Ring+Things

Once Upon A Time…I was shopping at a discount store looking for items that related to climbing (a theme I had selected for a training I was developing). I came across a carabineer with a set of colorful note cards attached to it. The actual picture of the product is here. I was intrigued and knew I could start a revolution somehow, so I bought a couple. Little did I know, when you want to go out and purchase 200 carabineers, it is impossible to do on a discount budget in a limited time. I had to improvise. The whole thematic approach suffered a bit but I instead ordered 1” notebook rings from the warehouse.

My first use of Ring Things involved providing cards to my participants with “got to know” stuff they needed to remember from this training. I provided them with a printed Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals title card with the actual District information printed on the back. (You’d be surprised how many employees don’t know these or even where to find them). I also had some inspirational quotes, research best practice quotes, the 4 PLC focus questions, Norms of Participation, Our District Logo and Motto, and Key Drivers. They needed to be cut out and hole punched as I made a template that would hold 10 cards and printed sets on card stock.

That year, at each training I did, I passed out and got teachers and administrators started with their very own Ring Things and this Basic District informational set. Needless to say, I hope, I also made a set for the particular training so the “got to know/remember” stuff could be added to their rings and handy. Thought I would change the world, but somehow everybody else wasn’t as passionate and excited about having this information handy. There wasn’t any accountability for using it so it may as well have been filed away like all the training binders and packets with the “I’m going to do this” information if you could only find it stuff. My own personal Ring Thing is stellar and I refer to it all of the time.

Next, I would take on the children. Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary...so many words, so little time. In Texas, where I am from (westest TX possible), we have state standards known as the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). They are organized from K-12 in a very constructivist manner. I use various colors of cards or ink on white cards to place the words into the correct strands. For instance, in Science, the first TEKS is about safety and recycling of materials. It appears in Kinder and carries through almost verbatim through grade 12, but the experiences and the vocabulary are quite a bit more rigorous as time marches on. So, I picked the color red for that strand and I put the kinder words on my Science Ring Thing ( a 2" notebook ring) and add the Grade 1 "red" words the next year and so on. The cards are half note cards with the word on the front and the definition (student friendly) on the back. Each strand in a different color on the same ring. I, with my MS and HS students often joke that they should pull out their ring things when they are "otherwise engaged". What? It's quiet and they are focused or review during commercials or waiting in line. I have had some teachers and even whole campuses that have embraced this idea and actually retire words from their word walls to their Ring Things. = **I will keep fighting the good fight until I see the revolution. ** =