It's amazing how quickly tech tools are becoming mainstream. In a year's time the changes have been exponential, hence I find myself needing to outline the "playlist" path of my journey.
Playlists are essentially independent learning paths. You think about an individual student and his/her needs, interests and passions. Then you create a playlist of games, videos, and other online/offline resources to help that child achieve an independent or collaborative learning goal. Ideally you would create the playlist with the child so he/she could learn how to create their own playlists, but at first as I learn about this I may need to do it myself.
There are many organizations willing to create the path or playlist for you today--you sign your student up and then they independently travel the path created by the organization. Then there are those platforms where teachers, parents or students create their own playlists. In a sense this is taking the menu idea and personalizing it more.
How will I navigate this path?
First, I'll sign on to a number of playlist paths including Manga High, Power my Learning and Kahn. I've already got an account on YouTube. What great sources am I missing here?
Next, I'll begin to include playlist choices on tech time online menus--the menus are listed on the class website and give students a number of links to follow and choices to make about their learning. I can easily check in via online data lists to assess, and usually use the time to coach individuals, trouble shoot or finesse the plans as students study.
After that, I'll make sure that we have many classroom discussions about learning attitudes, routines, goals and effort. I'll work with my learners to create a student-friendly, vibrant learning atmosphere that encourages independent and collaborative pursuit and life long learning skills.
Then, I'll continue to grow the system for best effect by trying out new resources and assessing students' interests and learning. I'll keep family members and colleagues informed about this work via the weekly newsletter and readily available links.
The way we "teach" children is expanding tremendously--the choices are broad, deep and numerous. The key is to choreograph the lesson, day, week, month and year so that the learning is brain-friendly, student-centered, standards-based, enjoyable and responsive with the ultimate goal to give students a strong foundation of essential skill, a tool kit of life long learning habits and attitudes, and affirmation that they have what it takes to be a happy and successful.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
Intentional Interruption: Lifting the Quality of Professional Collaboration
I just read Intentional Interruption; Breaking Down Learning Barriers to Transform Professional Practice by Steven Katz and Lisa Ain Dack. Initially I was drawn to this book because I was looking for successful ways to share new ideas with colleagues.
This book was both challenging and enriching to read. I gained a number of valuable ideas for future collaboration, professional learning, and teaching. I recommend that you buy this book and keep it as a guide and resource as you continue to build and develop your professional learning communities (PLCs).
The foundation of the model for Intentional Interruption is that "Student achievement is most influenced by classroom practice, and classroom practice is most influenced by teacher learning." and "The investment in learning how to learn is the one that will yield the greatest return." (p.5-6) Katz and Dack use psychology's definition of learning: "Any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a direct result of experience." (p. 14)
The book emphasizes that "to change student achievement, it is necessary to change classroom practice, and changing classroom practice requires new learning.," and lists three factors that enables true professional learning including narrow, targeted foci, collaborative inquiry that challenges thinking and practice, and instructional leadership. (p.7)
The authors listed a number of barriers that stand in the way of optimal professional learning including the following:
This book was both challenging and enriching to read. I gained a number of valuable ideas for future collaboration, professional learning, and teaching. I recommend that you buy this book and keep it as a guide and resource as you continue to build and develop your professional learning communities (PLCs).
The foundation of the model for Intentional Interruption is that "Student achievement is most influenced by classroom practice, and classroom practice is most influenced by teacher learning." and "The investment in learning how to learn is the one that will yield the greatest return." (p.5-6) Katz and Dack use psychology's definition of learning: "Any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a direct result of experience." (p. 14)
The book emphasizes that "to change student achievement, it is necessary to change classroom practice, and changing classroom practice requires new learning.," and lists three factors that enables true professional learning including narrow, targeted foci, collaborative inquiry that challenges thinking and practice, and instructional leadership. (p.7)
The authors listed a number of barriers that stand in the way of optimal professional learning including the following:
- Educators and leaders often don't spend the necessary time up front trying to understand the problem at hand, and instead spend a lot more time on activity or "doing."
- "The gap between knowing and doing is huge." (p.25)
- Professional development activities often don't "meet the urgent and real needs of many of those it is intending to cater to." (p.26)
- Professional learning endeavor doesn't take into account "how hard learning is," and the many psychological barriers that hinder new learning for most individuals:
- "Our natural tendency is actually to be lazy when it comes to hard thinking." (p. 52)
- ". . humans are quite poor at thinking through all possible options when making a decision." (p.56)
- ". . . people tend to engage with the world in a way that confirms what they already think, believe, know, and do, and work hard to avoid evidence to the contrary." (p.57)
- ". . .When something is salient--or when it produces a vivid memory--is that people tend to overemphasize the likelihood of its occurrence." (p. 59) Hence we have to substantiate points by ratios, true statistics not just our memory or myth.
- "People place greater value on things that they recognize than on things that they don't" (p. 61)
- "People tend to overestimate their own strengths and underestimate their shortcomings. . ." (p.62)
- "They are so afraid of the potential downside of action that they sometimes choose inaction." (p. 63) People are risk averse.
- ". . .people keep their questions to themselves and work hard to hide their vulnerabilities (real or imagined)," and "When being wrong is seen as a weakness, it gets in the way of learning." (p.65)
I hurriedly read through the book waiting for the answers about how we can lift the quality of PLCs to invigorate successful and engaging student learning. Katz and Dack describe this action as intentional interruption, purposeful action that creates permanent change for the better. They clearly identify, define and discuss the following processes in this regard (p.91):
- Using protocols
- Making preconceptions explicit.
- Ensuring that activities and interventions are rooted in problems of practice.
- Recruiting contradictory evidence.
- Viewing mistakes as learning opportunities.
- Encouraging a growth (rather than a fixed) mindset.
- Ensuring that problems of practice (foci) are questions that people are curious about.
- Giving people autonomy in time and task.
Intentional Interruption is a book that will help you and your colleagues create "the conditions for real new learning" that interrupts the culture of superficial niceness and personal biases (barriers) that exist in order to move teams forward with the true professional learning that needs to be in place for effective instruction and engagement for all students.
Wanted: Innovative Tools for Education
There are many wonderful new digital tools available, but time continues to be the premium that distances educators from exploring, trying out, and assessing apt tools, strategies and processes for learning.
Like so many educators, I'm ready to embrace new and innovative learning techniques. We want our students to learn in engaging, student-centered, standards-based ways that respond to children's needs, passions and interests. Hence, I offer you this short list of innovation and communication paths to capture educators' attention with regard to student-friendly tools.
Like so many educators, I'm ready to embrace new and innovative learning techniques. We want our students to learn in engaging, student-centered, standards-based ways that respond to children's needs, passions and interests. Hence, I offer you this short list of innovation and communication paths to capture educators' attention with regard to student-friendly tools.
- Create tools that are easy to understand and access 24-7.
- Create tools that provide educators with easy to utilize data reports.
- Let us use the tools for free on computers and iPads at first.
- Streamline and nest choices so that students essentially walk an interest/need path as they utilize the tool.
- Stay away from violence, and move towards life-enhancing adventures, quests, challenge--consider the fact that you're nurturing the future through your invention.
- Offer to visit and provide one-hour hands-on student/teacher targeted lessons and exploration in exchange for teachers' honest feedback, ideas.
- Create tools that engage students. Currently tools that have the following structures engage children:
- contests
- tools where a child sees himself or herself - multicultural, girls/boys, multiple landscapes.
- tools that spark the imagination.
- tools that give students power over their environment.
- tools that teach in efficient, deep ways so children gain understanding.
- tools that respond to students' current levels of skill, knowledge and concept, and serve to develop and grow those levels.
- tools that spark curiosity, further research.
There's a lot of great tools out there now, and the key is to create wonderful tools that engage educators and students in worthy, enriching ways. Let me know if you've got a tool I should try out--I welcome innovators to my classroom with the goal of teaching children well.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
"I Don't Want To Learn This Way!"
Yesterday a child was frustrated with me.
Essentially with words and actions he was saying to me, "I don't want to learn this way!"
This is a bright, tech-savvy, curious child who is full of questions and ready to burst forth with independent learning and exploration. Further, he's had the chance to connect and work with a tech-savvy STEAM teacher at my grade level so he knows what's possible with regard to learning.
I found that I was frustrated when the child expressed this need. I was frustrated because I've really been trying to push more tech savvy, STEAM education, and in some ways it's been an uphill battle. Now it's clear that students are no longer going to be satisfied with age-old traditional teaching alone since at home they're able to access invigorating, tech driven investigations and explorations.
I found myself thrust between traditional standards/methods and this young "Mr. Gates/Jobs" with regard to my efforts. What was I to do?
Afterwards, I pulled the boy aside. First I said, I value your desire to explore. I honor your interest and skill with tech, and I'm looking for ways to build in more regular STEAM learning." Later he came up to me during recess and said, "Can I use this time to explore?" I said thanks for asking and yes, this is a good time. After that he enthusiastically ran to get his friend and the two of them spent their recess exploring scientific apps and links with joy.
Leadership and community members will have to get behind educators now as we're not going to be able to hold back the flood gates of enthusiastic, tech savvy, bright students, and we don't want to hold them back. These are our future inventors, problem solvers and leaders, the very people we want to nurture and inspire.
Hence, personally I am going forward in the following ways:
Essentially with words and actions he was saying to me, "I don't want to learn this way!"
This is a bright, tech-savvy, curious child who is full of questions and ready to burst forth with independent learning and exploration. Further, he's had the chance to connect and work with a tech-savvy STEAM teacher at my grade level so he knows what's possible with regard to learning.
I found that I was frustrated when the child expressed this need. I was frustrated because I've really been trying to push more tech savvy, STEAM education, and in some ways it's been an uphill battle. Now it's clear that students are no longer going to be satisfied with age-old traditional teaching alone since at home they're able to access invigorating, tech driven investigations and explorations.
I found myself thrust between traditional standards/methods and this young "Mr. Gates/Jobs" with regard to my efforts. What was I to do?
Afterwards, I pulled the boy aside. First I said, I value your desire to explore. I honor your interest and skill with tech, and I'm looking for ways to build in more regular STEAM learning." Later he came up to me during recess and said, "Can I use this time to explore?" I said thanks for asking and yes, this is a good time. After that he enthusiastically ran to get his friend and the two of them spent their recess exploring scientific apps and links with joy.
Leadership and community members will have to get behind educators now as we're not going to be able to hold back the flood gates of enthusiastic, tech savvy, bright students, and we don't want to hold them back. These are our future inventors, problem solvers and leaders, the very people we want to nurture and inspire.
Hence, personally I am going forward in the following ways:
- I will look for ways to exchange teaching/learning with my tech savvy STEAM teacher neighbor so the students can all profit from our combined skills and knowledge.
- I've already signed up to attend the New Jersey STEAM #edcamp with my tech savvy colleague to increase my learning in this area.
- I will grow even more student-centered learning in my classroom with learning playlists, invention stations and personalized learning efforts.
- I will talk with my students once again about leading their learning. I'll explain the challenges from the teacher's point of view and together we'll look for ways to move forward.
- I'll enlist the support of family members as so many of the families in our midst are tech savvy and understand the need for this kind of education.
- When possible, I'll share these thoughts with leadership.
How are you responding to students like this? How are your leadership and colleagues moving forward in this regard? What have you done to emphasize and encourage STEAM learning? These are important questions as we move schools forward.
Related Links
The Blended Environment: Weekly Routines
Teaching and learning routines have changed now that tech is integrated into almost everything we do. How has your teaching and learning routine changed? I've noticed the following changes related to focus and practice each week.
Weekly PD: Rather than professional development via structured events or books alone. I find that the Internet offers a weekly menu of professional development including the following structures:
Weekly PD: Rather than professional development via structured events or books alone. I find that the Internet offers a weekly menu of professional development including the following structures:
- Twitter chats. I try to make Tuesday's #edchat each week, and when I get the chance I also participate in #satchat, #teaching2030, #4thchat and others that fit my schedule. These are quick information exchanges that serve to wake up one's mind and practice with up-to-date links, articles, ideas and questions--a weekly PD burst.
- Online Interviews and Webinars: Steve Hargadon's weekly Future of Education interviews are excellent. I'm really looking forward to this week's interview with John Hattie. Since the world of education thought, theory and practice are Hargadon's focus, he's a terrific interviewer who speaks to wonderful leaders that impact education each week.
- Daily reading of social media such as Twitter, Google+ and blogs as part of my morning coffee routine.
- Books: More books than ever since so many in my PLN are pointing to terrific books and research each day--information that will positively impact craft.
Weekly Communication with the Learning Community (students, family members, colleagues)
- Weekly Newsletter and Home Study List: Each week I send all members of my classroom learning community a newsletter with information about classroom accomplishments, current learning goals and efforts, future efforts and related information notes and links. This information is always available on the class website for ready reference.
- PLC (Professional Learning Community): Our team meets weekly to discuss curriculum focus, practice and prep.
Teaching Routines
- Blended Learning Environment: Throughout the week the classroom and at-home learning activities include a wide blend of platforms including tech, hands-on, collaborative and more as we focus on students' needs, interests and passions.
- Lead with Rationale: Lessons are led with the rationale of why we're focused on that learning task or unit.
- Student Voice: As much as possible student voice is welcomed and integrated into the daily learning efforts.
- Healthful Habits: Our school is a healthy school environment with time for play, social competency efforts and healthy foods.
- Regular Assessment: Tech tools and games make it easier to assess student learning in ongoing, targeted ways. We use this regular assessment to inform instructional work and choice.
The onset of technology has positively impacted learning with the structures above. I look forward to continued transition as we build student-friendly learning communities that promote positive, life-long learning mindsets and habits.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Sensational City Year!
City Year's Whole School Whole Child matches current research and study related to teaching children well. The commitment, care and energy that the young volunteers bring to schools with considerable need are outstanding and necessary. The gains made are inspiring.
I believe that this program has tremendous potential for growth as not only does the program serve children in need, but the program also serves young adults too by offering a peaceful and productive way to serve their country and learn at the same time. It is a perfect post-high school or post-college endeavor for the right young adults.
If you're looking for an organization to support with donations small and large, I recommend City Year. Also if you work in a system with great need, I suggest you look to City Year as one solution with regard to supporting your students with strength. As a veteran teacher of 27 years who has been exposed to numerous ideas and actions related to education reform, it seems to me that City Year is one of the best ideas I've witnessed. I hope you'll make the time to learn more, and let me know about your thoughts and ideas regarding this organization.
Inspiring Weekly Memo?
I was hoping to open up my email to an inspirational message about the week ahead--a message that summarizes the events of the past week and wakens me to the events of this week with intent and focus. That kind of message serves to bond a community and provide a common purpose and lens. I know there have been important meetings in my midst as I've heard about them in the hallways, and I'm curious about the decisions and steps to come. I like to be ready, feel like a part of the community and think about decisions and issues before they become a reality.
I've written about this before, and I'm reminded of this again. My husband's former leader used to send out a message like this once a week. With a mix of story, agenda and spirit, he brought the community together and served to inspire my husband and his organization. The notes were so thoughtful, caring and inspiring that my husband would often come home and share the newsletter with me.
Who inspires you each week, day or month? Who do you look for for that predictable dose of inspiration, challenge and outlook--the kind that moves you to do your best work, reach high and contribute. Seth Godin's posts inspire me daily on a deep, broad level as his posts speak to the world, not specifically to my organization. I'm also inspired by numerous bloggers and tweeters in my PLN.
What are your thoughts about the weekly, monthly or daily organizational memo? Is it necessary? Do you believe that this kind of message serves to build and bond a community? What is the best interval?
As I think of this, I will take the time to write a short note to my small classroom community. I'll also seek out a bit of inspiration from my PLN as I begin the week ahead. In the meantime, I look forward to your thoughts and ideas related to this topic.
I've written about this before, and I'm reminded of this again. My husband's former leader used to send out a message like this once a week. With a mix of story, agenda and spirit, he brought the community together and served to inspire my husband and his organization. The notes were so thoughtful, caring and inspiring that my husband would often come home and share the newsletter with me.
Who inspires you each week, day or month? Who do you look for for that predictable dose of inspiration, challenge and outlook--the kind that moves you to do your best work, reach high and contribute. Seth Godin's posts inspire me daily on a deep, broad level as his posts speak to the world, not specifically to my organization. I'm also inspired by numerous bloggers and tweeters in my PLN.
What are your thoughts about the weekly, monthly or daily organizational memo? Is it necessary? Do you believe that this kind of message serves to build and bond a community? What is the best interval?
As I think of this, I will take the time to write a short note to my small classroom community. I'll also seek out a bit of inspiration from my PLN as I begin the week ahead. In the meantime, I look forward to your thoughts and ideas related to this topic.
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