earns the most smiley points. I would use this the first month or so of school to work on teamwork as well as anytime I switch the student’s teams around. I really like the idea of a boys against girls’ board, in hopes it would keep my troubled boys on task more. This would motivate my teams, and students.
Virtueboard: I really like the idea of this board, and the aspect of it being a separate board, because I agree I want no negative points for this, but working on moral character is so important. I really would like to keep track of the number of times I see my students asking great questions, demonstrating excellent leadership, being polite, sharing, showing true honesty, and kindness toward each other. I might work on creating a board this weekend, and keep it up the entire year. I would add a goal and then we would receive a bonus reward for the class.
Tonya,
DeleteYou chose some Scoreboard favorites! Watch out for pesky editing errors "moving with in close proximity" (within), "It gets there attention," (their). Also watch the punctuation errors "switch the student’s teams" (students') and "boys against girls’ board". Unfortunately due to the errors I am unable to award points this time, but that's cool, there are plenty of other chapters!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Scoreboard works so well in my classroom. I just love how the students try and pretty successfully, might I add, keep the scorekeeper happy. The students thoroughly enjoy beating me and earning their rewards through this simplistic game.
ReplyDelete1. At the beginning of the school year I introduced the Smiley Face and the Frowny Face. So, for approximately two months now we have been using tallies to keep track of who is winning with the Smiley/Frowny Face Board. I have really enjoyed using this at the beginning of the year because we have learned so much about counting just by using tallies. I plan on using this Scoreboard for one more week before I change the board to Pirates!
2. I am going to change the Scoreboard to Pirates for the Halloween season. I cannot wait to bust out my old pirate hat! I think that the students will be doing the next right thing just so they can say “Yo, ho! ho!”. I plan on the reward for the use of this Scoreboard to be a trip to the Treasure Box which is filled with all kinds of candy fun. I plan on using this until our Thanksgiving break, or a little over a month.
3. After Thanksgiving I plan on using the Boombox. This is such a great idea! My students love taking brain breaks and dancing to the beat of the music. I plan on playing some of their favorite music and as time brings us closer to Christmas, the music will change to some holy, jolly Christmas tunes. I plan on using this Scoreboard for a month.
4. After the holiday break I plan on using the Doubler. As I said before, my students love winning and to have a chance to win by double the points will get them really excited about playing. This will also be a nice way to get everybody back into the swing of things after such a long break. I want to use this scored board until Valentine’s Day, which will be approximately a month and a half.
5. I will implement the Drum Roll Scoreboard shortly after Valentine’s Day. I have several students that love to beat on the desk and we are already exploding with a mighty “Oh, Yeah!” whenever the class earns a point. I love how Jay Vanderfin threw in the “In your face!” I will encourage my students to discuss a new way of saying “Oh, Yeah” at this point. I plan on using this Scoreboard for a month or so.
6. At the end of the school year I will revert back to the Boombox. I already know that this will be a class favorite and the students will be happy to hear some of “their” music towards the end of the year.
Brandi Young
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your classroom will be filled with fun! Oops, did you mean holly jolly on #3? Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the extra (#6) Scoreboard!
Ping-Pong: As a Kindergarten teacher this is the best scoreboard. Students get so excited when they are rewarded for doing the right thing that when I give a negative point they quickly try to correct other students' misbehavior. As well, they learn how easy it is to earn "happy points!" I will use this for the first nine weeks of school.
ReplyDeletePirates: Since this will be implemented around the holidays I will change what students shout. When they earn negative marks in October they will shout "Ooooooh," and for positive marks they will cackle. In November they will do the usual "Humph" for negative marks and "Gobble gobble" for positive ones. In December, they will "Tsk, tsk" for negative marks and "Ho, ho, ho" for positive marks. I will implement this until the winter break.
Beat the clock: This technique will help us work on sustaining good behavior; I will keep track of how long they can follow the rules. Each time they get off-task I will mark how long the good behavior lasted and reset the clock. Students will try to improve upon their times. I will implement this scoreboard for six weeks.
Virtue Board: This technique would allow my students to focus on a good classroom behavior such as following one of the classroom rules, or answering questions in complete sentences. I will do this for 6 weeks.
Scoreboard Rewards: Students will earn extra minutes or lose minutes of recess according to the amount of marks in the favor of the scoreboard. I will do this until the school year is finished.
Josephine,
DeleteNice job! The scoreboard is a wonderful motivator! Here are 25 certification points!
I will use Beat the Clock at the beginning of the school year. This will provide more reinforcement for the class rules. I will use this variation with the rules the class needs to improve. When they have shown significant improvement I will move on to another variation.
ReplyDeleteThe Pirates variation will be a good variation to use after the Beat the Clock variation. This variation will provide variety and help maintain the students’ interest in earning positive points on the scoreboard. It will be fun to hear the students say “Yo, ho! Ho!” and “Arrrrgggg!” When my students seem to begin to lose their enthusiasm, however, I will use a new variation.
Scoreboard Rewards will help to renew my students’ motivation to earn positive points. I am eager to try the Mind Soccer game as a reward! I think the students will enjoy it! When they become less motivated to earn rewards, though, I will try a new variation.
To peak my students’ interest, I will try the Team Scoreboard variation. This variation should revitalize their enthusiasm to earn points. I will divide my class in half for the two teams. I will play one team against the other and let the winning team get the prize. I will let the winning team line up first. When this variation seems to lose its effectiveness I will use a new variation.
The Doubler variation seems like a good one to try later in the year. I think the students will like earning double points. I also like being able to give a positive and negative mark if some students are doing well and some are not doing well.
Amanda Conley
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mind Soccer is a wonderful reward! There's nothing better than having students beg to review content! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Ping-Pong: As a kindergarten teacher I started out the year with the basic Smiley/ Frowny Scoreboard using the Ping-Pong method. I like to go back and forth between positive and negative marks because generally with the little ones they want to correct negative behavior quickly. The quick reward gives instant gratification. At first, the students are more apt to correct negative behaviors of their classmates if they experience the effects quickly. I will use this technique until the class as a whole demonstrates a good, solid understanding of the Scoreboard.
ReplyDelete2. Drum Roll: To add excitement and variety to the Scoreboard I will use the Drum Roll technique sporadically throughout the year. The students get giggly and happy when they earn a “Mighty Oh Yeah” and they love nothing better than to tap on their desks; so combining the two would make the reward doubly wonderful. I believe this would be especially useful on a cloudy, dreary day when the students and I might need a little mood boost.
3. Pirates: I would like to use this idea throughout the year in conjunction with the seasons or holidays. For example, at Halloween I could use Tricks (Nah-Nah-Nah, Boo Boo!) vs. Treats (Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Yummy!) and during the Christmas season I may label the board Santa (Ho, Ho, Ho!) vs. The Grinch (Bah-Humbug!) I would not use these labels everyday during the season. I would sprinkle them in occasionally to keep the Scoreboard fresh and fun during these exciting times.
4. Beat the Clock: I plan to start implementing this technique in the very near future. I love the idea of focusing on one specific behavior and encouraging the class to work together. I think that seeing the “class record” and trying to beat it will be very motivational especially for the more competitive children in the class. Also, because these students are usually leaders, the followers will want to please them by obeying the rules and helping the class to earn Smilies. I will use this throughout the year whenever I notice that a particular negative behavior has become problematic.
5. Marker Move: Later in the year when fewer marks are made on the Scoreboard, I like the idea of using the Marker Move. I think the students will respond well to working a little harder to earn Smilies, and to avoid Frownys. I am hopeful that these extra steps will help build patience and perseverance and to bind the class together causing them to work more closely as a group to earn rewards.
Julia Simons
Julia,
ReplyDeleteYou have made a great plan to heighten engagement and energy in your classroom throughout the year using a variety of Scoreboards! Here are 25 points!
1) Ping Pong: I really want to start using the “Ping Pong” scoreboard in my class. I like it because it isn’t about the whole class being on task at the same time. It allows me to still acknowledge the students who are doing the correct thing versus the students who are not. I always do table points and group points in my class and this is a way that I can blend table points and whole brain together as one! I will try to maintain this one all year long.
ReplyDelete2) Doubler: The book says to use this late in the year, but I think it is appropriate to be used when there is an increase in students who are not following directions. I wouldn’t use this often, but if we have a rough couple of days in class and I want to change things up, this would be a good strategy to use. I like that it is still recognizing good behavior but it is also really making the students pay the consequence for not-so-good behavior.
3) Drum Roll: This would be a fun scoreboard to use almost as a reward. If we have been having a lot of good days and I want to spice things up in the classroom, I could allow my kids to use the “drum roll” technique. They would enjoy banging on their desks throughout the day and being able to yell “in your face” at their teachers! I would’ve LOVED to get to shout that at a few of my teachers!
4) Team Scoreboard: This is going to be a scoreboard that I will use frequently in my classroom. I will use this scoreboard a lot primarily because I kind of already do it, just not the whole brain style. I love to encourage good behavior by using table points and group points. Using the team scoreboard, I can continue to do this but incorporate good behavior along with all of the other whole brain activities we do throughout the day.
5) Leaderboard: I love the idea of recognizing individual students for hard work and good behavior. My kids this year love getting all the attention that they can get. They want to be my “buddy”, they want to run errands, they want to organize my room, etc. With the leaderboard, I can assign students leaders and let them feel important and get attention by doing good things for themselves and for their classmates! I love their help but I would much rather them want to help each other before me! This would be good to slowly incorporate into a weekly activity and pick new students each week!
-Kasey Wicker
Kasey,
DeleteWell done! These are great Scoreboard variations to spread throughout the year! Here are 25 points!
Deborah Gardner Chapter 11: The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteI started this year with the simple Smilie/Frownie face scoreboard and it is still going strong. However, I am anxious to try another one of these other scoreboard variations at the beginning of the second quarter.
The Drum Roll
My students enjoy making noise and the Drum Roll will definitely engage them while they pat louder and louder as I approach our scoreboard. I am still keeping the “Mighty Oh Yeah” though, instead of the “In your face”. I enjoy the tone and facial expressions of my class when they give me the “Oh Yeah” cheer.
Beat the Clock
I am moving on to “Beat the Clock” next. My class is a bit slow in passing out materials and passing in classwork assignments. I believe they will excitedly try to beat the timer. I also see them being more successful in preparing the classroom for the end of day clean-up and in lining up for out-of- class activities if they earn points for beating the clock. This seems to one easy way to improve on Rule #1 (Follow the directions quickly) and Rule #5 (Keep your dear teacher happy)!
Team Scoreboard
What a great way for classroom groups to compete! This will be very successful with my Academic Learning Center groupings. I also plan to use this “double-decker” chart for Boys versus Girls, and the normal “table” groupings. My students will play for minutes of recess, a choice of the next activity, choice of recess equipment, or a special treat. I liked the idea of having team captains and being able to double the prize later on in the school year.
Pirates
I love this variation for my end of the year Pirate Week unit as well as for keeping the Florida History/ Social Studies curriculum engaging. Pirate and Crew, Famous explorer (i.e. Ponce de Leon) and conquistadores, Seminole Chief and braves are some ideas that quickly came to mind. I also can imagine how my students will chuckle with the “farmer and the turkeys”.
The Virtue Board (Only on the “Smilie” side)
Building Character is very important to me. This is a fabulous method of teaching and honoring leadership, manners, accountability and responsibility. I also like the suggestion of a “Virtue Captain”. All too often polite behavior is lost in the bustle of the school day. This is a simple way to show how much teachers appreciate good manners. Hopefully it will catch on.
Deborah,
DeleteI agree with you about the Virtue Board! You've selected some great variations to extend the Scoreboard through the year! Here are 25 points for you!
The first scoreboard that I would use in the school year would be the “ping-pong” board. I would use this so that if they make a mistake and earn a ‘mighty groan’ then they can quickly redeem themselves. It would give them the moment to learn why the negative behavior is inappropriate. Then, they can still feel like they are doing well by getting a positive mark. In the same respect, they won’t get too comfortable with the ‘oh, yeah’ if they are kept in check with ‘might groans. I would use this for a short time (about a week) to get them used to the idea of the scoreboard.
ReplyDeleteThe second scoreboard that I would use is the “marker move” board. This would be one that I would use to show where their behavior is at each moment, almost like a warning signal. If the marker is on the frown side, they need to be careful. If it is on the smiley side, it is encouraging to show good behavior to earn the point. I would use this board for about two or three weeks to reinforce the routine.
A third scoreboard that I would use is the “boom box” board. This board shows them physically how they are doing with a goal/reward other than just the points. It is an exciting way to get them to reach an immediate goal. I would use it as long as the reward is satisfying to them as I want to make a good thing last as long as possible! I know that after two or three weeks it is good to switch it up though to keep rewards fresh.
A fourth scoreboard that I would use is the “team scoreboard”. I would use this board to reinforce the idea of winning and losing as a team. We are a team as a class, but sometimes it may benefit to ‘zoom-in’ on some of the problem areas and some students react better when a closer knit group is relying on them. I would use this as long as needed to correct and negative behavior and reuse at any point I feel it would help to fix a problem/negative behavior.
A fifth scoreboard that I would use is the “pirates” board. This is a themed board that can be used to keep the scoreboard fresh in an interesting way that relates to what is going on in the classroom. It could be seasons, holidays, or even lessons that are being taught in class! I would probably change this board weekly as I wouldn’t want to stick with one theme too long. I wouldn’t want to overuse it!
Cheyanne,
DeleteYour class will definitely appreciate the variety and fun you bring to the classroom Scoreboard this year! Here are 25 points!
Score Board
ReplyDeleteMarker Move: I love this! I selected Marker-Move because it has both a positive and negative component. When I am moving the marker closer, the move is reinforced with a soft booyah. As the marker moves closer, the booyah becomes louder. When a point is added, we give a loud booyah and continue working. On the flip side, if I move the marker away I do not need to speak and interrupt instruction. The students understand the game and know just what to do to move the marker in the correct direction. I use this daily and believe I will use it all year. I find it especially helpful when I am in small group and the other children become too loud.
Doubler: This is another wonderful management tool. If we are having an unusual day with a change in the schedule, I use this method for points. Today, for example, we administered the School Wide Writing Assessment followed by a visit from Florida’s DOE. I have found a change in routine can create many problems with my inclusion class. However, when I told my students today was a Doubler Day my students did not experience the usual stress associated with change. (I wish I had read this section sooner.) I will save the Doubler for special occasions. I can envision using it in the hallways, before holidays, or special events. It will be most handy toward the end of the year.
Pirates: This is just fun. I have no fancy reason for using this strategy. I just like to break up the general routine now and again. I will use this off and on for a day at a time through the year.
Boombox: I move the Boombox closer following the same procedure and logic I use when playing Marker Move. I love music in the classroom and I will use this around Christmas to bring Christmas music into the classroom. It can also be used to play Motown music from Pandora. Again, with an inclusion class, we often need a brain break and music is the perfect way to make that breaks inspirational. Whenever I play music from Motown, I identify the artist and how he/she used music to make a difference in the world. (Pandora does have a filter to prevent inappropriate material.)
Beat the Clock: This strategy is very powerful to reinforce a rule constantly violated. Rule number two is the rule I use when we play Beat the Clock. My students yell out, especially to tell other students what to do. The outburst can become very disruptive and create a great deal of time off task. I found myself wasting too much instructional time repeating rule number two. After introducing Beat the Clock, the outburst became less and less. We play Beat the Clock on an as needed basis for any whole class behavior I need to reduce.
Dian Isert
Dian,
DeleteGreat choices for your classroom this year! My class loves Doubler Day because they never know when it will happen! I have even done it for short increments of time to notch up a challenging hour during the day! Here are 25 points for you!
1) Boys vs. Girls – This seems like a good way to “divide and conquer” bad behavior using natural teams and peer pressure to influence good behavior. The winning team will receive the reward at the end of music class. If both teams have received more happy face points than sad face points, then they have earned a class compliment for their teacher. This way they are both working to score points for their team and the class simultaneously. I will use this scoreboard occasionally to avoid habituation.
ReplyDelete2) Ping-Pong – I like this scoreboard because I can single out students who are showing good behavior quickly. This is a great way to reinforce the 5 classroom rules and can be used in conjunction with other scoreboards. I plan to use this method in the 2nd nine weeks grading period to keep the spirit of competition alive during music class.
3) Boombox – This is a great idea for the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who are always asking to play their own music during music class. I will announce that the reward is a dance party at the end of class if they get more positive points than negative. Do they really need to know the party will only be 1 minute long? For the first party, I will choose the song and listen for suggestions so that I can preview each song before it is played. I plan to use this method during the holiday season so that the kids have positive feelings towards music class when they come back from break.
4) Drum Roll – This is perfect for music class! Not only does it bring a fun component to getting a mark, it gives me a chance to talk about dynamics in music. I might even step it up a bit and assign class leaders to play actual drums during positive points, using the drum-roll as a reward for good behavior. I’m not sure about the “In your face!” from the book, maybe a “waa waa” trombone sound instead for negative points.
5) Virtueboard – This is a great board for the older kids to use late in the year. By this time I have been telling them to get points by “keeping me happy”, this actually lists ways to keep me happy. By the end of the year, I have given them academic music vocabulary and communication skills so they can make thoughtful comments, ask relevant questions, make music connections and express non-offensive opinions about music.
-Kimberly Gandrup
Kimberly,
DeleteI love how you adapted these Scoreboards to fit your music classes! Well done! Here are 25 points for you! I hope you will go check out our WBT Music facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/WbtMusicEducationCertification
Chapter 11-The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteI teach 4th and 5th grade Gifted Resource students. Gifted students can be extremely competitive with one another. Many enjoy a good challenge. However, not all Gifted education students like a challenge, and can be easily frustrated. Many are perfectionist and prefer to “win” with minimal effort. Others can be described as underachieving students with a very high IQ, but low motivation. Rather than being competitive and outgoing, some are very quiet and withdrawn.
My personal belief is not to take away recess as a punishment. Additionally, our district has a 20=minute recess recommendation per day. I will occasionally give 5 minutes more recess as a reward. Instead, I mostly use rewards, but I may take away free time, or the opportunity to win prizes in a game, but never punish them with less or no recess, or extra school work.
I give prizes such as “healthy” candy and snacks, small, educational toys that are related to the topic of study, stickers, pencils, erasers, and a variety of items I find throughout the year on sale.
My “smiley faces” are themed according to my units, for example currently we have a Mad Scientist Smiley Face and Frowny Face.
I chose the following scoreboards to supplement games that I already use in the classroom. I also chose these because they accommodate the many different types of learning styles of Gifted Learners,and support the type of instruction and the higher-level content I teach in the classroom.
1.Beat the Clock-My students play “Who Wants to be a ________”, depending on what we have been studying. (ex. “Who Wants to Be a Marine Biologist?”, and “Who Wants to Be A Mad Scientist?”) During this game, students have a certain time to get the correct answer, similar to the popular game of a similar name. This is usually done at the end of a unit. Playing Beat the Clock will help prepare students for the end of the unit review. This works well for the highly competitive students. I do several of these scoreboard questions at the end of each class as a review.
2.Pirates-Students love Pirates and pirate talk! So anything related to pirates has to be a motivator! In fact, I actually keep my prizes in a Treasure Chest! I do not teach a Pirate Unit, as the lower grades Gifted Resource teacher does that one, and we have to be careful not to repeat units. However, I do a Marine Biology unit. I would be the Captain of a Research Vessel and they would be the Crew, but we would still do the “ yo ho! ho!” and the “Arrrrggg”, because they are fun to use and it would certainly work when playing the game. All types of learners enjoy the silliness of this scoreboard and will participate.
3.Boombox- I love music and incorporate songs in most of my units. Currently, I am teaching The Mad Scientist Chemistry Unit and we are learning songs, such as “Meet the Elements” by They Might Be Giants, “The Element Song” by Tom Lehrer, and “The Atoms Family”. I also incorporate listening to popular songs with Science Themes, such as “Weird Science”, “She Blinded me With Science”, “The Monster Mash” (mad scientist), “Frankenstein”, “Mr. Roboto”, “Rocket Man”, and many other songs that have a science theme. Instead of using a boombox, however, I use my iPad attached to portable speakers. This works much better as I have a “Science Playlist” on my iPad. Most students enjoy the opportunity to listen to music, and appreciate the educational value of the songs.
4.Team Scoreboard-Girls and Boys love to battle one another in my classes. This works very well with reviewing information at the end of a unit, or for a review of an important. The competitive students on the team will help those who are not as competitive and bring them in as active participants.
5.Leaderboard- The Leaderboard will work especially well with the class leaders and overachievers. They thrive on being leaders and winners in the classroom. While others will not want to be a leader, they will benefit from their leaders winning the honors for their class.
Lori Hahn
Lori,
ReplyDeleteGreat selection of Scoreboards! I appreciate your efforts to acknowledge the variety of learning styles in your classroom when making your choices for the year! Here are 25 points!
Thank you! Yes, many people don't realize that even within the Gifted Education program, there are such a diverse group of learners.
DeletePS: I don't see my points on the opening screen where everyone's total points are listed. Is it there and I'm just not seeing it , or have I been left off. If you could check on it, that would great! Thank you so much.
Lori,
DeleteI checked on your posts. You started earning points after Sept. 30. The list is updated once a month, so you will show up on the October list coming out in a few days. Keep up the great job!!
My favorite scoreboard games are Ping-Pong, Fake, Beat the Clock, Doubler and Mystery Road. I am a firm believer in changing things up a bit. If I am bored in the classroom then I know the students are bored too. New variations on the same discipline technique help to keep the classroom fresh.
ReplyDeleteI like “Ping-Pong” due to the fact that it is fast paced. This technique will definitely keep the students on their toes. I would use this for only when I felt like the class needed immediate and constant feedback and redirection.
The “Fake” is also a technique that I already have started to use. The students watch me carefully as I pick up my marker and walk to the board. It gives some students the extra reminder to get focused on our lesson without me having to do a true rule reminder. This technique can be used at any time to keep students alert.
“Doubler” is a fun way to increase the students’ motivation. It changes the game up just enough to get their attention. I would use this variation on a day when the class needs something different to get their attention. I would not use this very often.
“Beat the Clock” is a simple technique when you need to replace an unwanted behavior. Timing the class will challenge competitive students to try to beat the class record. This one could be used when I am trying to really focus on one specific behavior.
“Mystery Road” sounds like a fun variation to use. All students love a good mystery and an unknown incentive will engage them in appropriate behavior. I imagine using this before the holidays when students are getting squirmy and teachers need something up their sleeve.
Lori Crigler
Lori Crigle
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLori,
DeleteGreat job with your scoreboard choices! Your class will certainly be engaged this year. Here are your 25 certification points!
Carrie Wood
ReplyDeleteChapter 11
The Scoreboard
1. Beat the Clock: I will use this technique when it is necessary to correct behaviors. I want to encourage them to work as a team, and I think it will be very motivational for everyone to Beat the Clock and earn those smiles.
2. Pirates: I will use this idea throughout the year with the holidays. At Halloween I would use the jack-o-lanterns and witch. During Christmas, I would use The Whoos in Whoville versus the Grinch.
3. Drumroll: I would add excitement and variety to the Scoreboard by using this technique sporadically throughout the year. When students need a little boost because we’ve had a busy week or it’s been rainy a lot, I would use this to boost their moods.
4. Ping-Pong: I like using this technique because it is a quick way to reward positive behaviors and it also corrects negative actions. I will continue using this technique for most of the year.
5. Boombox: I would like to implement this technique towards the end of the year in Kindergarten. As the end of the year winds down, the students start to get antsy and it is harder to motivate them to stay focused. I would use the reward of music during this exciting time.
Carrie,
DeleteGood choices for your scoreboard! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Fake: This scoreboard technique is great to keep students on their toes. It gives the students a little bit of a shock as I almost mark a mighty groan and “fake” them out. It also works well when about to give them a mighty oh yeah as it keeps the anticipation in the students going. I will use this technique sporadically throughout the year to keep my students on their toes.
ReplyDelete2. Beat the Clock: I like this technique because it offers a great challenge for my students to reach a higher goal. As they try to go as long as they can without doing a particular behavior, they are competing with themselves. It promotes more of the desired positive behaviors and keeps them aware as they strive to achieve their goal. I will use this technique for a couple of days at a time intermittently throughout the school year.
3. Pirates: I will implement this scoreboard seasonally for particular holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc). I will label the scoreboard according to the season. For example, during Thanksgiving, I will label the scoreboard as Pilgrim vs. Turkey. When the students score a point they say “gobble gobble” and when I score a point (pilgrim), I say “yum yum.” This is a great way to keep the scoreboard exciting and thematic throughout the year.
4. Doubler: I will use this scoreboard as I see any habituation forming with my students. Later in the school year, I will start awarding double points for positive behavior as well as for negative behavior. Also, one quick point on each side will be awarded when there are positive and negative behaviors seen. This will help keep their scores close and keep the students excited and on their toes.
5. Team Scoreboard: I will break my class into two teams and each team will be competing for more points. Whichever team wins, they will be awarded a special treat. This is a great way to change up the scoreboard system and will help the students work together and encourage their team members while promoting more positive behavior. This scoreboard is great to use once a week to keep the class excited.
Michelle Fernandez
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteGreat scoreboard selections! Here are 25 certification points!
Anne Corrigan Chapter 11-The Scoreboard
ReplyDelete1.Pirates-My kids love this variation and it gives us a chance to be silly. I will use this scoreboard once every nine weeks and substitute the labels for the appropriate seasons or holidays. Children versus ghosts (trick or treat /boo) Santa versus Elves (Ho,ho,ho,/ Merry Christmas) etc.
2. Fake- I like the Fake when the kids come in with low energy and need a motivator to pep them up. They may be responding correctly but not enthusiastically so when I grab the marker to put a mighty “oh yeah” then put it down the students perk up. They try a little harder next time to get the point.
3. Drum Roll- I use the drum roll at the end of the day to keep excitement going. Student attention during the last subject of the day is sometimes lacking so some pizzazz with the points help us get to the last bell.
4. Timer- The timer is great when I want to work on a specific negative behavior. I get in the bad habit of accepting an answer (especially when it is a good one) when a student shouts it out. So the timer is good reminder for me to enforce Rule #2.
5. Virtueboard- I always praise students for positive personal behavior but the virtueboard gives students an added incentive to be kind to each other. It also gets those students who don’t naturally think of others “on board” with kindness. I also vary it and make it a H.O.T. board. ( higher order thinking) This is to encourage students to ask and answer the higher order questions.
Anne,
DeleteGreat choices and great descriptions of each! Here are 25 points for you!
1.) Boombox- I like the idea of using this technique. I would essentially use this throughout the school year but especially on Fridays and during the holiday seasons. I love the idea of the boombox being moved closer to be plugged in based on earning positive marks. Each positive mark gets a mighty "oh yeah" and the boombox moved closer to the outlet. I would use this technique especially on Fridays and during holiday seasons. What child doesn't like to dance to music and wiggle around.
ReplyDelete2.) Fake- The thing that I like about this technique is that it keeps the students on their toes, so to speak. They are right on the cusp of earning a positive mark; however, the teacher tells the class that they won't earn it just quite yet. This technique builds self-control and "stamina" a term we use also in reading. I love the idea of "faking" the kids out. Even to have fun, the teacher may even say "psych!"
This makes the kids even more determined. I would use this throughout the school year especially when it comes to earning extra recess time or Fun Fridays.
3.) Drumroll- This technique is fun because the kids can take a more active role before receiving a positive mark. They get to bang their hands on the desks and get louder as the teacher approaches the board before giving the class a positive mark. I would especially use this on Fridays and just something to break the normal routine throughout the school year. Other phrases that the kids could shout out would be "booyah!" along with "oh yeah!"
4.) Beat the Clock- This technique is something that I would definitely use through out the entire school year and I would also use this technique when the kids need to get and keep their control. I feel this is a way that would reign them back in. This technique also helps the kids to maintain self control.
5.)Virtueboard- I like this technique because it carries over beyond the classroom. It deals with kids making the right choices no matter where they are. This technique focuses on the positive and is a way to give kids a special "shout out" for making the right choices and being good citizens. I would use this throughtout the school year.
Karlyn Davis
Karlyn,
DeleteThese are great choices for amping up your Scoreboard! Here are 25 points for you!
From the 15+ variations of the Scoreboard in Chapter 11, there are five I will use consistently throughout the school year. Middle school students continuously need to be impressed to generate motivation, so each variation will be implemented when I sense that they need encouragement. However, certain instances during the year will influence with variation is used.
ReplyDeleteThe first variation I use is Ping-Pong. Ping-Pong is a great way to reward students who are focused and redirect students who are not. Ping-Pong also helps to keep a lesson moving quickly and encourages productivity. For example, after reviewing an exit card I may learn only a few students need additional review or clarification whereas the majority of the class understood, Ping-Pong can be used to keep a review quick so it does not become monotonous for the students who are ready to move on. It keeps energy up. It also helps to honor the +/- 3 rule.
A second variation I use is the Doubler. It is advised to use the Doubler later in the year, but I have used it successfully already. The Doubler has been effective on a Monday if the class did not earn reward the week before (we do weekly rewards). It helps to let students know that we are starting fresh and supports their efforts for having a better week. It is also great for short weeks. For example, students had a 4 day week this week but I wanted to accomplish 5 days of work. The Doubler encourages them to stay focused and be productive.
Team Scoreboard is the third variation to be implemented starting this month. This will be helpful when we are doing a lot of independent desk work in between our Mirror and Teach- Ok sessions. For instance, it can be tough for students to sustain interest on their own. The team scoreboard is an effective way to create the sense of working with others and establish a purpose for productivity. Like chapter 11 points out, students love competition. Students who win will get a small reward like a pencil or eraser. Later in the year, I will reward winners with homework passes.
The fourth variation to be used in class is the Gridboard. I have not used the Gridboard yet but plan to implement it after Christmas vacation. My favorite variation is sleepy/energetic. This is going to be great for rainy Mondays, coming back from a day off or if we have missed classes because of assemblies or special programs. The Gridboard will help all of us to ease back into our work.
Finally, the Fake is great. There have been a couple of weeks when the students have beaten me at scoreboard with ease. The Fake lets me acknowledge their compliance and sincere efforts but still challenges them to push harder. The fake is great for keeping energy levels high and students engaged.
The Vertical Morphin’ scoreboard will be used later in the year as our content becomes more intense. This variation encourages the type of maturity needed for standardized testing and becoming an 8th grader. This variation, in addition the five mentioned above, will be used whenever I sense the kids need a change. In my experience, the variations keep them guessing and they respond well to the change. I only use them for a day at a time here and there. Going back to traditional scoreboard has also been an easy, rewarding transition.
Rebecca Murphy
www.wbteaching.blogspot.com
Rebecca,
DeleteNice job! Upper grade teachers will really appreciate your experiences with these Scoreboards! Here are 25 points for you!
Madeline Mahan Chapter 11- The Scoreboard
ReplyDelete1. Ping-Pong- This technique keeps students on their toes! By following up positive behavior marks with negative and vice versa, students are constantly striving to do their very best in the classroom. This technique also helps enforce the +/- 3 rule, which does not allow time for students to become complacent in their behavior. I have used this rule from the beginning of the year until now. The only variation has been the reward- we just added "joke time" as the earned reward this week. Until this point, students merely enjoyed winning.
2. Team Scoreboard: In the next few weeks (November-December) I will use Team Scoreboard in the classroom. We will play boys against girls to begin with. Opposite sides of the room could also compete against each other.
3. Boombox: I love the idea of this technique! My students love to sing and dance. I plan to utilize this version of the scoreboard after Christmas until around February. When the boombox is earned, I will allow students to have music time. I will choose songs or let them sing songs that we have learned in class. We learn lots of song parodies that teach curriculum- students love to sing and dance to these songs.
4. Pirates: I plan to use this variation on crazy holiday event days. When there are several assemblies for Christmas, for example, we might be Santa and Elves (Ho, Ho, Ho! and Toys! More Toys!). Or, when Thanksgiving feasts abound and students are wired on the excitement, the Scoreboard will become Farmer vs Turkey (yum, yum, gobble, gobble) Other ideas would be: Witches and Goblins (High-pitched cackle laugh and evil laugh- mwahahaha) The basic rules for Scoreboard will stay the same, but students will get to use their extra silliness on these special days.
5. Mystery Road: I am very excited to use this version of the scoreboard! I will probably not start this version until spring. Students will move back and forth along the "road" (drawn across the top of the whiteboard) according to their behavior. Zooming ahead, moving backwards, veering off the road and looping back will keep students highly entertained. This could also be introduced right before testing with questions along the road that students have to answer before being allowed to continue.
Madeline Mahan
Madeline,
DeleteGreat job! You are ready to take on those challenging holiday moments! Here are 25 points for you!
1. Boombox: Students are highly motivated by music, especially if they get to pick the music. I feel that students would work hard for the reward of getting to hear some music. I think this game could go on for possibly 2-3 months and with them only getting small snippets and moving up to an entire song over a period of time, it would be kept fresh and exciting. Also, they would be able to suggest songs to be played, but the actual song chosen would be a surprise, thus keeping the process motivating and exciting. I would even let them get up to sing and dance (appropriately) to really get them on board to keep earning the reward!
ReplyDelete2. Pirates: This is just so much fun! I think changing the sayings they get to say would keep the game interesting for them and keeps the fun factor going in unique ways. The game could be adapted based on fun sayings or themes being done in school (for younger children) or content being taught in the classroom (for older students), like science, or math, etc. This could potentially be changed every week with themes, or after a couple of months depending on flagging interest. It would be a matter of reading my student’s continued interest in the game.
3. Drum Roll: I like this idea as it gets kids involved in celebrating successes and keeps them motivated to achieve. I think it would be important to specifically make sure they are engaging in good sportsmanship when playing this game to make sure we are reinforcing these skills. This game could potentially go on for several weeks or a couple of months. The thing I would keep in mind is the noise level and possibly not let the kids get too loud with it, depending on how rowdy my class was. I have some that would be extreme with this game.
4. Mystery Road: I love this game. I would probably make a little car to put on the road, or a bus even since they are school students. I especially like the mystery spots along the road which earn the students special small prizes along the way to review/reinforce content, but in fun and unique ways. I think this game could potentially go on for months as using the mystery spots serve as intermittent reinforcements for their behavior leading up to the culminating prize.
5. Virtueboard: I like the fact that this scoreboard allows the recognition of specific values we want to teach our students and overtly recognizes students for this. By doing this, we are showing the students we value those qualities, thus ensuring they will repeat those behaviors in the attempt to earn more recognition or rewards. This would really contribute to a positive classroom community, which in turn, leads to better classroom behavior. This could go on all year and could be a team competition where the teams change every couple of months and small rewards are given to the winning teams.
Amanda Blum
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYou chose some of my favorites! I use Velcro to attach a Matchbox car to my Mystery Road for some added fun! I agree, the Virtueboard is a great way to show that we value those qualities! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11: The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteWe know variety prevents habituation, and throughout the school year, I will implement variations of the scoreboard in order to prevent habituation and promote “funtricity.” The first scoreboard I am presently using is the basic smiley scoreboard. This scoreboard offers a little bit of variety because you can choose different images to display (We are fortunate to have a SMART Board in the classroom.). I began with this scoreboard because I teach third-grade students who come to me as exiting-second-grade students, and the smiley versus frownie concept is easy to grasp. I will probably use this scoreboard until after the winter recess because it is a long time until spring!
Once students seem to have mastered the idea of the basic smiley scoreboard, I will move on to the Ping-Pong version of the scoreboard because you can award a point for a positive behavior, quickly follow with a point for negative behavior, and vice versa. I chose this version because I believe it will help students to become more aware of the desired, expected behaviors. We will, of course, model examples of both positive and negative behaviors using role play throughout the year. I will probably use this scoreboard for a month or two before moving on to the next scoreboard.
Once it is introduced, I plan to use the Team Scoreboard intermittently (as a treat) throughout the year, because kids love to participate in team activities. It’s that simple. We could play boys against the girls, ones against the twos, even one side of the room against the other. It offers a variety of possibilities, and, as stated, could be used throughout the year.
Mystery Road will be perfect for the SMART Board in our classroom! We can travel a road with an image of a car (A variety of cars/modes of transportation can be offered to the students at the start.) that can be moved (with a simple touch) along the road. I can easily add “Biggie Bonus Mystery Questions” along the way. Here, students can answer curriculum-based questions for additional excitement, suspense, and “funtricity.” I chose this scoreboard because it is fun and can be easily adapted to the SMART Board. I will probably implement this scoreboard in spring for four to six weeks. (Please note: I made a WBT Mystery Road Scoreboard Game, and I have submitted it for approval for publication on SMART Exchange, an online community for sharing free SMART resources.)
I would save the Pirate Scoreboard until the year’s end in June. I will most likely launch this scoreboard with a fun, pirate-themed day, and begin our day by sharing a pirate book. I chose this scoreboard because the labels and images can easily be changed to offer additional variety for some added end-of-the-year “funtricity!”
Jacqueline Nessuno
Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteI love the integration with the Smart Board! Keeping it fresh is what it is all about! Here are 25 certification points!
Ch. 11- The Scoreboard
ReplyDelete1. Ping-Pong: The thing that I like about this scoreboard is that it allows me to mark a student with a behavior problem without them getting too upset. Because I come back quickly with a positive, it helps that student to realize his or her positive behavior is getting noticed and rewarded, as is the negative behavior. I would use this scoreboard heavily during the first six weeks of school when I am getting to know my students.
2. Doubler: I really like the idea of double points. I think this would be great to use when we come back from Christmas vacation. We are in the middle of the school year and we will be reviewing lots of rules and procedures. What better way to make things stick fast than to double the cost! It will definitely increase the excitement and the desire for my students to want to earn a double point. I will use this for about two weeks. I also like the idea of using it sporadically throughout the year when we have an unusual or tough day. I know my students would love the surprise of knowing they could earn double points that day.
3. Drum Roll: I think the drum roll was made for my class! They were already doing it for other things and I would get on to them. This gives them an outlet to do what they love the most. I only let them use it on my cue. I save it for when someone does or says something outstanding that gets the class a smilie. Then I say…drum roll please and they oblige, ending with an “Oh, yeah!” as I make the mark on the board. It definitely makes class fun. I use this one throughout the year.
4. Team Scoreboard: I think that this scoreboard would be fun to use the last six weeks of school. After all of our testing is over, breaking the class into different types of teams and having them compete for their points sounds like a lot of fun. My students love to compete with one another and this would give them a great outlet for all of that competitive energy.
5. Gridboard: I love this idea. Focusing on one thing helps my students to be more driven and really hone their skill. When they know that there are points to be earned and exactly what they need to do to earn them, they will always work to win. I will use this for 1-2 weeks to begin with and then I will bring it back sporadically to keep them on their toes.
Jackie Rabin
4th grade teacher
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJackie,
DeleteChanging your scoreboard options really helps keep your class on their toes! In reference to your comment about Ping Pong, remember that the Scoreboard doesn't ever single out one student for negative points, always group them if giving a negative point for a behavior. Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Since starting Whole Brain Teaching I have had one primary scoreboard that I use at the beginning of the school year and then one that I use in the second half of the school year. As situations have occurred, such as struggling with following specific rules, celebrations, etc. I have implemented other versions for a bit and then change back to my primary scoreboard.
ReplyDeleteTeacher vs Students (Primary, beginning of the year)- I like this type of scoreboard because the students are competitive in general and then when you add in the possibility of beating the teacher it really becomes motivating to them. I think this is the scoreboard I will use the most, on a day to day basis with a break every now and again, at which time I would implement one of the other scoreboards.
Boom box- I teach kindergarten and I feel like this would be a great way to activate the limbic portion of the brain as well as provide the students with the opportunity for movement that they so desperately need. I think I would use this once a week, on Fridays. I would be a great special treat and a memorable way to close out the week.
Beat the clock- I like the idea of using this scoreboard when we are struggling with a specific skill. For example if the class is really struggling with Rule #3, Raise your hand to leave your seat, we would use beat the clock. It provides a focus for the class to work on as well as a way to help them realize how often this rule is being broken. I would probably use this method a week at a time.
Doubler- I think the doubler adds some excitement to the scoreboard and there are definitely times when the students need that extra bit of “drama”. I would use this when the students are being asked to make big changes or use an increased amount of flexibility. For example “Today our schedule is very different due to our testing schedule and I know you will be working extra hard so today we will earn double points!”
Team (Primary, second half of the year)- I chose this scoreboard because my class sits in table groups and, as I have said previously, they are competitive. This scoreboard allows me to help my students who struggle with behavior. I can use this opportunity to strategically place my challenging students and fence sitters in groups that had a good mix of Go-alongs and Alphas. Although the teams are competing against each other they have been placed in groups where positive peer teaching can occur.
Nichole,
DeleteGreat idea to use the Doubler during the dreaded testing season! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus for a thorough post!
The five scoreboard variations I think I will use are:
ReplyDelete1. ping-pong because this strategy will help me keep the students attention on the difference between wanted behaviors and unwanted behaviors.
2. marker move because it could be a funny way to motivate kids to try a little harder to make their teacher happy enough to give them a positive mark.
3. fake because, like the marker move, it is a funny way to motivate kids. It will get a laugh out of them and hopefully make them want to try harder for a positive point.
4. doubler because kids will like the opportunity for double rewards (although I know it will always end up being +/-3)
5. and pirates when the mighty groan and mighty oh yeah start to lose their effect
I chose the first few variations because that is what I have been using this school year. Each phase lasts about 2 weeks although I was able to stretch out the single points for about 3 weeks. I am currently using the doubler and kids seemed excited about it at first, but I think the more clever ones have figured out that they are still getting the same amount of reward or consequence as before.
I did not choose the boombox because I do not have one. I would rather just use music time as a reward.
Adrienne,
DeleteNice job! These variations will keep your kids on their toes and help you stay energized as we move into the last few months of the year! Here are 25 certification points!
I love using The Scoreboard! I believe it is a wonderful visual classroom management technique that is not only effective, but FUN! I have attempted to use clothespin charts to manage the classroom, but nothing has worked as well as The Scoreboard.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the year, I introduce the basic scoreboard with smiley and frowney faces. I keep this same scoreboard for 2 months. While I have this up, I use the ping pong method for the first month and the boys v. girls for the second. Using the ping pong method for the first month ensures the students recognize what is expected for achieving tally marks. They quickly learn what behaviors give them happy tallys and what behavior give them sad tallys. Using the boys v. girls for the second month creates a friendly competition amongst the students. It also coincides with my method of calling children to go back to their seats and to go to their cubbies (I would like to see who could walk to their seats more nicely, the girls are the boys). Using this also creates the opportunity to award tallys.
During the months of November and December I like to use the beat the clock scoreboard. This one creates an opportunity to reinforce the classroom rules and keeps students familiar with setting and achieving goals. Setting goals is a very important theme in my classroom. I love to have students say, “By the end of the year, I want to be on reading level J!” So becoming familiar with setting and achieving behavior goals will give students the confidence to achieve their schoolwork goals.
In January and February I like to use the drum roll scoreboard. These are two very short months of school, between impending snow days, and the small number of school days in February. By this time, students are familiar with the classroom rules and can have controlled fun. Working with younger children, it is important to establish your set of rules before doing anything that can give children the opportunity to get out of control. Students can do the drum roll on their desks while waiting for the point to be awarded. After, they can easily come back to instruction without any trouble.
March and April are two months that I find to drag for some reason. There is spring break, but I feel as though the children are kept in at lunch a lot more due to rain, and always catch a case of spring fever! Using the boom box scoreboard during these months will be a great brain break! Big concepts are presented during this time such as time and money. These are lifelong skills that the students are being introduced to, and it can be frustrating and time consuming. The boom box scoreboard will add “funtricity” to a classroom filled with such big topics!
Finally, In May and June I use the doubler. This is added incentive to the last two months of school which are already packed with fun things! Usually at this time, the weather is nice and we have the opportunity to be outside of the classroom. I take the kids outside every chance I get when the weather is nice. So having the doubler will give them the extra kick to get through the last two months of school!
We are so lucky to have Whole Brain Teaching! What a fun exciting way to make learning fun again!
Caroline,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! It seems you have a really great way of incorporating the scoreboard throughout the year. I don't know about you, but I find the kids are 'extra' wonderful on mega scoreboard days! Here are your 25 certification points.
One of the variations that I will use is ping pong because it focuses on the scoreboard – I believe that students do become bored with the same thing over and over again and tend to ignore it so, by using ping pong, I can refocus on the scoreboard. I would use this for about 4 weeks or possibly up to 6 weeks, depending how it was going. I would just use it for part of the day, not all day to help avoid habituation.
ReplyDeleteAnother variation, I would use is fake. I like that it encourages students to try harder and it helps get the rebels on board because I could say something like “Well, almost everyone is ready but since everyone is not ready, we will not earn a smiley. Let’s keep trying!” I would do this probably after a break to get the students back on track. I would not use it very long – anywhere from 3 weeks maybe to 5 or so weeks.
I also would use is doubler. I think this would be great towards the end of the year as students get “spring fever” and have trouble focusing. It would help them to stay on track with both behavior and academics. I would probably use it the last few weeks or so of school.
The vertical morphin’ scoreboard would be a great addition in the middle of the school year to avoid boredom. I love the idea that it represents the next grade level. The second graders love to think of themselves as 3rd graders. I would use this for a long time, perhaps 2 months, before moving on to something else.
Beat the clock is also a variation that I would use. I like that it is pulling the class together to beat the clock and practicing a rule for a much longer period of time – teacher heaven. I would use it for a period of a few weeks to a month or so, maybe several days to a week for each rule. It would be a fantastic way to review the rules and getting the class to follow the rules for a longer period of time.
Mary Carlson
Mary,
DeleteWith so many fun variations, your class will be running like clockwork! Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
A Mighty Oh Yeah! for the Scoreboard! Its diversity and low maintenance make it ideal for any classroom. After playing the basic game for a month or so, I would introduce the Ping- Pong game. This will help bring to light any small errors that a few students are making. It rewards the do- gooders but then shines the light on those that are not following the rules completely. Sometimes this is all that is needed to get the whole class acting in an acceptable way.
ReplyDeleteBy mid-November, I would introduce Beat the Clock. The class routines are now well established. The next thing to do is to hone their skills at following the rules. Sometimes kids aren’t aware of what they are doing. This game helps highlight misbehaviors so that the children become cognizant of what they are doing.
As a fresh start back from Winter Break, I would review the rules but add this twist. I would add Pirates to how we play the Scoreboard. It will be entertaining for the kids to change what they are saying when tallies are put on the Scoreboard. I’m sure it will turn a few head of teachers who are walking by my classroom, too.
By the middle of February, I would add variety to the Scoreboard. I love the idea of the Doubler game. It is so simple but yet the class will think it is high stakes! If you are using the Scoreboard correctly, there will be little difference in the two sides at any given time. The beauty of this is that the class will see so many more tallies that they think they have done a really good (or bad) job of following the rules.
April is a good time for a road trip. I would introduce Mystery Road at this time. I like that there is a visual of how the class progresses throughout the day. It may bring to light specific times of the day that are especially difficult for the students. If, for example, the class veers off- road near lunch every day, I can throw in a tickler or quick game of Mind Soccer to refocus them.
With so many variations to the Scoreboard, it will be easy to keep this game fresh all year.
Liz Howard
Liz,
DeleteGreat choices! These will not only help maintain a respectful environment that is focused on learning, but will also add that element of FUNtricity that is so important! You had one tiny error "I’m sure it will turn a few head of teachers" (head). Here are 25 certification points!
The scoreboard is an essential tool of the Whole Brain Teaching Tool Belt. It is a great resource for classroom management. One of the great powers that this structure has it is ability to lift the moods of students and as we all know the mood of students is an important part of education. Students cannot learn unless they are in the mood to learn. The following is a list of my favorite scoreboard variations.
ReplyDelete1. The Marker Move - The first Scoreboard variation I choose to discuss is the “Marker Move”. It is a quick reminder to students that the game is on and its always close. I like to keep my students on their toes throughout the lesson. I can inform the students that good performances in class cause me to move the marker closer to the scoreboard. I can also take this variation a bit further and even prep it closer by taking the cap off the marker. This variation lasts for a while but when its power fades I move onto the next awesome variation.
2. Fake – I like the fake variation to use in times of last students. During classroom performances I would like my students to push themselves to the max when performing a piece of music in whole. Sometimes my students do not always perform musically to their full potential because they might be feeling a bit lazy that day. I can say to the students after picking up the marker “that performance was good, but not worthy enough of for a point” as I approach the board. This variation has worked wonders for the end of the school year when the students are really beginning to feel the wear of the school year.
3. Doubler – I love the variation for doubler for when I want my class to turn up the energy. Nothing will provide more classroom energy transferred to performance like the opportunity to earn more points. This variation lasts me the whole school year. However I do not introduce this variation until after the first quarter.
4. Drum Roll – In drum roll, student engagement can be turned up a notch when I say the word drum roll as they eagerly await the results. Using this variation I can turn up the energy once again in an interesting way.
5. Beat the Clock – This can be a huge visual reminder with students. On my classroom smart board I will use a digital clock application that can be playing in the background of a lesson. With this structure I can set the goal for the students. “Lets see how long we can go without playing our recorders out of turn.” Posting the best times from this structure can motivate students to work harder.
-Jason Thomashefsky
Jason,
DeleteYou chose some fun variations that will be very effective in your music classroom! Be careful when editing "One of the great powers that this structure has it is ability to lift the moods of ...". Here are 25 certification points for a well stated post!
Pirates- I would use this as an alternative to “oh yeah” and “mighty groan” when using the scoreboard. I would change this from pirates to other themes to keep students engaged with the scoreboard and for entertainment. I wouldn’t use one theme for more than one week at a time.
ReplyDeleteDrumroll- I would use this as a fun, interactive addition to “oh yeah.” I would use this on a day by day basis, and I wouldn’t use it on days too closely together. The purpose for this would be to engage students when I see that the students are becoming less engaged with the scoreboard.
Beat the Clock- I would use this scoreboard method when I see that the class is having trouble with one particular class rule. I would not use this rule very often, but only when I see the class is struggling with a rule.
Team Scoreboard- I would use this to divide the class into teams for lesson reviews before a test. I would only use this game occasionally for fun to help engage students in reviewing lessons that have been previously taught.
Marker Mover- I would use this scoreboard method to give students a visual cue for the scoreboard. I would use this cue occasionally to grab students’ attention when using the scoreboard.
Irish Brown
Irish,
DeleteNice choices! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11: The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteBecause I teach the overage program I decided to not go with the happy and sad faces. I just felt this was too infantile for them. That being said I really enjoy the scoreboard concept. My students are very competitive so I chose to use the teacher versus student’s scoreboard. First, think I will try the Drum Roll. My students like anything that gives them a chance to make noise. I really know they will like the “In your face!” comment. I will try this for as long as I can keep the students enjoying it. Second, I will try the Fake. I like to get my students built up at the possibility that they can get a point. In the end they will get it with much anticipation. I would probably only use this for a short while. I could see where it would get old. Third, I would try Beat the Clock. I already have a timer and by now the students should have all the rules down and be able to go a long amount of time following the rules. I like to see them successful and with this I think they will get a lot of points. Next, I will try the Marker Move. Again I think the build-up of anticipation is exciting and my students enjoy it. I will use this for a short time also due to it getting old after a while. Last, I would like to try the Doubler. Again, I like the thought of the mighty groan from my students. This seems like it will add a little more excitement. I would do this toward the end of the year.
Karen,
DeleteYou have chosen some ways to involve the older kids that will still be fun! They would probably enjoy the boom box version too! Here are 25 certification points!
I started using Whole Brain teaching the last six weeks of the school year, so the scoreboard that I used was the only one that I knew: the basic smiley/frownie board with ping pong. This board was very successful. I think it is a good way to quickly reinforce rules and routines, so I plan on starting the year with it. However, I can see where the students would soon get board with it and need some variation.
ReplyDeleteI really like the Pirate scoreboard. It is a fun variation that will hold the class's interest in the scoreboard. I am thinking about beginning it in October, right around the time that I introduce my students to "r" controlled vowels. The Pirate scoreboard will reinforce this skill. It will also be just in time for Halloween. In December I would change it to "Merry, Merry" and "Bah Humbug" in keeping with a Christmas theme.
I also used Beat the Clock at the end of last year, and I love it! It challenges students to work together to achieve a goal. I plan on starting it at the beginning of the year and using it throughout the entire year as needed.
The Doubler is one that I would begin after Christmas break. It changes things up a bit and is a motivating way to get students back into the swing of school. I would only use it consistently for a few weeks, but then would bring it back on days when students needed a little extra motivation, due to changes in our schedule or visitors to our room.
I think the Team scoreboard would be fun to use in the spring. This is a time when students get antsy, and they need something new and fresh to motivate them. I would do boys vs girls. I liked the idea that someone else shared of letting the winners line up first all of the next day. Line order is a big deal to second graders, so I think that this would be very motivating to them.
Although we were only asked to share five, I just have to say that I am sure that I will use more. Since next year will be my first full year using Whole Brain teaching, I want to try out as many variations as possible to discover which ones work best for me.
Joyce,
DeleteI love your idea to connect the "r" controlled vowels with the pirate scoreboard! There was one small error, "students would soon get board with it" (bored). Nice post! Here are 20 certification points!
The scoreboard is definitely a powerful tool! Keeping the score close and varying from smilie to frownie assures the students that they aren't ever too far behind to catch up or so far ahead that they can relax and become lazy. The scoreboard also keeps the day interesting and encourages teamwork.
ReplyDeleteMy five choices of scoreboard variations:
1. Pirates - Pirates (captain vs. crew) or farmer vs. turkey is a great way to encourage acting, just like characters in a book. My students love acting and making different noises so this variation of the scoreboard would work well. We may even be able to add in character phrases that we are reading about. One example would be The Gingerbread Series that we read in December. For a smilie the students would say, "You can't catch me!" For a frownie the students might say, "Run, run as fast as you can!" This would also encourage repetition in literature.
2. Mystery Road - The thing I like most about Mystery Road is that you can add question marks along the road. I would use the question marks as extra "brain breaks" to correlate with our healthy schools program. When students reach a question mark they would earn 1 - 2 minutes of a brain break to dance, stretch, participate in a Youtube Be Smart Boogie Break, etc. (We would only choose one of these each time). My classes always love earning brain breaks, so this variation of the scoreboard would be a double winner!
3. Virtue Board - This variation is perfect for times when your class is having difficulties getting along, using teamwork, being kind to on another, etc. Often, at certain times in the year, my class will start bickering a lot. This usually happens when we have had a short cold spell and then the temperatures blast back into the 90's. It seems everyone starts getting irritated with each other. This would be a perfect time to use the virtue board variation!
4. Beat the Clock - I would simply use this variation because kids love the competition of beating the timer. Not only will they love trying to beat their time, they will use teamwork to encourage slower classmates to move along faster. I would wait until later on in the year to use this variation as a "pick-me-up" tool when a lot of students start to burn out or slow down. The month before spring break or before the end of the year would be perfect.
5. The Doubler - The doubler is another great variation I would use later in the year. It would be another type of "pick-me-up" when the kids have gone long periods of time with no vacation days. The doubler would be enough to wake them up and motivate them to keep moving forward. I can see their eyes popping and the thought bubbles over their heads as I'm explaining this variation to them. Their bubbles would say, "WOAHHHHH! DOUBLE POINTS! That's AWESOME!"
I did not indicate under any of my five choices how long I estimate to use each one. After my first year of implementing Whole Brain Teaching, I know that you can't set a time limit for any of them. It just depends on your class. I understand that the variations should not change too often, but it will depend on what is working best for your class at the time. I would try to use each one for as long as possible, only changing whenever necessary.
Heidi Baird
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteYou made some fun choices! It is wonderful to have so many variations tucked in our back pockets isn't it? Here are 25 certification points!
Five score board variations I’ll use are:
ReplyDelete1. Ping Pong – This variation keeps the class on their toes. Usually I use this occasionally along with another variation. But, my understanding now is that I should use it constantly for 2-3 weeks.
2. Beat the Clock – I haven’t thought of this at all. I like how short term goals are set. I could have different classes complete against each other, too. I’d use this for 2-3 weeks.
3. Fake- The fake adds an element of suspense and will get the students focused on the scoreboard because they can’t take a point for granted.
4. Pirates- This variation adds a tickler to the scoreboard. I’d use it for up to three weeks. It can be reused with other names and gestures, ex: cubs (school mascot) and opponent.
5. Mystery Road- I like how Mystery Road takes a whole different look to the scoreboard. It will be great in the winter doldrums. Usage will be up to 3 weeks.
A variation that my students made up last year was to make silly faces or symbols for the points. I had an injury that kept me off my feet all year. So, each period, a student put the points up for me. They loved doing this. This made the scoreboard more personal.
Sheryl Larson
Sheryl,
DeleteThese variations will keep your kids on their toes and add some Funtricity to their day! Here are 25 certification points!
The Scoreboard was the first Whole Brain Teaching tool I ever used. It was a great tool to help get some control in my class and to also have some fun. The students were so motivated to try to beat me. They actually worked together and encouraged other students to follow the rules.
ReplyDeleteAfter attending the National Whole Brain Teaching Conference in Louisiana, I realized the importance of using the scoreboard to its fullest potential. Coach B said, “Milk that cow till it runs dry.” This means you want to use a particular scoreboard as long as humanly possible until the students are so bored with it the scoreboard no longer works. Then you throw a twist in there to get the students excited and motivated again.
As a result of this new information, I will start the school year with the ordinary scoreboard. There will be no reward other than the joy of winning the game. I will label the frowny side as “Baby School” and the smiley side with 4th Grade (because that is two grades above Second Grade). This will help to show my students that I have high expectations for their behaviors. So high that I expect them to act like Fourth Graders when they are only in Second Grade! Students will love running home to their parents saying they are acting like Fourth Graders.
After I have milked that scoreboard dry, I will add recess as an incentive. This may happen around the second or third week of school. When students win, they get one extra minute of recess for each smiley point they win by or they lose a minute of recess for each point they lose by. I think this could last another two to three weeks.
When the students are no longer happy with the extra minute of recess I will assign extra homework problems depending on the score at the end of the day. As the book says, “Students will work extremely hard to avoid a small amount of work.” I think this scoreboard will last quite a few weeks. Perhaps it will last until Thanksgiving.
After Thanksgiving, I will alter my scoreboard by including a separate category for girls vs. boys. The “milk” from this scoreboard will last until December and perhaps even into January. As the book says, sometimes I will have the boys and girls work together and sometimes I will have them compete with each other. Will I tell them if they are working together or competing? Of course not! The joy is in the mystery.
Later on in the year I will introduce scoreboard themes. For example, this year my students loved Despicable Me. I drew a smiling Minion on one side of the board and a frowning Minion on the other side. When students earned a smiley they made a crazy Minion sound. When they earned a frowny point they said “beedo” which is the warning sound a Minion makes for fire. This is similar to the Pirate themed scoreboard in the book but I adapted it to the interests of my students. This scoreboard lasted about a month in my class. It is also great because the theme can switch depending on the interests of the students.
Amber Hartzler
2014 Intern
Amber,
DeleteWhat fun your students will have with your scoreboard variations! These will keep them on their toes and add some fun to their day! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Beat the Clock: This is one of my FAVES!! There is just something innate when it comes to time competitions in the human "race". We seem to be naturally inspired to “give it all we’ve got” when working against a timer. Although this scoreboard is designed with the opposite effect in mind of an Olympic trainer…such as the FASTEST record in track history, the desire of trying to reach the LONGEST record time will be just as exhilarating. I think this technique is going to be amazing to use at the beginning of the year when instilling into my students the 5 Classroom Rules…especially Rules #2 and #3.
ReplyDelete2. Level of Time: For my second graders, I think this will be a great scoreboard to use once our class rules are instilled. Kids will jump through hoops for extra recess time or video time!
3. Gridboard: When the teacher notices that a particular skill or behavior needs improving, I like how this method sort of hones in on one objective at a time. I can see this scoreboard being effective when kids sort of get too comfortable and need a little reality check!
4. Vertical Morphin’ Scoreboard: As a second grade teacher, this scoreboard excites me because I have to work diligently on preparing my students for standardized testing in third grade. Therefore, I can see the benefit greatly in visually displaying to the students what would not “fly” in a third grade classroom. Ex. Lack of time management skills, disorganization, not completing assignments, etc.
5. Virtueboard: I LOVE this scoreboard, because I feel like these attributes are becoming a lost concept in so many homes today. I firmly believe that building strong character and morals is as equally important as building a strong academic foundation. I love how this scoreboard holds the students accountable during less structured times of the day. It is usually during those times of the day that kids want to act as if they have lost their minds…namely during bathroom visits.
As far as how long I plan to use these scoreboard variations, I am going along with Coach B.’s recommendation, “Milk that cow as long as you can.” for all variations!!
Kelly Avery
2014 Intern
Kelly,
DeleteI love that you will be using the Virtueboard! I agree, building character and morals is one of the most important things we teach! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Ping-Pong: This is a great way to introduce the students to the scoreboard. It will give them the repetition needed to help them learn the Mighty Oh Yeah and Mighty Groans. At the beginning of the year, they are so eager to please the teacher and to correct their behaviors. Giving them a quick smiley after giving them a frowny, provides an instant reward for correcting their behavior. I will do this for about four to six weeks. I like to keep the timetable flexible. If I notice that it is no longer motivating them, then it is time to change. If they are still enjoying Ping-Pong I will go a little longer.
ReplyDelete2. Fake: This is a technique I have used in the past. The children see you walk over and pick up the marker. Sometimes I will say that the positive behavior is not quite sufficient to get a smiley. Sometimes I will put the marker down and I will just walk around with it in my hand. It gives them an extra incentive to remain focused for the rest of the lesson. This process will probably go 4 weeks. I will probably try this technique several times during the year.
3. Mystery Road: Who does not like a little mystery? I know that I do. A mystery road leading to an unknown incentive is so exciting. This will give them a little incentive to engage in appropriate behavior. I will use the Mystery Road technique be during the holiday time. I expect that they will be full of excitement and energy. Mystery spots will give opportunities for getting their excitement and energy out. I will probably make many of them brain breaks.
4. Virtue Board: At this point in the year, we will have introduced many character qualities with our character education program. This will give them the opportunity to review the ones from the beginning of the year. This will also allow them to put into practice what they have been taught. I will follow this process for six weeks, one week for each character quality.
5. Pirates: This will work well with our ocean and summer safety units at the end of the year. A themed board will add fun and variety. I can also see used at holiday times.
FUN FUN FUN!
Kim Kirkpatrick
Kim,
DeleteYour class will love the Pirates, it is always a favorite! You might want to check the Mystery Road option on Smart Exchange (free) and on teacherspayteachers (also free). There are some cute ones out there. Nice work! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11 – The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great variations of the scoreboard, it is hard to narrow down to 5 but here goes:
1. Ping/Pong. After introducing the regular smiley/frowny scoreboard and using it for several weeks I would change next to Ping/Pong making the pings positive and the pongs negative. So when the class got a mark in the ping column they could go “Pinnnnnnnnnnnng!” and when they got a mark in the pong column they could yell, “Ponnnnnnnnnnnnnng!” in a funny voice with lots of vibrato.
2. IPod. After a month or so I would bring in my iPod and place it on one side of the room with the powered speakers sitting on the other side of the room. When I made a mark in the column labeled with a musical note I would roll the iPod closer to the speakers and the students could sing “Lalala”. When I made a mark in the column labeled with a musical note in a circle with a line through it, I would move the iPod further away and the students could open their mouths as if to sing but be silent. When they were within cord reach, I would play a minute of music for every mark in the musical note column.
3. Thanksgiving. As we approached Thanksgiving I would change the columns on the scoreboard to Pilgrims and Turkeys. When a mark was made for making the scorekeeper happy the class could say, “Thanksgiving!!”When a mark was made in the Turkey column, the class could say “Ohhhhh, gobble, gobble!”
4. Virtueboard. After Christmas break I would focus on an area that the class was struggling in and add a category to the smiley side to recognize effort in that area. By that time I could identify a “Virtue Captain” to help recognize positive behaviors among their classmates.
5. Vertical Morphin’ Scoreboard. Towards the end of the year I would add a level above the scoreboard labeled with the next year’s grade and recognize behavior that goes above and beyond the current grade level. I find that students are very motivated to be seen as more mature and more responsible when the adults in their life take the time to recognize and reward. Maybe a good reward for this would be “teacher time” a short time where they get to teach the class using class/yes, mirror words, etc.
Carl Rust
Carl,
DeleteYou have shared some fun and creative ways to spice up the Scoreboard! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11 The Scoreboard
ReplyDelete1. Beat the Clock: I chose this variation because I know my kids perk up when they’re being timed and when they have a challenge at hand. I’ll use this technique when I find a certain rule is being broken one too many times. I want to encourage teamwork as well as a smooth running class where I can teach a lesson with minimal interruptions.
2. Mystery Road: I chose this variation mainly because my classroom theme is “Secret Agents on the Loose ( trying to solve the Mysteries of third grade)” and I think this will go well with it! I’d probably use this around Christmas and Easter, as the kids will need something to keep their attention during these squirrely times of year. I will definitely add mystery spots along the way, which will include writing 3 facts in their Top Secret Folder. The prize will most likely be extra recess time!
3. Marker Move: I really like this variation because it’s like a race and everyone likes a good race, including me! I will use this idea during the “M” months and I’ll call it Marker Magnet March /May Madness!! (I have a magnet for the dry eraser to fit into) hence Marker Magnet☺
4. Team Scoreboard: I chose this variation because my students thrive on competition! Plus it’s a good way to teach sportsmanship. I’ll use this technique throughout the year when I feel the students need an extra pep in their step!
5. Boombox: I chose this variation because music is a huge motivator in my class. I’ll use this in the “J “months and call it “Jammin Boombox January/June! During these months (especially June) the students are exhausted and it is harder to motivate them to stay focused. So this is the perfect option! Power to the Teachers!!
Arlene Snyder
Arlene! I loved your post! You have identified some really spectacular ways to keep your students motivated and keep your classroom running smoothly! Here are your 25 certification points and 5 bonus points!
DeleteChapter 11 – Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteBeat the Clock – This is an exciting motivator for the students. I used it last year. I would have students decide on which rule or behaviour we were going to work on. They consistently picked behaviours they were weakest at! A common one was ‘Raise your hand before you speak.’ Then I would set the online stopwatch on the Smart Board. The first attempt was usually quite successful and set the record to beat for the day. The stopwatch would be reset every time the record was broken or not quite met. The class got really excited when we were approaching the time and you could see how hard most of them were trying. I think we may have had the most passionate ‘Oh yeah’s from this version. You always have those students who will help keep the smilies/frownies within the 3 point span. I used this version during the winter, when students were very familiar with expectations, but winter blahs were setting in.
Leaderboard – I was unsure of this one at first because of students getting their feelings hurt if not selected as a leader, as well as other students drifting away from the rules because there wasn’t the same accountability for them. However, after trying it, I love it and so do the students! I let the class nominate the 5 leaders. It was very successful and they did pick the most responsible students the first time. In subsequent times, they picked students they felt needed a chance (also to earn a SIT sticker) and students they thought should be challenged (ie. The student who can’t stay in their seat – let’s see how he does.) Sometimes I let students pick the focus and other times I picked. It could be one of the 5 rules (or all of them), writing on the lines, helping others, staying focused, etc. I used this for the month of April last year.
Virtueboard – I work in a Catholic school, so this was a wonderful one for us. We have monthly ‘Fruits of the Spirit’. I used a separate scoreboard for this one and used it for the first week of each month, when the new virtue was introduced. Students could also let me know when they saw classmates demonstrating these virtues. Winning on this scoreboard let them do Bible drama games on Friday. Imagine – students excited to learn about the Bible!
This year I am moving down a couple of grades and will have a developmentally low class. After rereading this chapter, there are a few scoreboard variations that I am planning to use, that I think will be good motivators for my new group.
Ping Pong – I plan on using this to start the year off, as soon as I have introduced the scoreboard. I think it will get the smilies and frownies, and the class, off to a quick start. I can call out, “Table 3 is doing a great job at completing their task. Here’s a smilie!” Mark it. “Oh, but there’s another table that hasn’t got the first part done yet. Here’s a frownie!”
Marker Move – I will use this in October, so they know what the scoreboard is about and are motivated to get more smilies. The slowly moving the marker will be a nice contrast after ‘ping pong’. I think it will have the students on the edges of their seats trying to get a smilie. I foresee lots of mighty oh yeah’s and aww’s.
Wii – I will modify ‘boombox’ to using my Wii from home. I think I will use this during February to pick up the mood a little. Like ‘boombox’ I will keep moving it closer to the Smart Board each time the class gets a smilie, and away for frownies. When it reaches the plug-in they will get to use the dance progams for a set period of time. I anticipate a lot of excitement and effort for this one.
Bonnie,
DeleteI love the idea of incorporating the Fruits of the Spirit! If only we could do this in public schools too, just think of the difference it would make! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus for added details!
Day 2, as the second graders file into the room on the second day of school, they will notice one addition to the whiteboard. A scoreboard will be drawn with a big smiley face over one column and a frownie over the other. The smiley vs. frownie scoreboard will make its debut that second day and will be a mainstay for the rest of the year. I love the standard scoreboard because it is so flexible. I can target whole class behavior, small group behavior, any of the rules, or any quality I choose.
ReplyDeleteVariation is necessary. It sparks new interest, and keeps habituation at bay. One of my favorite is actually a slight variation of the virtue board. At morning meeting, we talk about what rule we struggled with the day before. If the students struggled with rule 2 for example, I would write rule 2 next to the scoreboard. When students followed rule 2, they earned a smiley, for example. That wasn’t the only time the scoreboard was used, but I put a special emphasis on whatever rule we decided. This variation I used for a few weeks, changing the focus daily from rule to rule as needed.
Closely related is Beat the Clock. My class last year thrived on beating their own records individually and as a class. I used this to see how long students could go while keeping rule 2 or rule 3. This variation could be used over a few days or a week to focus in on trouble spots.
The kids love it. Who doesn’t like to say “Arggg…” or “Yo ho ho?” The pirates variation is pure fun. Learning is improved with an “optimal” level of arousal. With a certain amount of “play” in training kids, they respond more readily. So, learning to follow the classroom rules becomes fun, even when they are being corrected.
Marker Move is a great silent enforcer. It is similar to managing by proximity. When a student is off task, sometimes it is enough to move nearby, awakening his own self-monitoring. But why leave the whiteboard while you are in the middle of a juicy lesson. Simply pick up the dry erase marker (slowly for effect). All eyes are on you. Nothing needs to be said. I love the Marker mini-move. Let’s say students are really using great gestures while teaching each other. Pick up the marker, saying “wow, those are giant gestures I see out there,” and move it (about an inch) closer to the scoreboard.
The “Fake” fits right in with my sense of humor. Often when I am reading aloud to students, I get to a pinnacle of suspense in a story and say something like: “Oo..What do you think is going to happen? I think…we’ll find out tomorrow.” So, when using the fake, you can say something like: “I didn’t believe second graders could follow directions that quickly.” Walk over to the scoreboard. Uncap the marker. Say But…I would like to see you move even more quickly before the smileys can score. You don’t want to do this too much and turn everyone against the scorekeeper. It takes a steady hand.
Signed Jim Hobley, Wholebrainer
Jim,
DeleteYour class will love these variations! Won't it be wonderful to have them behaving beautifully while having fun? Here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe first scoreboard I will use is the Ping-Pong Scoreboard. I will start with this board because it will give me a way to praise the positive and then mention something that needs to be worked on. This will help enforce the 5 rules and give a lot of reminders of expectations. I will continue with this scoreboard until each of my classes understands the use of the scoreboard. I estimate that this will take about 6 weeks since I only see my students once a week.
ReplyDeleteThe next board I will use is the Boombox. I may call it Go Noodle instead. I will use a hand pointer to move closer and closer to my laptop. My students love to go onto the Go noodle website to do various dances. The pointer will be moved closer and further away from the laptop until they earn the reward. I will probably use this a lot with the younger students. This will be utilized throughout the year but I will probably use it for a few weeks until the students understand how this board can be used and how it is different from the first board.
The third board I will use will be the Doubler. This will be a fun board for the students around winter break. They will need something to get them through December and January. This Double board will help them get back on track after our 2 week break from school. I estimate that I will use this board for about 2 months.
I will enjoy using the Drum Roll throughout the school year especially because I am the Music teacher. I may also add some other ways to use this scoreboard such as a trombone slide, air guitar, trumpet blast, or violin bow. I think this can be utilized with any scoreboard. I plan on using this mostly when we are studying musical instruments and their families so the amount of time I will use it is about 9 weeks.
The final scoreboard I will use is Beat the Clock. There is a website with various timers on it. I will use this in the corner of the smartboard so the whole class can keep track of the timer and work towards their time goal. This will be a great incentive for my end of school year scoreboard. The estimated amount of time I will use this board is about 6 weeks.
Mitzi,
DeleteWhat fun your music class will be this year! You could also add in the Go Noodle as a stop on the Mystery Road scoreboard, or possibly place a different activity with an instrument on the Mystery Road if you want to add that one in your list of choices! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 11: The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteFrom the 15+ variations of the Scoreboard in Chapter 11, pick five you will use in the school year. Explain why you picked each one and estimate how long you will use your selection before going on to the next.
In using the Scoreboard, I will start out the year with smilies and frownies because they make it clear to the students that a smilie means that they made the teacher happy through making smart choices and following the classroom rules. A frownie means that they have not followed the classroom rules. I will use this for the first month of school.
The second scoreboard I will be using is girls and boys. There are times that the boys need a bit more correction than the girls or visa versa. When they are on two separate teams, they certainly want to earn more recess time. They also very much want to compete against the other team for positive behavior points. This leads me to teacher heaven! I use this scoreboard as needed depending on the behavior and competitiveness in the classroom. I usually only use it for a few days at time.
When it's a rough and challenging behavior day, I definitely use the Ping-Pong variation. I reward for negative behavior and then quickly follow up with a positive behavior point when I see a student or group of students making smart choices. I use Ping-Pong as needed.
For the Boombox variation, I would like to substitute in GoNoodle, an online kinesthetic brain break. I could write GoNoodle on a piece of paper and move it closer to the smilie side of the Scoreboard when I'm seeing positive behavior. When there is negative behavior, the magnet moves farther from the smilie side. When the GoNoodle reward is won, they get a one minute brain break. As the year progresses, the students can work toward a two or three minute brain break. The students love brain breaks, so I will use this variation at least a few weeks a month.
Double points day is always a benefit for later in the year. This totally gets the students, especially the boys excited. To make it even more appealing, I like to couple double points day with the boys/girls scoreboard. They boys find it very exhilarating and the girls find it enjoyable too. They want to "conquer the boys."
Beat the Clock and Horizontal Morphin' would both also be great scoreboard variations to correct class problem behavior in a positive way. Last year, I only tried the smilie/frownie and girl/boy variations. I am excited to try the above variations this coming year.
Hannah Palmer
Hannah,
DeleteYou chose some of my favorites! You will love the excitement in your classroom as you move from the traditional smilie/frownie versions to using these! Here are 25 certification points!
1. To start the year, I am going to use the traditional teaching of the scoreboard. When students have become acclimated to the process, then I will move on to the Marker Move variation of the scoreboard and continue that for 3-4 weeks. I think this is a great start to the year. It will give students a chance to become acclimated with the use of the scoreboard in a different way. They can begin to understand the purpose of engagement, classroom management, and an overall sense of community in the classroom. Students are going to have to work harder with the Marker Move variation because it won’t be as simple as just putting a tally mark on the teacher side or the student side. They are going to have to work for the movement of the marker as well.
ReplyDelete2. My second variation of the scoreboard I am going to use is Beat the Clock. I’d like to use this variation longer than the Marker Move. I think this variation needs to be in place for 5-6 weeks. The reason I am wanting to use it longer is because I know how much timing can be an issue in the classroom. Teaching, learning, guided practice, and independent practice are many of the components in a daily lesson. Transition times often take away from the 4 components listed above. They take away from valuable learning time in the classroom. Last year was my 1st year teaching and I remember having a faculty meeting where we covered transition times. We discovered we were losing over 100 minutes of instruction each week of school just with transition times. By using Beat the Clock I can use the timer to practice transition times between content areas. Students can race to beat the clock to earn a smilie. I’d like to start with 3 minutes and slowly work towards 2 and 1 minute transition times.
3. My third variation is going to be the Vertical Morphin’. I’d like to use this variation for 5-6 weeks and pick back up with it closer to the end of the year, just before students graduate from 5th grade. This variation allows for students to grow their engagement levels. One of my goals in 5th grade is to prepare my students for middle school. Many of my students leave the end of 5th grade scared because they don’t know what to expect in middle school. I think this variation of the scoreboard will help my 5th graders begin to understand that they need to start preparing for their future now rather than later. With this variation, I can push my students forward to focus on quick transitions, keeping track of assignments and activities, using notecards, time/study management, and other components of school that my students could see in 6th grade and on up through middle school.
4. The Virtueboard is my next variation to the scoreboard. I will put this in place after number 3 and continue it for another 5-6 weeks. This might be one of my favorite variations of the scoreboard because it truly encourages positive learning and positive behaviors. Because there are no frownies for the chosen categories students will never feel down or unwanted in the classroom. They will only be praised for the good behaviors and the strong learning they are showing.
5. Gridboard is the last variation I’d like to try this year. It looks very fun and engaging and I can’t wait to try it with my new class. I would like to finish the last 6-7 weeks of school using this scoreboard. Depending on how well it goes I might add in another variation with this one, possibly combining more than one variation to get maximum engagement levels. This variation is a good one to finish the year with because as many of us know, students love competition, especially in the upper grades. This scoreboard technique will definitely give them the opportunity to compete with one another, yet work together for class smilies and incentives. On the flip side, this is also a great scoreboard to use at the beginning of the year when teaching students the classroom rules, turning and talking, teaching one another, and other whole brain teaching strategies.
Ellen Vaught
Ellen,
DeleteThese are great choices! The Scoreboard adds an element of fun to our behavior management, a win-win for all! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
1. Marker Move: I chose marker move because I felt it was a good visual and auditory tool for my little ones. They will hear how I think the teaching time is going and see where my marker is. This gives them the opportunity to make adjustments in their behavior before marks are made. I plan on using this technique sporadically throughout the year when the kids need a little pick me up or gentle reminder.
ReplyDelete2. Boombox: Boombox is a great tool for my little ones. They love to sing and dance, so this would be a great motivator for them. I will use this scoreboard for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. This is a time when my students are generally very active and off task due to all of the excitement of the holiday season. I will let them earn a Christmas music dance party to get out those extra wiggles as the reward when the boombox makes it to the front of the room.
3. Pirates: Imaginative play is a big part of a preschooler’s life, so this one sounds like a lot of fun for my students. I teach thematic units, so this would fit in great with many of them. I would use this for a week at a time (that is how long each theme lasts) and change the theme of the scoreboard with my theme. I would do it during the weeks my students needed a pick me up. Usually the month of January and March are very long, so this would be a good time to use this.
4. Beat the Clock: This scoreboard method would be useful when there is a particular skill students are struggling with. It would allow us to concentrate on that skill and work as a group to improve. I will use it whenever we need to concentrate on a skill. I will stop it once the children are proficient at the skill.
5. Mystery Road: A good car race will add to the excitement of our class. I will implement this scoreboard near the end of the year when I need my children practicing for our end of the year performance. At each mystery spot, I will have them sing one of our songs. This will allow us to practice often, and the children will see it as a reward instead of something they have to do.
6. Virtue Board: In our class we work on the Fruits of the Spirit throughout the year (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control). The virtue board will allow me to encourage my students to practice each of the Fruits of the Spirit throughout the year. We will add one of the fruits to the scoreboard for a week at a time throughout the year.
Melissa,
DeleteThese are great choices! There are some fun Mystery Road products for free on Teachers Pay Teachers you might enjoy using. Nice work -here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI’ve enjoyed using the scoreboard in my classroom to keep the kids’ limbic systems engaged, and as we “level-up” in our scoreboard, I am avoiding habituation. No one wants a bunch of desensitized sea slugs in their room! Once they’ve got the basic routines down, I really amp-up the amount of used tally marks (always keeping the score within 3 points!) using the “ping-pong” strategy (1) to keep the excitement high in my room. I always notice after a really good back-and-forth volley, regardless of if they get more “mighty oh yeahs” or “mighty groans,” the kids are always smiling and giggling about it. I love that they are motivated and having so much fun! I used this for 2-3 weeks. I’ve also been known to use the “drum roll” (2) before adding a tally to the board to keep the suspense building! Their little eyeballs get so huge with anticipation, and I scatter this one throughout the year. It is well-known that I do the “fake-out” (3) randomly as well. The students love when I do this and tend to work even harder to gain my approval for a “mighty oh yeah!” Next year, around September 19 (National Talk Like a Pirate Day), I plan on changing the scoreboard to pirates (4) where they will say, “Yo-ho-hos!” and “Arrrgs!” to liven-up our usual routine for about a week or two. I can’t wait to try the “Mystery Road” (5) this year, as the whole look of the scoreboard will completely change and really catch my students off guard. They will love to see this very different variation on the road to their reward, complete with speed bumps and detours! I anticipate using this for 4-7 weeks. I am also especially excited to implement the “vertical morphin’ scoreboard” (5) with my class this year. I love the idea of focusing a whole section of the scoreboard to that one rule or procedure that you’d really like to see the kids improve upon. It really calls attention to this trait, and they even start noticing it before I do!
ReplyDeleteBrianne,
DeleteIt sounds like you are doing a great job using a variety of scoreboard choices! Make sure you check out Coach B's webcast from last week that covered new scoreboard information! It is ramping up the fun (and effectiveness)! Here are 25 certification points!
I will begin using the scoreboard next week in my class, as it is a new semester and I am ready to incorporate more WBT into my classroom. I am starting with Ping-Pong as it seems to be the easiest to manage. I will use “Olé” for the mighty oh yeah! and “Oh no, oh no” for the Mighty groan. We will keep the eye rub of course. I will stick with this until I am comfortable and then I will move to the Boombox. My students love my Spanish pop music, and this Scoreboard fits nicely with my class. I will work up to an entire song and then use that song for a cloze activity. By the time I finish Boombox we will be directly into testing season and start Beat the Clock. This seems like a perfect way to keep over tested kids in check. My scoreboards and dialogs must be in Spanish, so I will be thinking of clever phrases as in Pirates and Drum Roll to incorporate into the Scoreboard. Lastly, I will finish the year with Team Scoreboard and Mystery Road. The Team Scoreboard is a great way for my classes to compete against each other, and boy do they love to compete. Mystery road is perfect for using directions in Spanish. It will end the year nicely and tie all of our lessons together along the road.
ReplyDeleteBecky Loftus
Oberon Middle School
Becky,
DeleteThis sounds fun! Your students will love this and it will take the edge off of that dreaded testing season! Here are 25 certification points!
After setting off on WBT adventure, I start the year with the traditional Scoreboard. Kids really like the Scoreboard. So do I. It not only helps me manage the class but also kids start to listen more attentively and stay more focused.
ReplyDeletePing Pong -After the kids have mastered the Scoreboard and the other components of WBT enough, I move on to Ping-Pong in October. Ping Pong brings the running class a new excitement. Quick and sudden marks in both Smilies and Frownies create positive and negative, emotional jolt, which keeps them on their toes as a whole class. This excitement activates their Limbic system. I can give them specific examples like; “Girls are doing great! Give me an ‘Oh, Yeah!’ Oh, but the boys need to try more! Here’s a frowny!”; “This group gives me big gestures. Here’s a Smiley! But that group should give me more gestures! Here’s a frowny!”
Marker Move -Having played quick smilies and frownies, it’s time to turn the excitement into another direction in November or December – depending on the children’s reaction to Ping Pong. Here, I use Marker Move which is a very exciting way to keep the kids motivated and engaged. I don’t have to warn them orally thanks to the moving mark. It already gives the message to the challenging students or chitty-chatters approaching to the frowny and motivates them getting closer to the smiley. They have to be more careful about the rules because it is not as easy as Scoreboard to win many smileys at a time. In this way, the kids’ limbic system is activated and takes control of their prefrontal cortex which will get them to decide to participate in learning activities because they love it!
Team Scoreboard- This is a good choice in the New Year after Marker Move because it gives another meaning to the Scoreboard. They not only try to get smilies but also beat the other team. Kids love to compete and this competition motivates them to work harder and be careful about the rules to get the prize. It also encourages the team work. It’s important to change the groups at intervals because teams can have their previous rivals as present team mates. This helps them learn about fair play. We can group the girls against boys, some ‘alphas’ and challenging kids mixed or some ‘closed shells’ and ‘leaders’ mixed in one team so that there will be a good balance between the groups and they motivate each other positively to achieve the best score. In this way, the reward circuitry in the limbic system is also activated.
Drum Roll -I will also use Drum Roll once a week, with a break every now and again, especially when the kids start to move away from the track or have some difficulties. Kids love making noise, petting their tables and screaming. I’m sure this idea will peak their interest and excitement. This scoreboard also functions as a brain break and provides the kids with the opportunity for movement which is essential in young learners’ classroom.
Beat the Clock- This is another scoreboard I would like to use after the breaks such as weekend, semester, spring or summer holiday when the kids really need to remember the rules. My 5- year-olds can be ignoring Rule 2 and 3 most of the time. Beat the Clock would help me provide a focus on the rules I want them to work on.
Mystery Road- This is a scoreboard I’ll certainly use at the end of each unit. It will be an excellent motivator for my class because we are using “Captain Jack” series and the pirates theme will go well with this scoreboard. We have already been using the routes and the treasure chest items. I can make a small ‘Captain Jack’ parrot puppet to move on the road to give them a smiley or frowny. I can put some questions related to each unit we have covered. To make it more meaningful and exciting, Captain Jack would ask the questions along the road. Moreover, the price would be the pirate dance that they beg for dancing along at the beginning and end of each unit
Power scoreboarding!
Pinar,
DeleteWhat fun your class must have using these great variations of the scoreboard! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
I use my favorite, the classical Smilie/Frownie Scoreboard, all year long. I use the Ping-Pong strategy at the beginning of each lesson to keep my kindergarten students motivated. There were many routines and procedures that my students needed to master. I felt that introducing different variations of the scoreboard would be challenging for my young learners. However, this year, I decided to try a few new variations.
ReplyDeleteBeat the Timer
I tried Beat the Timer for the first time this January. I picked this Scoreboard because after our winter break many of my friends became very comfortable with speaking in front of the class. They were so excited about knowing the right answers that they kept breaking the rule #2. I used Beat the Timer Scoreboard as a way to reinvigorate this rule. Once students became comfortable with the Beat the Timer scoreboard, I alternated between classical Smilie/Frownie and Beat the Timer.
Drum-Roll
I used this variation a few times during winter months when most of our recess was indoors. For days when the kids looked too tired of the winter gloomy days, the drum-roll gave them another way to blow off the extra energy, added more oxygen to their brains, and woke up their limbic systems.
Boys vs. girls
I plan to introduce and use Boys vs. Girls Scoreboard during our clean-up times. It can be very challenging for my students to stop playing and start packing up. I believe that a healthy competition between boys and girls will encourage them to follow directions quicker.
Doubler
I plan to use Doubler Scoreboard at the end of the year. There are two reasons why I want to wait. First, later in the year, students will be ready to count by twos, a skill they will be mastering in the first grade. Second, they will “deserve” double points as they act more as first graders.
Monika Fridrich
Monika,
DeleteThese are great choices for your age group. The variation will keep them on their toes and help avoid habituation and boredom. Nice work! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
My district’s grading terms are 6 weeks long. At the beginning of each new term, I rearrange the classroom and assign new seats for the students. This would be the most natural time to change-up the scoreboard as well. That being said, I would maintain flexibility within the schedule and be on the lookout for habituation. Variety is the spice of life!
ReplyDeleteAfter teaching the rules to students at the beginning of the year, I would use the “Beat the Clock” to drive home the importance of following the rules, especially rules 1-3. I would begin with a shorter amount of time, maybe 10 minutes, and increase until the desired behavior could be maintained for 20 minutes. By the end of the first grading term, students should be able to follow rules 1-3 consistently, so all three would be timed simultaneously. Initially rewards would be extra recess or game time.
To keep students on their toes and constantly striving to do their best, the Ping Pong strategy would be my next choice. The back and forth between positive and negative would work to keep students guessing and working for the positive reinforcement.
The Team Scoreboard would be great for building teamwork and cooperative groups. I would probably begin with two groups (left side and right side or front and back of room) and then move to 4 groups to match my seating arrangement. I may use this in tandem with the virtue board, substituting cooperation, participation, and on-task behavior for the ones suggested in the book. Together, these strategies would guide students to form cohesive groups that complete work and solve problems effectively. Due to the change of two to four groups and the combination of two strategies, I may employ this one longer than 6 weeks.
For the spring fever portion of the school year, I would choose the Boombox strategy. The promise of movement, however brief, does wonders in March!
For the end of the year, I would use the Vertical Morphin’ Scoreboard. I like to use that “almost 2nd graders” phrase to encourage students to work to a higher level. This would be a great way to drive those elevated expectations home!
Elisabeth Thompson
Elisabeth,
DeleteThese will be perfect for your little ones! Using the scoreboard to reinforce math concepts AND elevate expectations truly makes this an invaluable tool! Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Doubler- The doubler is just another way to keep children motivated. They will have no idea that they are not getting more points; they are just getting points faster, which is appealing to them. We all know that children need a visual up in the classroom so that they can see how they are progressing. I will use the doubler for a couple of weeks. I think this may be a variation that I can use many times throughout the year, but for shorter periods of time.
ReplyDeleteDrum Roll- I love doing drum rolls in my classroom. When I begin doing this, my students will know that a point is coming their way! In contrast, when I am about to give my students a frown face, I will stomp my feet five times so that they know they are about to get a frown face. I will use this for the first quarter of school and see how it goes. If I feel that it is something that is working, I will continue to use it until my students get bored or it stops motivating them.
Beat the Clock- Racing is so much fun! This variation is a great way to engage all of my students and keep negative behavior from occurring. Talking out loud, getting out of their seat, and making smart choices are all of the rules that my students have difficulty following. Giving them a goal on how long they must go without behaving a certain way is a good way to get even my “too cool for school” kids involved. It also allows for positive peer pressure! If so many of my students are behaving a certain want and one student isn’t, that one student that isn’t will hopefully start making better choices. I think that using this once or twice a week for the entire year is more effective than using this for an entire quarter and then stopping. Beat the clock is more of a motivator to get things done quickly and I love the idea of it, but it is not something I want to stop using.
Virtueboard- I feel that it is necessary to positively reinforce behaviors so that my students don’t forget how important it is to follow the rules while I use positive word choice. I love the idea of Virtue Captains. A child holding other children accountable is a great way to create positive classroom rapport and gives students a sense of responsibility and the need to be a good role model. I try to monitor behavior outside of my classroom as often as I can and I know that this is a good way to do so. Every time I notice a student doing a virtuous action, I will put a mark on the smiley side. At my school, we fill buckets. My students fill buckets by being kind, helping one another, staying positive, being responsible, respecting their teachers, and standing up to bullying. Using the virtueboard is a wonderful way of reminding my students how they can fill buckets and why it is so important. I will be very specific with this. Some weeks are better than others when it comes to bullying and filling buckets, so I will use the virtueboard when my students need a bit of a reminder about what the expectations are.
Scoreboard Rewards- There are so many things about scoreboard rewards that I enjoy. I like using games as rewards because they can be review games that I make up (for free) and use in my room. I use homework passes as a way to reward students. If I give a lot of homework in one week, I will let them use a homework pass to skip homework on a certain day. This is a strategy I will constantly use because I believe that kids benefit from having both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. This is another variation I will always use, but may change throughout the year. Some weeks or quarters I may give rewards such as pencils, erasers, or candy, while other weeks or quarters I may have a game day, eat lunch with my students, or watch a movie. All of these rewards are things I have easy access to, are free or cheap, and help keep my students motivated to have positive behavior.
Hannah,
DeleteI agree with you on Beat the Clock. I enjoy mixing it in occasionally rather than sticking with it for a whole quarter. Spice it up a little and let the kids have fun! Nice choices- here are 25 certification points!
I enjoy using the scoreboard game in my class. My students are always trying to best me at the game. On the days they succeed they are very happy. The days I win, they are upset, but understand why they lost. I start the year by teaching my students how to use the simple Smiley/frowny scoreboard.
ReplyDelete1. Ping-pong: I like using the ping-pong scoreboard because it is a great way to praise and reprimand at the same time. There are things my class do well, but then sometimes there are areas they can improve upon. I would use the ping-pong scoreboard theme one week a month during the school year.
2. Doubler: I like using the doubler scoreboard because it motivates my students to stay on top of their game. I use this version of the scoreboard at end of the school year when everyone is ready for a long break. I use the doubler scoreboard theme approximately the last 30 days of schools.
3. Drum roll: Since I teach second grade, I like the drum roll scoreboard. The students get the release a little bit of extra energy throughout the day. Plus, they enjoy making a drum sound on their legs or desk. I use the drum roll scoreboard theme one week a month during the school year.
4. Beat the clock: The beat the clock scoreboard is a great way to teach your students rule #1 at the beginning of the year. I like using this after the first month of school. By then I expect my students to be super quick at following directions. One way I help them improve on their time is using the beat the clock scoreboard.
5. Scoreboard Rewards: The scoreboard rewards theme is a wonderful way to let the students earn a reward rather than giving to them. Some of the rewards I use with the scoreboard is extra homework, extra recess time, extra stations time on Friday, and movie minutes. I use this scoreboard as needed throughout the year.
Megan,
DeleteYou made some fun choices! Be careful in editing your posts, there were a few minor glitches "the last 30 days of schools", "The students get the release a little bit of extra energy throughout the day" and did you mean to put in #5 that you give extra homework or less homework as a reward? It's cool though, here are 20 certification points!
Yes, I did mean extra or less homework. I didn't think to put the other side. At this point of the year, I can give the positive or the negative, and my class knows what to other side will be. Thank you for the points.
ReplyDelete1.) Drum roll! - This is a great variation because I use a “drumroll” to intro my lessons. The kids love doing it and I’m sure they would get excited about using it more frequently. Also, we currently use an “In your face!” as mentioned in the book. I think the kids would really like to use this, but would stop once they because habituated and less enthused, I plan on using it for the rest of the year, so about 4 more weeks. However, next year it may be closer to a couple months. Again, once I get the feeling I need to change it up, I will change it up.
ReplyDelete2.) Doubler- I like this variation because it will definitely be a high scoring game and I think the kids really like that. I have noticed that during days where we are taking tests for the majority of the time our points are very scarce. I think I will use this variation on test days to rack up the points and keep the kids motivated to play the game even on a test day.
3.) Ping-pong- This is actually a variation I have used this year. I pull it out on days where the kids need a little extra motivation to show me enthusiasm and energy. I think it’s important to have variations like this just for special occasions. If used too frequently, it would become routine and boring. I save this goodie for “slow moving” days. It seems to amp the kids up well.
4.) Team Scoreboard- My school is departmentalized for fourth and fifth grade and I play a variation of this scoreboard for the majority of the year. My homeroom class plays against my team teacher’s homeroom class. I use it for as long as I can. It usually lasts me well over half the school year as long as I throw in the variations mentioned above every once in a while. As mentioned in the book “don’t keep switching up the games above. Use one occasionally and see how long you can keep engagement by using it…too much variety in how you’re using the Scoreboard will make your class less, not more, focused on the goal of positive, learning behavior.”
5.) Scoreboard Rewards- In my class the kids play to win snacks, gum day, or extra tech time. Whichever class wins the day gets the letter. It’s always a close game which builds interest. The kids are excited about figuring out who wins each day. The first class to spell the special word (snack, gum day, extra) wins the prize. I use this variation the majority of the school year. I usually have to change it up towards the end of the school year (last couple months) to hold engagement and motivation.
Shila,
DeleteThat's a great idea to use the doubler on those dreaded testing days. It's so hard to keep them motivated after hours of testing, so this would be a great strategy! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the added detail in your writing!
Ping Pong-I like this concept because it consistently couples positive and “not so positive” behaviors. This is a great practice because I can always provide a model for desired behaviors. For example, “Table 1 is on task and following directions, give me an Mighty Oh Yeah! Table 2 is not using giant gestures, give me a Might Groan.” The use of this variation awards positive behaviors and allows Table 2 to use Table 1 as a model.
ReplyDeleteDrum Roll-I would like to use this variation for the added opportunity of making noise and using movements. These both serve as great outlets for children. Using the drum roll before giving a point creates greater anticipation and excitement for receiving marks on the scoreboard. It also allows children to move and make noise! This way, they have gotten some of their sillies out and are eager for the next point to be awarded.
Beat the Clock-I have found that students perform well when they have a measurable goal. The use of a kitchen timer will give students a way to clearly measure their progress toward a common goal. Also, adding the element of time provides a sense of urgency for students. I will use this tool as a form of manipulation to achieve desired behaviors. Students will be encouraged to beat their own time while creating a well-managed class.
Mystery Road-This is such a great variation! Turning the scoreboard into a journey is such a great idea. The element of surprise is always something that students enjoy. The stops and final destination can be so simple, but students will love that they are embarking on a treasure hunt and will be encouraged find the treasure.
Virtueboard-I love the idea of honoring specific positive behaviors. Coach provides many examples in chapter 11, but I would also include grit. I often find that many of my students don’t persevere. They give up as soon as they don’t succeed. I would love to use this version to honor all of the wonderful qualities listed by Coach and then add grit to reward students for never giving up and continuing to work hard, even when they don’t master something the first time they try it.
I estimate using each of these scoreboard ideas for about 2-3 weeks. Beat the Clock I will use for one week at a time for each rule. I will use the Virtueboard in conjunction with another scoreboard. I will use the Mystery Road variation for 2-3 weeks, but I will make sure to have hidden treasure destinations at the end of each week before reaching our final destination.
Megan,
DeleteGreat choices! There is a fun Mystery Road template on Teachers Pay Teachers (for free) that my class really enjoys, you might want to try it. Here are 25 certification points!
Ch 11
ReplyDelete#1 -- I like the PIRATES version of the scoreboard simply because it seems like a lot of fun. I think I might add an eye patch to the Smiley face and a scar to the Frowny face. I think I could stretch out the usefulness of this game if, after a week or two, I turned it into a competition between boys and girls. A Jolly Roger flag would go back and forth depending on which side was ahead. After another week or two, I might raise the stakes so that whichever side has the flag at recess time gets an extra minute. I believe this game could easily last a four weeks.
#2 I think I would use MYSTERY ROAD as a change-up for a week every month or two. Let's say I had an audio recording by a great story teller like Ethel Barrett. When the students' path finally reached the goal, they would get a few minutes of a classic story. A longer story might take two weeks. I would not want to overuse this so I could keep coming back to it as a motivator in conjunction with other enrichment activities. As soon as students saw it coming up on the board, they'd know they had some interesting fun in store.
#3 For younger children, especially, I think I would use BOOMBOX as an introduction to music appreciation. The classics and light classics offer a wide range of music appropriate to everything from nap time -- fortuitously, the boombox reaches the outlet just as rest time arrives -- to marching around the room. I think on Fridays, a video player might take the boombox's place. For older children, I would integrate the video with their unit studies. Let's say we were doing a unit on propaganda. I might let them win the chance to watch a WWII era Warner Brothers or Popeye cartoon to illustrate how entertainment media can use prejudices and stereotypes to influence the public's attitudes toward antagonist nations and their leaders. I would certainly want to use this to reinforce unit studies for at least a month.
#4 I believe that I would introduce DOUBLER in the last two to three weeks of the school year. I might just double the points for the first week, then make it times 10 the second week and times 1000 (or more) the final week. I've noticed that video games allow players to rack up points by the thousand, ten thousand or hundred thousand. No child would find a game exciting that simply awarded one point at a time. So, to end the year with a bang, why not introduce the same excitement. "The first team to reach a million points over the course of this week will get to . . . ."
#5 I've saved the BASIC SCOREBOARD for last, because it lends itself to so many turbocharged possibilities. For example,
Class!/Yes!
This week, every time the Smiley side of the board gets two points ahead of the Frownie side, we'll play Chisanbop* Challenge. Turn to your partner and say, "Oh, boy! I want to play Chisanbop Challenge!"
A three-minute round can provide a break from class routine, and you can keep interest up by varying the game -- individual winners, boys vs. girls, teams. Of course, a class will need at least a couple of months instruction and practice in the method in order to play.
*If you're not familiar with chisanbop, I just published a story and posted a video about it on one of my blogs. I like it because it adds a kinesthetic dimension to math operations, which provides an avenue to internalizing numbers and place value.
http://www.wholepersondiscipleship.org/p/my-story-incident-from.html
Craig,
DeleteI really like the extras you added on each scoreboard variation. The Pirates is such a fun one, but adding the flag and raising the stakes will really make it a level that is engaging! I agree with the point values...my students love when I pull out the extra zeros in the scoreboard points! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
`Thank you, Michelle. I was not looking forward to this assignment, but once I got started, I began to see the possibilities. I'm glad to hear that one of my ideas has a proven track record.
DeleteI did not realize there were so many wonderful things you could do with the scoreboard! I will definitely use the 1) Ping pong, 2) Marker Move, 3) Fake, 4) Pirates, and 5) Beat the Clock.
ReplyDelete1) I picked the Ping-Pong so that the class would stay excited about the points, knowing they could still win with exceptional behavior. I will use this one so they can understand how the scoreboard works. They will catch on to positive and negative behaviors.
2) I picked the Marker Move to keep my students excited about getting close to another point. Also, if I move the marker across the classroom, they will know I am not a very happy teacher. I will not have to use a fuller voice. They will just know.
3) The Fake is cute and so intriguing. I will pretend to begin to put a mark on the board and then change my mind. I picked this one to add diversity and interest to the scoreboard.
4) I just love Pirates! I choose this one because as a kindergarten teacher for four years, my students love their computer teacher who is a pirate. I am her mate, my WBT mentor. Playing pirates will add diversity to my classroom ambience and my students will LOVE it! I will also use it to reign as a queen with subjects.
5) Finally, Beat the Clock, will be used because I wish to increase the speed that my students line up in and for opening their books to correct pages. This will allow me to choose a particular skill to work on and master it. Kindergarten is so much fun. Beating the clock will turn my students into mighty time savers.
Regina-Champagne Babin
Regina,
DeleteI know they will absolutely love these choices! It keeps the children AND the teachers engaged when we can change it up a little bit every once in a while. Here are 25 certification points!
Traveling to classrooms as a Spanish teacher, the scoreboard is the first thing I write on the board as an indicator that we are switching gears to a WBT classroom.
ReplyDelete1. I generally begin the school year with smilies and frownies to review the WBT routines with my returning students. For my kinders and any new students to the district, this visual is a clearly understood, while practicing the other components of WBT. I like to use this scoreboard for at least the first month of school for setting a clear foundation of WBT routines.
2. The Drum Roll scoreboard is a favorite in all grade levels because it allows the students to get loud. I like to use this scoreboard when we introduce new topics/units of study. Generally in Spanish, the curriculum is spiraling and builds upon previously learned vocabulary. When I am going to introduce brand new material I would use this scoreboard and most units take about 4-6 weeks depending on how often the class meets.
3. Beat the clock is an excellent scoreboard for me to use during units of study that require lots of transition. With merely 40 minutes of instructional time, every second counts, especially when I use stations to reinforce language learning. This is when I would use the beat the clock scoreboard. Stations generally last for 2-3 weeks for all students to rotate (rotate through 3 stations), complete and self assess their work.
4. Boombox is a must have scoreboard in Spanish. We have one class per month that we call Baila. The class has the opportunity to earn a “dance class”. We listen to popular Hispanic music and follow along with the dance moves and lyrics. I would use this scoreboard during schedule changes and near holiday breaks to keep the students driven and working toward a fun reward.
5. Marker Move is a great way to get students’ attention without rewarding them instantly. It helps keep the students on their toes while still acknowledging those who are on task. I would use this scoreboard sporadically and as needed to keep my students motivated.
**6. I also like using Pirates scoreboard and varying it according to the holidays (trick/treat), current themes (triste/feliz) or units of study (toros/matadors). I like to sprinkle this in throughout the year as well and challenge the children to come up with their own.
Bethann Barneman
Bethann,
DeleteThese are all going to be perfect for your Spanish classroom! What fun they will have with all of the variations I love that the Boombox ties in well with your Baila classtime. Here are 25 certification points!
I enjoyed reading the 15+ variations of the scoreboard in Chapter 11. I chose five that I cannot wait to use this school year. The “doubler” is a variation that doubles the negative and positive points given. It would be great to use the last 9 weeks of school. I picked this one because it adds some excitement to the scoreboard that may have dissipated during the school year. I think my students would get very excited to have a “doubler day!”
ReplyDeleteThe “ping-pong” variation rewards a positive behavior and then quickly follows up with a negative point, or vice versa. I like this variation because it allows the teacher to point out both the negative and positive behavior in the classroom. While pointing out the negative behavior, those specific students will correct their behavior and, hopefully, earn a positive point. I don’t know that I would necessarily put a time frame on this variation. I think I would use this as needed but wait to introduce it until the 2nd 9 weeks of school.
I really like the “marker move” variation. This is when the teacher places the marker in the tray at the bottom of the board. If the students are doing a great job, the teacher moves the marker closer to the positive point side of the scoreboard. If the students are not doing a great job, the teacher moves the marker closer to the negative point side of the scoreboard. Like the “ping-pong” variation, I would not put a time frame on this variation. I would introduce this early into the year and use it as needed. I could see this variation being useful during small group time.
The “team scoreboard” variation is something that I used this past year. I saw great success with it, especially as we played boy vs. girls. The team scoreboard allows the students to play in various forms of teams to earn/lose points. I liked the idea of totaling the points for the teams as well. This allows students to work together for a common goal. Third graders are very competitive and this variation allowed me to utilize the competitive factor in my classroom. I would introduce this during the 3rd 9 weeks of school. I would use it for 4 weeks.
The “pirates” variation changes the labels of the scoreboard. If the class was playing Pirates, the teacher is the Captain and the students are the crew. When the crew scores a point they shout, “Yo, ho! Ho!” When the captain scores a point, the students say, “Arrrrgggg!” I chose this one because the students would love the numerous options that are available. There are so many pairs that the teacher could use. It would add such a level of excitement and fun! Students would love the fun things that they would be able to say with positive and negative points. I would try numerous pairings of this variation for 4 weeks.
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteYou have really taken to the scoreboard varieties so well! I can see how excited you are about this. If you haven't already, the new WBT book has a multitude of new strategies to use with the scoreboard. It includes multiple levels of the scoreboard to make it seem even more 'game' like! Here are your 25 certification and 10 bonus points!
In Kindergarten, I like to start off by keeping things as simple as possible. For some students, “school” is enough of a shock to the system. For that reason, I am going to start off the year using the smilie/frownie scoreboard. Given that most children in our area have either played sports or watched them, they already have a basic understanding of a scoreboard. Students will work for the pleasure of finishing off the day with more smilie faces than frownie faces. I will use this until Halloween, changing the smilies into Jack-o-lanterns and the frownies into witches for the month of October.
ReplyDeleteIn November, I will introduce the division of Boys and Girls with the smilie/frownie scoreboard. I like the way it changes and doesn’t change the system. Yes, the boys and the girls are now being differentiated BUT they are not competing against each other. They are all still working for a common goal. If BOTH the boys and girls have more smilies than frownies, they will earn one extra minute of play centre time! I will use this until Christmas, changing the smilies to presents and the frownies to a lump of coal for the month of December.
In January, the scoreboard will return to the initial smilie/frownie format. Students have been off school for a couple of weeks and need to be given the chance to get back into the swing of things! However, to add interest as well as a challenge, I will introduce “Beat the Clock”. This will give the students a chance (and a reason) to review and practice the rules! In February, I will change the smilies into hearts and the frownies into broken hearts.
In March, I will introduce the 2-year difference. The frownie side will now also be subtitled “Pre-School” and the smilie side will be subtitled “Grade 2”. Students will be encouraged to display behaviours above expectations! I will use this for two months, changing the smilies to suns and the frownies to rain for the month of April.
In May, I will continue with the 2-year difference but go back to smilies and frownies and add in the Boy/Girl division. I will once again use this for two months, however, in the month of June, I will introduce the “Doubler”.
I will use the “Ping-pong” strategy consistently throughout the year. I will use the “Fake” near the end of each two-month cycle as I know that the students will begin to be “habituated” to the present level of the scoreboard. For the end of the year, I will also introduce the “Vertical Morphing Scoreboard”. I always try to impress upon students how they are supposed to be preparing themselves for the next grade level (both academically and socially). This is the perfect reinforcement for that idea!
Finally, introducing and encouraging the “Habits of the Heart” is a main focus of my school. Therefore, the week a new “Habit” is introduced, I will change the smilie on the scoreboard to reflect that “Habit”. Students will gain points by displaying behaviours that reflect the given “Habit”. This would be my version of the "Virtueboard".
Christina,
DeleteThis sounds like a fantastic plan to keep the kids motivated while also having fun with the seasonal activities! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I plan to start the year off with the smiley/frowny scoreboard. This is a basic, easy way for kids to learn the process and understand what the scoreboard is all about. I will continue with this version the whole first trimester. Then, as my little geniuses return for second trimester, I would change to Ping-Pong scoreboard. I think that my kids will get into the faster paced piece of this version. I think the pace will keep them on their toes. I would continue with this version until Christmas break. When the kids return from Christmas break, I am going to introduce the beat the clock scoreboard. I think this version allows for a fun, competitive way to practice and review the classroom expectations which may have been forgotten in the excitement of the holidays. I would continue using this version throughout the rest of second trimester. I would begin the third trimesters using maker move scoreboard. I think that this will allow my kids to focus more on non-verbal cues rather than waiting until verbally being prompted. I would continue to use this until our state testing. After state testing, I would begin to use the doubler scoreboard. I think that this version might help with keeping kids engaged instead of counting down the days until summer vacation. It’s can be a difficult time of year for teachers too. I think this will help keep us all moving in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteJana Greer
Jana,
DeleteThis is a great plan! (Oops, you had one small typo..maker move). Here are 25 certification points!
I will begin the school year with the standard Smiley/Frowny. I like its simplicity and that it’s easily modified. I plan to use this as long as it is effective. Depending on my class this year I can see it being fun and effective up through Thanksgiving, which for us is the end of the first grading period.
ReplyDeleteFor a week or two before Christmas, Spring Break and summer I plan to use the Mystery Road to spice things up. I like how it will engage students with its completely different look. I also like its use of question marks and moving the class forward and back along the road.
The Leaderboard will be a helpful tool. The power of student-nominated leaders is awesome for student buy-in! I also love how this scoreboard can honor the natural leadership skills of some challenging kiddos. I plan to utilize this board after the Smiley/Frowny scoreboard loses its novelty. I will revisit this board later in the year to use peer pressure to help the class “shape up.” The other board that capitalizes on peer pressure is the Team Scoreboard. I like how splitting the class along gender lines can heighten the awareness of students and how their behaviors are impacting the class. I plan to use each of these boards for 4-6 weeks.
Finally, the Virtueboard is something that I am really excited about. I plan to use this throughout the year to complement the character trait that my school adopts monthly. I will use this board to reward positive behavior in the classroom and throughout the building.
Traci Katz
Traci,
DeleteThe Virtueboard is one of my favorites! We need to help guide our students as often as possible in those character traits! Here are 25 certification points!
The five variations I can see myself using this year are: Boom box, Doubler, Pirates, Drum roll, and Team Scoreboard. I teach second grade and believe these choices will appeal to the age level of my students.
ReplyDeleteIt is my experience that students love dancing to music, so Boom box is a natural pick. This will also work as a great brain break for students.
All students love the chance to make some noise, so Drum Roll is another good choice. I will probably use this one in the first half of the year.
I love the Pirates idea. We can even use a pirate voice when doing this! I will definitely use this one as my first choice for a change.
Both Doubler, and Team Scoreboard are choices I will use in the second half of the year. By that time, students will have a very solid foundation using the scoreboard game. I have had boys versus girls activities in the past and the students always love it. They beg to do it again! So I will use the boys versus girls for Team Scoreboard. Double is a good variation for the last quarter when students often start to lose enthusiasm. This should be a great motivator!
It is difficult to estimate how long I will use each of these variations. It will totally depend on the class. I will watch for that moment when I see a change is needed to keep things motivating and then make a change. This way I will be matching the scoreboard to the needs of my classroom.
Susan,
DeleteYou have chosen some very fun, yet effective, choices for your 5 variations. Use them as long as you can or change as often as you need! Here are your 25 certification points!
Reflection #8
ReplyDeleteChapter 11
Juliann Caveny
Of the scoreboard examples given in the book, I would start moving from the initial board to Ping-Pong first, after 3-4 weeks of using the scoreboard. One of the important aspects that must happen if WBT will succeed in my classroom is that I must be consistent. With Ping Pong and assigning points back and forth, I would not lose focus after I made the first mark. Students would expect that I find a positive behavior for each negative one (and vice versa). Additionally, it would help to keep the rule of three.
The next variation that I would try would be Pirates. I like the idea of not actually using Pirates but using names or groups that would match class themes or even characters in stories we are reading. For example, in February we could use Alice in Wonderland theme: Queen: “AL-LICE!” and Alice: “Why of COURSE!” The difficult part of changing these would be matching the names/responses to positive/negative behaviors. I wouldn’t attempt this variation until I had set a clear response that fit. I would use this variation for a short time, maybe two weeks maximum. But with its flexible responses, it could be used anytime throughout the year.
Leader would be a board I would like to try around November, December when I am focusing my classes on stories about giving and gratitude. Finding good leaders and using this to motivate others would be perfect timing. I would only use it or a short time, perhaps after Thanksgiving break until Christmas.
Beat the Clock would be great to use in January after a long break or near the end of the year when students get antsy after Spring break. It would help the class review rules and procedures. Because it is such a focused version, I would only use it 2-3 weeks.
The Virtue board could be used anytime and I would change the focus to match the PBIS behaviors that are used for the entire school. I would choose to use this board in the Spring when 8th grade students become most restless and often stretch themselves past the boundaries of school wide rules.
Juliann,
DeleteGreat job! I like your Alice idea! Here are 25 certification points!
I ove the scoreboard. I just got the second WBT book, 122 Amazing Games. There were some great ideas in that one too for the levels of the Scoreboard. I loved the idea of labeling the happy side 2 grade levels higher and the frownie side 2 grade levels lower. I also liked the snake eyes and dice games added to the Scoreboard!! Great ideas. There were also great examples in this book. I have used many of them throughout the year. These are the following ones I intend to use first.
ReplyDelete1. Ping Pong- this is great one to start the year off with while they are getting used to Scoreboard. It is fast paced and they get the ideas of positive and negative behavior quickly. Important note is not to get 3 more on either side. I will use this one for a couple weeks.
2. Level 1- girls vs Boys- I like this idea too... then to bring Firsties in... whoever has more points gets to line up first. Being first is SOOOO motivating to them.
3. Pirates- I love the idea of incorporating different kindergarten themes into the scoreboard!! I would be able to correspond the scoreboard to any theme we are working on. Great idea and could be used for a few days/ weeks if you needed a change!
Beat the Clock-- I changes this one a little . When I used this one instead of seeing how long without a negative behavior... I used it to see how long we could last a positive behavior. much like building stamina for reading and writing time for the Daily 5. They earned points if they broke their time.
6. I love love the Mystery Road..... might be my fave-- They get so stinking excited about the Mystery aspect and the line drawing back and forth is HIGHLY motivating. I like breaking that little number out in the spring!!! :)
Wendy,
DeleteNice job! I agree, the Mystery Road is a lot of fun! Oops, you had a couple of small typos ("I ove the" and "I changes this one"). Here are 20 certification points!
Fake Out
ReplyDeleteI picked the Fake Out because I think it is a good way to show students that they really have to earn those smiley points. I don’t want my students to get too used to easily getting smiley points, so I will use this sparingly throughout the year. Not every day, but here and there. I will probably use it in conjunction with other variations also.
Pirates
I like the idea of changing up the theme of the scoreboard. My second graders like variety and have huge imaginations. Variations like Pirates can be used and changed monthly. I would use pirates close to the summer time when the beach is calling; I would use a variation like farmer and turkey during the month of November, etc.
Beat the clock
I would utilize Beat the Clock to practice skills or behaviors that I feel my students are lacking or getting lackadaisical on. My class is currently working on rule 2. We have made it to 15 minutes so far by using the Beat the Clock strategy. I would use this in conjunction with other variations also.
Mystery Road
Changing up the way that student earn points is a great way to keep interest. I would use the Mystery Road before leaving on winter or spring break to show the adventure that awaits.
Virtueboard
My school heavily teaches Character Education. Creating a Virtueboard would go along well with our curriculum. Each week we focus on a particular character trait. This could be the trait that is scored on the board. When the trait is witnessed, points can be added throughout the week.
Geni,
DeleteGreat choices! I love the Mystery Road, it is easy to change the mysteries and keep them on their toes! Here are 25 certification points!
Scoreboards are a highly motivational way for students to keep track of how they’re doing. They can be employed in a variety of different ways, but remain with one goal: shepherding the students toward the desired behavior. Of the numerous scoreboards listed in this chapter, I am most looking forward to incorporating:
ReplyDelete1. Boom Box. My off-the-clock passion is dance. I’ve been studying ballet for over a decade. “Dance party” is doubly energized in my classroom because I’m excited to do it too! An extra minute or three at the end of the day to move and groove with the music is bound to be a crowd pleaser. Even better, I think this scoreboard could be reintroduced later in the year after they grown unmotivated by it the first time. Ideally, I imagine this scoreboard lasting for a good two to three weeks.
2. Mystery Road. I love the visual of this scoreboard. Moreover, I like how it can be adapted with special spots for added intrigue and longer use of the scoreboard. It would also be fun to use two colors for teams to see who can get to the prize first! With Mario Kart being all the rage right now, and the easy adaptations, I can see this scoreboard working effectively for at least a month.
3. Virtueboard. For the times of the year when “making great choices” start to go astray, it would be great to reinforce it with this board. That being said, I think I would only end up using this board a week at a time as necessary.
4. Marker Move. Again, I like the added visual for this scoreboard. I think it could help the students who need a little more reinforcement than their peers because there is a sub-visual to the overall picture. It’s a good way to check-in without being point heavy. I think I would use this scoreboard about two weeks before switching it up to a more point intensive one.
5. Pirates. Role play is always fun—especially in kinder! My kids would particularly love a Minions-themed one! Maybe with the positive side exclaiming “Banana!” and the negative side making the “Wee-oh” ambulance noise! Being able to switch different roles in and out without having to fully explain a new scoreboard makes this board more versatile as well. I could easily see it lasting at least a month.
Catherine,
DeleteFun choices! You can use the Virtueboard in conjunction with Coach B's new Virtue/Morals instruction practices (see the WBT Facebook page for more info). I love the dance party one too! Here are 25 certification points!
I will first begin the year using the ping-pong method. I feel this one is an easy start for me to begin. It will help me learn how to keep the scoreboard from getting too many marks on either side (+ or -3). I will use this scoreboard for about three weeks and then move on to the next.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the doubler because it changes things up while still helping me ease into the scoreboard. I think it could be beneficial toward the later months of school. I would make sure that I used it a few times a month or on those tough days before vactions or breaks in school.
I love the pirate scoreboard. I teach first grade so I know my class will love the different ways to respond. The pirate one is so cute and would definitely bring laughter. I would use this one maybe once a week (all year long) to keep it from becoming blah.
I will use the horizontal morphin’ scoreboard after Christmas break. This scoreboard provides variety and gives them extra motivation to keep working for those smilies. I would use this variation for about four weeks but not every day.
The team scoreboard will be used the most by my class. I feel this one has a lot of variations and will provide each student with the differences needed to keep the scoreboard fun. I will utilize this one the entire year but it would not be used daily. I would use this a lot in the beginning of the year (boys v. girls) and the end of the year (teams).
Charisse Norton
Great post, Charisse! Keeping the Funtricity in the Scoreboard engages your students into an amazing group of learners! Here are another 25 points for you!
ReplyDeleteChapter 11: The Scoreboard
ReplyDeleteThe Scoreboard is a powerful motivator! After using the basic Smilies and Frownies for two weeks, the first variation I want to use is Ping Pong to help the class quickly recognize the behavior goals. I tend to give more similies than frownies so this method will also keep me focused on the goal. Four weeks later I will try Beat the Clock to help eliminate one negative behavior at a time. This is an effective strategy because the baseline time is set by the students and success is measured by beating their own goal. Genius! I would use this variation for a month, having a new behavior focus each week while still providing reinforcement for the previous behavior. Next, I want to try the Mystery Road which ends in a prize. Along the zig-zaggy way are Mystery Spots that can draw attention to desired skills like summarizing a story using a pencil as a prop, or use a sockless hand puppet to demonstrate a math problem. After using the Mystery Road for only two weeks (I would bring it back later), I would use the basic scoreboard and add the Virtueboard. Time frame would be before Thanksgiving when kindness is accentuated naturally. Keeping the Virtueboard through December helps create a class of kind, excuseless leaders which is just as important as having a class that keeps the rules.
Patricia,
DeleteGreat choices! Using the variety in the Scoreboard will keep your kiddos on their toes! Here are 25 certification points!
1. Drumroll: After initially learning to use the scoreboard for a few days, I plan to add in the drumroll. I use drums in my classroom already for celebrations, so this will be a natural addition to my scoreboard and a great way to introduce the drums to my new class. This will be something we will use throughout the year with all levels of the scoreboard.
ReplyDelete2. Virtue Board: I think this will work beautifully with WBT’s Character Education lessons. I will probably begin this after the first month of school. Each day the virtue we will focus on will correspond with the day of the week. These Virtues also go along with our school’s house system so I can give house points with the smileys each day or week, too. I will use this for about a month, maybe six weeks or longer if it continues to reinforce the character traits.
3. Mystery Road: I specifically want to use this during the month of December and the week before Spring Break. These are times students need extra incentive to focus on learning.
4. Beat The Clock: I love this scoreboard method! I will use it any day that feels “off”. We all have off days with our class when everyone seems out of sorts. This method will inspire students to compete with the clock and increase preferred behavior. This could be used throughout the year, but I feel it will be most necessary in the spring, so I will probably save it until after Spring Break.
5. Team Scoreboard: I will save this one for the end of the year and let the students compete as teams. I have done this before and the kids love it. We use Go Noodle in my classroom and the winning team’s leader gets to pick the song for the day (with input from his/her team, of course). I will probably use this the last month of the school year.
Kimberley Nixon
Kimberley,
DeleteI agree, saving the Mystery Road for those wiggly times of the year is a great idea! They love it! You have thought this through very well and your students will enjoy the variety you will offer them! Here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI’m excited to use the Scoreboard this year. While it is a great way to point out negative behaviors, it also sets students up for success because of the opportunities to earn smilies. ☺ I also love how there are different versions of Scoreboard as students will become bored with the same approach that inevitably leads to children not caring and making more negative behavior choices. The five variations I plan to use are Ping-Pong, Pirates, Beat the Clock, Mystery Road, and Horizontal Morphin’ Scoreboard complemented with the Virtueboard.
I would begin the year using Ping-Pong because while it gets students excited for making great choices, it is also an approach that allows me to point out a negative behavior I might not have covered yet.
Pirates would be a great version of Scoreboard to follow Ping-Pong because it is putting a fun twist on the scoreboard at a time when students might begin to get bored with the traditional method. I would also jazz this up by switching themes on a weekly basis from the beginning of October through November. We have a two-week fall break in there so it would run about 5 weeks.
The beginning of December would be a great time to bring in the Beat the Clock version because this is a time when the one or two negative behaviors seem to stand out. This challenge would be a fun competition for the students and it would naturally get them to really focus on NOT breaking the highlighted rule(s).
In January, I would review our five rules with the excellent visual of the Mystery Road version. Because they can see their progress and have the excitement of the question marks, they will be motivated to continue to make great choices.
I will then end the year from March through May using the Horizontal Morphin’ Scoreboard and the Virtueboard. The Virtueboard would be seperate from the scoreboard. There will be a special time at the end of each class where volunteers will have the opportunity to praise peers who showed a spotlighted virtue either in or out of the classroom. I think the Horizontal Morphin’ Scoreboard would be great to use at the end of the year because this is an important time to show different levels of good and/or bad choices. It is a great time to encourage students to dive deeper into great choices. For example, a student is making a great choice by following directions quickly so that is worth one tally. However, if a student is following directions quickly AND helps another student collect his/her materials so s/he can also follow directions quickly, that is worth double tallies.
Tonya,
DeleteThe variety you have chosen will keep your kids on their toes (and allow for lots of fun)! Oops, you had one misspelled word (separate), but you're still cool! Here's 25 certification points!
ReplyDelete1. Ping Pong: The most important thing to remember when implementing the score board is that the score must never exceed plus or minus 3. The ping pong technique allows a teacher to quickly award a Smiley and then instantly follow it up with Frownie (or vice versa). This method ensures that the score is always close. I use this strategy every day in small amounts, once or twice per lesson.
2. Boombox: Tell the children that if they beat the teacher by gaining more Smileys than Frownies towards the end of the day, they will win a “30 seconds Dance Party”. This is a very quick and simple reward but its motivational clout is very powerful. Kids love any excuse for a quick boogie – and it would be timed accurately to ensure that after the 30 seconds the music is stopped, leaving the kids begging for more. “Well,” you say, “If you beat me by 2 clear Smileys tomorrow, I will let you have a 45 second dance party!” That promise of an extra 15 seconds will provide serious pupil engagement and improvement the following day. Once every 2 weeks I use this strategy until the children have won 3 dance parties, building up to a 1 minute dance party on the third winning day.
3. Doubler: I would use this technique whenever the kids are looking a bit habituated towards the scoreboard. The thrill of earning double points will reignite their enthusiasm, and of course double negative points will ensure the score stays within the desired plus or minus three points rule. I would use this method one day a week.
4. Pirates: Such fun variations on the scoreboard’s positive and negative vocal call-outs will always give an extra boost to the limbic system. I allow the children, on a day they have won the scoreboard, to choose the following days call outs. This allows them to develop their virtue of creativity.
5. Beat the clock: “Let’s see how long we can go without...” (Insert negative behaviour). My class loves it when they are trying to beat their previous record in anything. Tapping into the power of this competitive urge for self improvement is what many facets of WBT are all about. If the children beat their previous best, the whole class earns a ‘One Second Party’. I would use this method 2-3 times per week, allowing the children to pick the negative behaviour they think they require to focus on. Self reflection is an essential skill, and the sooner our kids start, the better.
Quentin Dalrymple
3/4th grade
Perthshire, Scotland.
Quentin,
DeleteThese are fun and effective choices! Your students will love the excitement of the varied levels of the scoreboard! Here are 25 certification points!
Nicole Desrosiers Weare, NH
ReplyDelete1)Having already used the Scoreboard within my classroom, I will definitely introduce this powerful teaching tool on day one of the upcoming school year. My students loved the motions and sounds of “Mighty Oh Yeah!” and “Mighty Grown!” Even the groans are fun, but not as fun as receiving a smiley! This basic level would continue for the first few months of school while the students are learning and exploring their new classroom rules, and I would have the students work for extra recess or class game time on Fridays. Beginning the year at a basic level leaves opportunity for raising the bar later in the year.
2)“Pirates” I love the idea of adding in some holiday fun when students least expect it. Having students make fun pirate noises during our Halloween month adds to the excitement and makes them work a bit harder for their rewards. I can also change the response calls to “turkey talk” during the month of November. By now the students will be predicting that the new response for December will be “Ho, Ho, Ho” - but I will change the game plan again.
3)“Doubles” December usually brings with it excitement, but also some misbehaviors as schedules tend to go awry with many activities. By ramping up the bar for students to reach, I add a new level of excitement. Who doesn’t like to earn double points? This new Scoreboard level will help to maintain routines and the behaviors that we are wanting during a busy time of year.
4) “Beat the Clock” It has been my experience that behavior can begin to dwindle during the winter months. Students have become very used to their teacher and his/her ways, as well as to their classmates and class environment. This level of Scoreboard bumps up the excitement as students love to race against time. This gives them an immediate goal challenge that they can tackle together as a class. This kind of class challenge can see you through the winter months when time seems to move a bit slower.
5) “Vertical Morphin’ Scoreboard” The end months of the school year can often be a time when students need the most encouragement to maintain all they have learned. They need new motivation to reach for higher levels.At the end of the school year, I begin to refer to my then 2nd graders as 3rd graders. The students love this idea! Our new morphed level of the Scoreboard becomes 3rd Grade. We review behaviors that could be considered 3rd grade level. Even in my transitions with students I will say:
T- Class!
S- Yes!
T- What kind of a line am I looking for?
S- A 3rd grade line. (students quietly get in line working hard to make it their best line)
This kind of end-of-year mind set helps to transition my students from second graders to third graders. It helps them to understand that the expectations rise each year.
Nicole,
DeleteWhat fun your class will have with these variations! (I'm sure it was an auto correct thing, but in paragraph 1 there was a small error...groan (not grown) :) Here are 25 certification points!
1. First I will start off the school year with Smilies and Frownies Scoreboard game. I don’t want to over-whelm my students at the beginning of the year. This is a simple but effective scoreboard. I will use this scoreboard till the beginning of October.
ReplyDelete2. Next I will use the Girls vs. Boys scoreboard in my classroom. This scoreboard will be a great variation to the game. I know my students will like to compete against each other for positive behavior points. I will continue with Girls vs. Boys till around the end of November or when I see my students needing a change.
3. Then we will do the Pirates Scoreboard. It will be fun for the students to say “Yo, Ho! Ho!” and “Arrrggg!” I like how this is flexible and you can change the labels. I will do this scoreboard till January.
4. Fourth, I would do Beat the Clock scoreboard. This is a great scoreboard for the middle or end of the year when the students are getting restless. Students love to compete and beat their times. I can really see students loving this scoreboard.
5. Finally I would finish the school year with the Doubler Scoreboard. This is a great motivation tool when school year is coming to an end. By the end of the school year students really do deserve “double points” for all of their hard work.
Katlen Downey
Katlen,
DeleteAllowing for the scoreboard changes will help keep the kids interested, avoid habituation, and add lots of FUNtricity to your classroom! Here are 25 certification points!