The Hyperdoc

I've Been BUSY!

It's been two years since my last post. In that time, I've moved school, become department head at my school, had a baby boy, and am pregnant with my third child (a second boy, due in a month). Whew!! No wonder I haven't been posting. However, in that time, the classroom has really changed and my teaching has had to change with it. 

Technological Advances

We are living in an age when in only a month we can see leaps and bounds made in technology. I'm old enough to remember moving from VHS/tapes to CDs and finally to iPods and digital music and movies. For each of those generations, I couldn't help but think, "how could this get any better?" But it seems the "betterness" is in making the technology more invisible, less intrusive, and most importantly more portable. We want to be able to access everything we own in all places, at all times. This idea has begun to make its way into my classroom.

Going 1:1

Another big development in my life and going to a BYOD campus to a 1:1 with Mac laptops. I've spent my summer planning lessons that will allow the students to take more ownership of their learning. Take me off the stage, and make them independent, inquisitive learners. I give them the resources, any they explore, ask questions, find solutions, and figure things out. To be honest, this idea isn't new. In fact, it's been a goal of mine since I began teaching 11 years ago, but now with the internet at my students' fingertips, it seems to be more attainable. It's no longer an Everest I hope to achieve one day; instead, it's a hill I plan to hike up this year and just keep getting better at it. And I'me EXCITED about it!

Enter THE HYPERDOC

I didn't like these creatures the first time I was introduced to them. Probably because I didn't understand how people were building them. Staring at that blank white Google Doc, I was at a loss for where to even begin. So, I started where a lot of people started. I found a template and built from there. Now, that blank Google Doc isn't as intimidating. In fact, I've even started enjoying the HOURS that go into creating the hyperdoc. And, it takes HOURS! There's the content of course, but then, there's the structure, the pacing, the fonts, and colors. Getting it just perfect takes time. But just like anything in teaching, the more time you take at the front end of the lesson, the less you have to do during and after the lesson. 

I've made three hyperdocs to use this year. 

Teaching the Anecdote with Barbara Kingsolver's "Going to Japan." Students have a lot of trouble understanding the difference between writing a short story and writing an anecdote WITHIN another genre of writing, specifically, expository and persuasive. The essay "Going to Japan" serves as a mentor text.

James Hurst's "The Scarlet Ibis" is short, but it is jam-packed with short story skills including non-linear plot structure, symbolism, figurative language, character development, conflict and so much more. If you don't have time to teach a bunch of short stories, but you need to get through everything about the genre, "The Scarlet Ibis" is the place to start.

Tim O'Brien's "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" is a great introduction to literary realism. I use this lesson before reading difficult texts like Of Mice and Men. Students have trouble understanding why the author felt it necessary to include the topics and language in that particular novel. This short story helps create those discussions about leaving the "grit" in literature. 

Let me know how you use hyperdocs in your classroom!

Until then, Happy Teaching!!