tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52841988383352927712024-02-19T08:21:08.569-08:00Making Shift HappenMaking it safe to question existing structures in education so as to find new ways to support and empower all learners. Learning to lead with joy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-23210448438856207212017-12-28T10:39:00.000-08:002017-12-28T10:39:57.178-08:00#OneWordOnt <div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmdu_kfhFVBQoy6p2tua6_dPFuJWXRw09GPK-B9YSryYNgXXriaJBaw3UQPMs9ZMs85zy1Zk-I6dA6QGnTp9U8ad1NL-fz8o0QwbLgvX3YKp4Qt0MYi4HNIRzHhB8U_yf-H1Tt5QsFmrY/s1600/community.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="494" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmdu_kfhFVBQoy6p2tua6_dPFuJWXRw09GPK-B9YSryYNgXXriaJBaw3UQPMs9ZMs85zy1Zk-I6dA6QGnTp9U8ad1NL-fz8o0QwbLgvX3YKp4Qt0MYi4HNIRzHhB8U_yf-H1Tt5QsFmrY/s320/community.png" width="308" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
This school year has certainly been the most exciting and most challenging of my educational career thus far. I was given the honour of becoming a new principal in a large elementary school in our board. The transition to the new role has been a challenging one. We started the school year short two classroom teachers, and my husband and I, along with some very caring helpers including my nephew, some caring staff members, and some student volunteers, rushed to prepare the rooms to receive children. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We were also short a secretary, a librarian, and two custodians. Not having a secretary was especially challenging given that I was new in the school, didn't know the staff or families, or where anything was filed, stored, or kept. Let's just say I learned quickly and painfully through trial and error, guess and check!</div>
<div>
<br /><div>
When I saw the tweets for #OneWordOnt, I thought, this year it is a no-brainer, my OneWord is <span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>"Listen"</b></span>. As I get to know new staff, students and parents, listening has become the single most valuable skill I've needed to draw upon. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It is easy to jump to conclusions, to judge behaviour, to make snap decisions, to form quick impressions when we don't take the time to listen. But listening doesn't just happen. It is not always easy to do. It is a skill, and like any other skill, it needs to be learned, developed and honed. When there is a long list of things waiting to be done, and a crisis occurs - whether it be a parent who is upset, a fight on the playground, a child who has been bullied, or a staff member with an ill family member - it is tempting to quickly "solve" the problem, to say, "do A, B and C" without first taking the time to listen. But being new to the school community, it is so critical to take the time to listen, to get to know the people involved in the issue, to hear every side of the situation, and to learn the context. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Listening means recognizing that behaviour is a form of communication. There are so many great quotes about listening, this is one of my favourites: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self. ~ Dean Jackson</blockquote>
Listening often means letting my ego go, and realizing that I might not have all of the answers, or know the best way of doing things. Listening means learning; I am not learning if I do all of the talking. Listening requires humility. Listening requires an open mind and heart, a readiness to hear the other person's perspective, it requires caring about what the other person is experiencing. Listening means hearing what the other person is saying, and not saying, without planning a response. Listening means caring more about understanding than about being understood.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This year is a year of building relationships. In order to do that, I plan to <i>LISTEN</i>.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-5347520166707854072017-07-14T19:44:00.000-07:002017-07-14T19:44:10.019-07:00To Know Me is to Love Me<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h594djdeMwVrb_2oQOyRdCql4oYGR3XGlWDIJDoy_4gAQl_OuygcyEeGTaBw3HLfgW_0qK8yd4dhThFMTyDo14EpEntxR-PGNAlSp4cXgEPh4tX4eNNP2kWPJIf_wauUgHQOf-R5pv3f/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="437" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_h594djdeMwVrb_2oQOyRdCql4oYGR3XGlWDIJDoy_4gAQl_OuygcyEeGTaBw3HLfgW_0qK8yd4dhThFMTyDo14EpEntxR-PGNAlSp4cXgEPh4tX4eNNP2kWPJIf_wauUgHQOf-R5pv3f/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Many years ago, when my children were still young, I joined a small faith-sharing group in our church. We met once a week to read scripture together and discuss the implications for our personal lives as young mothers. I grew very close to and fond of the other moms in this group. At one point I was writing a short article for the church bulletin about prayer, and I was thinking about how lucky I was to have such incredible women in my group, when it suddenly dawned on me that ALL people are incredible, we just rarely take the time to discover the unique beauty in other people that makes them so. Because we were in a faith-sharing group together, I had come to know each of these women on a personal level. I saw their strengths and their vulnerabilities, I knew them.<br />
<br />
Nearly twenty years later, I became the Vice Principal of a K-8 elementary school. One day the principal and I were having a conversation about our staff and we are reflecting on how great our staff was and how lucky we were to work with such devoted people. I shared the story about my small faith-sharing group because I realized that it was a similar situation. I felt I had come to some great epiphany and I wanted to share it.<br />
<br />
My principal, however, was not surprised. She simply said, "to know me is to love me".<br />
<br />
It is that simple - to know me is to love me.<br />
<br />
Over the last two years, I've achieved a certain clarity about what is necessary to be successful and find joy in the administrator's role. Love is a verb, it is not just a feeling, it is an action. Actually, it is a series of actions that you choose to make. Love is a decision.<br />
<br />
In order to love someone, you have to make the effort to get to know them on a personal level. Knowing them as a coworker is not enough. You need to know who they are in their life outside of school as well as in school. You need to know what is important to them, what they enjoy, what they are afraid of, what their particular gifts are, and where they struggle.<br />
<br />
Knowing who a person is, you must then shine their goodness, their assets, back to them. Be their mirror. This involves empowering them to use their assets, their gifts and talents, to help support the community of learners. Need them. Make sure they know they are needed. Let them know how they are needed.<br />
<br />
Be of service to them. Take action knowing what they care about, what they need, where they are vulnerable, support them when and where they need support.<br />
<br />
Yes, we need to know one another to love one another. But more than that, we need to be there for one another, we need to be of service to one another in order to love one another. It is not the act of being served that makes us love another, it is the act of providing service to someone else that leads to our loving them.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Love is a decision.</div>
<br />
And here is the best part: with love comes joy. While love is a deliberate act, joy is its byproduct - a freely given gift to one who loves.<br />
<br />
Being an educator is not for the faint of heart. Being an educator is a call to love. It is in the loving that we empower others to be their best selves, whether it is our students or our colleagues, and it is in the loving that we find joy in our jobs.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-58615634826789953622016-05-23T15:35:00.001-07:002016-05-23T17:07:46.844-07:00Developing a 21st Century Vision for Education<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YrZLdPynTG-KhsT3ekBc12OezCmeEcSAGy6FgiqG4eZXlVOCat_tXpvxO9kMCkxZ_gTrHezQBWrhW-m1oAmgZm-WIkrA-GT3-WBh4WfG1WK4tiNJZfEykC1AgH-seOTpVjnYrz4QvlKB/s1600/21stc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YrZLdPynTG-KhsT3ekBc12OezCmeEcSAGy6FgiqG4eZXlVOCat_tXpvxO9kMCkxZ_gTrHezQBWrhW-m1oAmgZm-WIkrA-GT3-WBh4WfG1WK4tiNJZfEykC1AgH-seOTpVjnYrz4QvlKB/s1600/21stc.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
Our school board has provided administrators an opportunity to be in a book club together. The book we are reading is "<i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Leaders-Guide-21st-Century-Education/dp/0132117592" target="_blank">The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education - 7 Steps for Schools and Districts</a></i>". Authors Ken Kay and Valerie Greenhill provide a 7-step framework for building professional capacity that will support schools in developing students who are prepared for the 21st Century.<br />
<br />
<b>Step 1</b> is a all about developing your own vision of 21st Century teaching and learning. In order to help you develop your vision, the authors provide 8 perspectives they believe worthy of consideration: the evolution of work and the change in skills required by graduates as they join he workforce; the flattening of the world with our increasing ability to access and participate in information creation; the increase in the service economy; the impact of citizenship in the global society; the ever-increasingly fast pace of change; the growing need for creativity and innovation, which is so closely related to the pace of change; the volume of available information and the shelf-life of that information; and of course, technology.<br />
<br />
Kay and Greenhill suggest that the inclination of educators, when recognizing a need for change, is to focus too quickly on educational strategies, rather than first considering the desired student outcomes one hopes to achieve. They suggest the "4Cs" as outcomes to focus on when developing your vision:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>critical thinking</li>
<li>communication</li>
<li>collaboration </li>
<li>creativity and innovation</li>
</ul>
<div>
I have strong ideas about how and why education needs to change. But I've never sat down and put into words my vision for the 21st Century learner. I wonder, though, if the term "21st Century Learner" is already out-dated. The first group of students born in the 21st Century are at the cusp of graduation already. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I prefer to consider the changes in education necessary to support the "Networked Learner." I use this term because I believe it aptly describes our learners today. They are connected to the Internet and social media at a very early age, sometimes as young as five years old, and this greatly impacts who they are as learners and who they will be as graduates. Before we can even establish what outcomes we want for our students, we need to know who these students are as learners. How has being so "connected" impacted today's learner? And how does education need to change to support such a learner? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I agree with Kay and Greenhill that critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity are outcomes today's learner will need as they enter the workforce, but I'd argue that today's learner needs those learning outcomes now, not just by graduation. They need them to navigate the world in which they are currently living, and possibly, as educators and parents, we are failing them in this. We make available all of the tools they need to connect, but do we provide the skills they need to take advantage of all that is available to them while being safe in the process? On his blog, <a href="http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/5267" target="_blank">Principal of Change</a>, George Couros paraphrases a student who says:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 26px;">“Social media is like water because it is everywhere in our life. We can ignore it and watch kids drown, or we can teach kids how to swim. Which way are you going to go?”</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the Leader's Guide, the authors offer other outcomes administrators may want to consider adding to their vision for 21st Century learning, one of which is citizenship. In my vision, citizenship is at the forefront, whether you call it "digital citizenship" or "global citizenship", it's recognition that we are all connected, and that the decisions and actions I make impact others. What are our civic responsibilities as global citizens? I want to help foster in my students a sense of responsibility and to consider their role in making the world a better place. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The world is flattening. Knowledge is power, and for the first time, information is freely available to anyone who can connect. We also have an opportunity to share our voices and be a part of knowledge creation as never before. Our students are both accessing information and leaving their own digital footprints. As educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that they are thinking critically as they access that information - right now - because that information is impacting them and playing a role in who they are becoming and how they view the world. They are creating a digital footprint that will not be erased, and they need help in creating a footprint that will represent them well in the global community to which they belong. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We can't afford to keep our heads in the sand any longer. We are not simply developing a vision that will help our students enter the world of tomorrow. We are developing a vision to support our students who are connected right now, and we need to educate ourselves on how to provide the type of learning they need to navigate the digital landscape in which they currently find themselves. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-67046064689645964032016-02-13T08:19:00.003-08:002016-02-13T16:28:10.954-08:00Hail to the IT Department<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8-ShLY-Zg3I-60C4DBVteEYNZOoUPTujiSshRxnxSwYzfvYytmT326dh2feMT3M8eBtZEu2276epNdkAqsTtWgPxZEYJDrZkd_yCs7Dj3tyMPr_Z0tLTV22KkzfrHX3ab_yj9-4bIp_/s1600/Makerspace+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8-ShLY-Zg3I-60C4DBVteEYNZOoUPTujiSshRxnxSwYzfvYytmT326dh2feMT3M8eBtZEu2276epNdkAqsTtWgPxZEYJDrZkd_yCs7Dj3tyMPr_Z0tLTV22KkzfrHX3ab_yj9-4bIp_/s320/Makerspace+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
We recently started a Makerspace Club in our school. Last week, we had MinecraftEDU installed by our IT technician so that we could use it for our Makerspace. The kids were so excited. But yesterday, when the students went to use it, we noticed that someone had inadvertently deleted the pathway. These types of glitches can be so frustrating and they happen all of the time.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For reasons I often rail against, we don't have administrative rights over our school technology. In my more frustrated and impatient moments, I can rant against the imposed limitations of not having administrative rights over the technology we use and the dependency on a "middleman". However, in my more rational moments, I understand the logic behind the school board having some control over what goes onto our computers. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So this morning, I emailed our IT technician to tell him about our issue with the MinecraftEDU pathway disappearing and the kids not being able to log onto it yesterday. He answered my email within ten minutes, ON A SATURDAY MORNING! That made me think about how much I truly depend on our IT department. I call or email one or more of them several times a week. They must get so tired of all of the calls they get, but they are always so polite and accommodating. It must be difficult to have a job where most of the people contacting you are contacting you because they are frustrated. (Of course, we could have a whole other conversation about why they are frustrated, and what needs to be done proactively so that no longer happens... but that is a for longer conversation another time.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our IT department is full of unsung heroes. They are pretty much at our beck and call. And we don't ever really acknowledge all that they do for us. We have "Secretary Appreciation Day", "Educational Assistant Appreciation Day", and "Teacher Appreciation Day". I believe we need an "IT Department Appreciation Day". In fact, I don't even know what we are supposed to be calling them. They are usually referred to as the "IT Guy" or "IT Person". I think "IT Technician" is probably the more accurate term, but I am not even sure. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I would like all of the IT support people from our board to know how truly grateful I am to each and every one of them for all of the help they have given me over the years, the patience they've shown, and the openness to supporting all of my requests (even the seemingly crazy ones!). Thank-you Wayne, Bill C., Melba, Ryan, Paulo, Bince, Roger, Saleem, Victor, Beverley, Joanne, Mike B., Brad, Jason, Mike A., Bill B., Dan, Jeff, Carl, Todd, Martin, Jordan, and Tim! (That isn't even the whole team, but I've never worked with the Secondary folk). I hope I didn't miss anyone because you are all rock stars in my book!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-91983107612542258342016-01-26T17:54:00.000-08:002016-01-26T18:01:09.878-08:00Empowering Students to be Agents of Change - Battery Blitz<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-__XkgkDkXwqoCp7-Acic-H7qCtmuaQ39BtWAoq522-ooYmG10y-Qf1Fj5Qm7xNgTPpEfi3VMjJn_J0WqAVbWeiJayY3LMHI9_mQYdtfVVlMG8jUFq-urTEFy-TC5KoxQZH4hZTKL5qBC/s1600/earth+rangers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-__XkgkDkXwqoCp7-Acic-H7qCtmuaQ39BtWAoq522-ooYmG10y-Qf1Fj5Qm7xNgTPpEfi3VMjJn_J0WqAVbWeiJayY3LMHI9_mQYdtfVVlMG8jUFq-urTEFy-TC5KoxQZH4hZTKL5qBC/s320/earth+rangers.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0vs4L286ubwKJgpJEvg0Tj6WLc6w_H-UzIU94pZX7sc-aJWgBgm1TL1oaBMtIVp0BG5i3Jm1ShfZqMpdRIRGwwStbEDrPf8Rr_XuaGkY52-G4DwQcqyOGUzUiL0LSdAdwRwOMu0q1e9u/s1600/earth+rangers+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0vs4L286ubwKJgpJEvg0Tj6WLc6w_H-UzIU94pZX7sc-aJWgBgm1TL1oaBMtIVp0BG5i3Jm1ShfZqMpdRIRGwwStbEDrPf8Rr_XuaGkY52-G4DwQcqyOGUzUiL0LSdAdwRwOMu0q1e9u/s320/earth+rangers+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Yesterday, the Earth Rangers came to our school. It was an incredibly exciting presentation. It was also a call to action. Many of our students felt compelled to sign up with the Earth Rangers after seeing that presentation. The <a href="http://www.earthrangers.com/" target="_blank">Earth Rangers</a> are working hard to "Bring Back the Wild" and save our biodiversity.<br />
<br />
The Earth Rangers suggested that we can help our endangered species by protecting their habitats. They have a campaign on right now called the <a href="http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/take-action/battery-blitz-mission/" target="_blank">Battery Blitz Mission </a> to help dispose of batteries safely and keep them out of landfills.<br />
<br />
Some of our Grade Six students were so empowered by this call to action, that they went home, created a flyer, and passed it out in their neighbourhood. They collected 159 batteries in less than 24hrs! Isn't it an amazing flyer?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN34JMDrRIJ7kLPccO9svWUjCE6TuBSRv4K_PZ5yZz57uOUsExAbe2CsCEkjyaFCBvw9jUoBWXGk6ftpN_V0CiiK55KC2ghSrBQPGzihGx8NgLm94lAf5ql3CznMszws-PQLoAAM0ItPI5/s1600/battery+blitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN34JMDrRIJ7kLPccO9svWUjCE6TuBSRv4K_PZ5yZz57uOUsExAbe2CsCEkjyaFCBvw9jUoBWXGk6ftpN_V0CiiK55KC2ghSrBQPGzihGx8NgLm94lAf5ql3CznMszws-PQLoAAM0ItPI5/s320/battery+blitz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We are learning to teach through inquiry in our school. But I think teaching through inquiry is just one thread in a much larger tapestry. I wish we were learning how to empower our students to have agency! Inquiry is one way to put our students in the driver's seat of their own learning. But it is not the only way. Some people feel the goal of teaching through inquiry is to keep students engaged in their learning. I don't think so, I think the goal of inquiry is to empower our students to recognize that they have power, or agency, that what they do and think matters, and that they can make a difference.<br />
<br />
Students need to believe that when they don't understand something, or when they are stuck on a problem, there is something they can do about it. They are not helpless. They have the power to change their misunderstanding into understanding. They can get help or they can help themselves. There is always something they can do. We need to teach them that. We need to teach them how to be learners.<br />
<br />
Once they recognize that they are in charge of their own learning, they become empowered to be agents of change in the world in which we live.<br />
<br />
The Grade Six teacher was so excited when her students showed her their flyer. These students took what they have learned in school and applied it for a real purpose to solve an authentic problem in our world. And they did it on their own, not because someone told them they had to. They were autonomous, they had purpose, and they believed they could master the task. As Daniel Pink says, that is all they needed to feel the drive to get things done!<br />
<br />
Inquiry is a powerful way to engage our students, but connecting an inquiry to a real-world problem that they can help solve empowers our students and provides purpose for the learning we ask them to do.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-62500977795286737392016-01-24T10:24:00.003-08:002016-01-24T10:25:36.342-08:00The Making of a MakerSpace<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R5VSLlG9jQk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R5VSLlG9jQk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I want to create a MakerSpace in our school. A space where students can come to create, innovate, and explore. A space and place where they can make discoveries and solve problems. This space can also be a place where they are in charge, where they learn to collaborate, and truly work together to get the job done.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I want to do this for the students in my school. But I also want to do this for me. I NEED to create, to innovate, and to solve authentic problems. Creating this space will be a project that will serve my needs too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Students feel the same way that I do. There is undeniable pleasure and motivation in being a part of something that solves a problem, meets a need and makes the world a little bit better for someone else. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Frederick Buechner said, "Vocation is where our greatest passion meets the world's greatest need". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Daniel Pink says that for people to be motivated, they need to have autonomy, mastery and purpose. I am hoping to create a MakerSpace where students can create and innovate autonomously with tools they can be successful with. The trick will be to ensure that their creations and inventions serve a purpose. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There have been many things I've been considering prior to embarking on this project:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1. <b>Where will I find a space for it in the school?</b> I've decided on the computer lab, which we call the "Lighthouse" (seems appropriate for an idea warehouse doesn't it?) Our Lighthouse is large, with tables in the centre of the room and computers around the periphery. We have storage cupboards in there as well. The walls are still bare - lots of potential for those walls!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. <b>Who will be using it and when? </b>I've decided to start small. I am going to call it a "MakerSpace Club" and have it opened several days during the week during the lunch hour. That way, I won't be disrupting class use of the computer lab during the day. Ideally, I would love to see this evolve into a space where teachers feel the need to take their students to during the day to work on some problem-based learning and inquiry. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
3. <b>Who will supervise students in the MakerSpace? </b>Since it will be running during the lunch hour, I will need adults to supervise. Luckily, I am in a school where teachers are constantly giving up their lunch time in the service of our students and I've already got two volunteers!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
4. <b>What resources will I need and where will I get them? </b>This is a bit trickier. As with all publicly funded schools, money is tight. I am starting with my own resources, Legos and K'Nex for building that my own children have outgrown, along with odds and sods of craft materials I've collected over the years. Being in the computer lab gives us the additional option of using the computers, so I've looked into getting a school account with MinecraftEDU so that students can also be creating in the virtual world as well. I'm planning on putting out a call to our parent community in the search for cardboard as well. The question is, should we also look for used electronics to start taking apart and building with as well, not to mention wood working materials? I don't know a lot about that sort of stuff, so am feeling a bit out of my comfort zone. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One of the teachers asked if I was going to come into the school on the weekend to get it all organized, and that was my original thought. But I reconsidered this. If this is to be a space where students can work and explore autonomously, then shouldn't they be involved in the creation of the space? So tomorrow, we will begin together to create our very first MakerSpace. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you are interested in learning more about MakerSpace check out these links. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://renovatedlearning.com/makerspace-resources/" target="_blank">Renovated Learning - MakerSpace Resources</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/designing-a-school-makerspace-jennifer-cooper" target="_blank">Edutopia - Designing a School Makerspace </a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-30169069981654499822016-01-06T20:17:00.001-08:002016-01-06T20:20:44.439-08:00#OneWord2016Last year my #OneWord2015 was AGENCY. I'm still enamored with the word because I believe wholeheartedly the real "transformation" that needs to take place in education is the empowerment of our students to be agents of their own learning.<br />
<br />
So I was really stumped. How could I pick a new #OneWord2016 when I'm still working through last year's word? (I think that word alone will continue to evolve for me - and for education - over the next decade!) I continued to ponder the word AGENCY and all that it has come to mean to me this past year.<br />
<br />
In the hopes of getting inspired, I read other people's posts, including <a href="http://thebloggess.com/2016/01/simple-oneword2016/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The Bloggess</span></a>, <a href="http://blog.markwcarbone.ca/2016/01/06/one-word-ont-2016/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Mark's Musings</span></a>, <a href="https://misszita.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/oneword-for-2016/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Miss Kit Kat</span></a>, <a href="https://fryed.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Learning About Learning</span></a>, and <a href="http://adunsiger.com/2016/01/04/i-spoke-i-listened-i-heard-and-now-im-wondering/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Living Avivaloca</span></a>. I felt very inspired by each of those blogs, and they really moved me to think. I especially loved that Aviva chose "hearing" because unless we make the effort, we often don't hear what others are telling us. Without careful listening, we stand to miss so much!<br />
<br />
Then I read David Fife's <a href="http://davidfife.ca/blog/my-one-word-for-2016.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Perspectives</span></a> and I was actually quite envious. His word is "mindfulness". I wished I had picked "mindfulness"! "Mindfulness" is strongly connected to "metacognition" for me, but it is far more beautiful.<br />
<br />
I sat and pondered these posts thinking how each impacted me differently, how my thinking was extended and strengthened with each new post.<br />
<br />
In his post David wrote that there are 3 simple steps to find your "<em style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><strong>One Word</strong></em><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> - Prepare Your Heart, Discover Your Word, Live Your Word."</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So as I sat and pondered, and as I attempted to prepare my heart, I realized that my word had been with me all along. My #OneWord2016 is <b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">PONDER.</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">This year, as I learn to be a Vice Principal in a new school community, I want to be sure to think things through carefully before arriving at any conclusions; I want to contemplate all possibilities before making any decisions. I want to think deeply. I want to attentively listen to what others are saying and mindfully reflect on what I don't hear. This year I want to <i><b><span style="color: #351c75;">PONDER</span></b></i>. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; color: #575757; font-family: Geneva, 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-85386438762112327222016-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:002016-01-03T11:37:50.776-08:00Learning to be a Leader<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSfGdI96OOjBh3dVCZV9McPYKXjfjLeTe60aPC9025RjwapS4UZ6_ooP1IVXMDPvdTOY0Y07CTzJjKaBtE9bAAQTE8Au5oshEU_fNMmgq6OVRH8TBeZ6-2I-X3NkarMVGFAmgIBY8lL5T/s1600/leadership.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSfGdI96OOjBh3dVCZV9McPYKXjfjLeTe60aPC9025RjwapS4UZ6_ooP1IVXMDPvdTOY0Y07CTzJjKaBtE9bAAQTE8Au5oshEU_fNMmgq6OVRH8TBeZ6-2I-X3NkarMVGFAmgIBY8lL5T/s640/leadership.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
I am learning to be an administrator. It is a humbling journey. The first thing I learned was how much I don't know and how much I still need to learn.<br />
<br />
Back in August, our school board held a lovely retreat day for all of the administrators. Our guest speaker was Fr. Raymond Carey. His talk was inspirational, but one thing he said was that the analogy of a school community being a "family" was inappropriate. I disagreed with him at the time, and four months into the job, I disagree even more strongly.<br />
<br />
It is not that I feel like a parental figure toward the staff, I don't. It is that I feel responsible for their well-being. It is that I've come to realize that "relationship building" is more than getting to know one another, it is about caring for one another; caring how other people are feeling, how they are coping, and actually taking care of them when they need a little extra support, even it is just doing a duty, or finishing off some photocopying for them because they are in a hurry. The staff at my school have taught me that as they have cared for and supported me in this new role.<br />
<br />
I've learned that to be a VP means being able to fill in for anyone when needed. I've swept and washed floors, I've provided First Aid, I've done duties for CUPE members who can't do their usual duties because of job action issues. I've counted and deposited money, I've answered phones, wiped noses, sang songs, made bus tags - no job is too big or too small. But many of these jobs are new jobs to me and have required new learning on my part.<br />
<br />
It often feels as though the bulk of my day is spent dealing with discipline issues, health concerns and busing. I was warned that this would be the case, I knew very well that these were a major part of the VP role, but somehow I really didn't understand the urgency of each of these or how utterly time consuming they would be. There are fire safety plans, concussion protocols, anaphylaxis and asthma protocols that all need to be created, shared and followed. It really has not left much time for focusing on what I am passionate about - learning and teaching.<br />
<br />
I try to squeeze in those precious conversations about learning and teaching, maybe even just a well-timed question here or there, but it is truly a challenge to find those opportunities during the action-packed day.<br />
<br />
Having a break has provided me with some valuable time for self-reflection; it seems that somehow the words "Leader" and "Administrator" have become uncoupled in my psyche and my days have been spent in learning how to be an "Administrator" - one who manages or operates an organization. Tomorrow I want to begin learning how to be a leader. As I head back to work, it will be with a renewed focus on learning and teaching. I plan to step it up and become a co-learner with the educators in my building, so that we can begin breaking down classroom walls, deepen student thinking and encourage students to own the learning.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-42903794890154946492015-11-01T06:08:00.002-08:002015-11-01T07:38:47.925-08:00It Should NEVER Be About Whether It Is Right Or Wrong!Just have to weigh in on this one. It has gone completely viral, and everyone is talking about it. How awesome is that? All of social media is united in discussing the commutative property of multiplication!<br />
<br />
<h4 style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 36px; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.15; margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://medium.com/i-math/why-5-x-3-5-5-5-was-marked-wrong-b34607a5b74c#.6wo7g0rub" target="_blank">Why 5 x 3 = 5 + 5 + 5 Was Marked Wrong</a></h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrvcRz32_FBGJ01ZdP6UC1b_Eu7wMHAV-sEUssRBSYJ_sfEI4Qz8PjqA-yI0vfFEOJ0ih5MtrJvJCC0gm_QcuIjGYkAIwZuBxnxBxR18pKmylotlHyK31tPCTDbtfRDFGko8Eo16wlPcU/s1600/math+question.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrvcRz32_FBGJ01ZdP6UC1b_Eu7wMHAV-sEUssRBSYJ_sfEI4Qz8PjqA-yI0vfFEOJ0ih5MtrJvJCC0gm_QcuIjGYkAIwZuBxnxBxR18pKmylotlHyK31tPCTDbtfRDFGko8Eo16wlPcU/s320/math+question.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I think this whole debate underlines our assessment issues in Math today. Educators should not be marking questions like this as "right" or "wrong". The point of math questions should not be about discovering who is right and who is wrong, but about uncovering student thinking. That is why it is far better to provide feedback rather than a "mark" on a question like this. Better still, use it to promote a class discussion. It isn't social media that should be discussing this math question, but the very class that was asked it.<br />
<br />
We don't know what the student was thinking here. For question 2 the child drew an array, we don't know how the child was visually looking at that array without having a conversation with him or her about it.<br />
<br />
Let's stop telling children they are right or wrong and start asking them to tell us about their solutions! They might surprise us all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-4285456324922364512015-11-01T05:20:00.000-08:002015-11-01T07:44:45.563-08:00Who Is In Your Class? New Role - New Learning<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLacS5UF9nFhs1KOPCMrSX2EZFTTWphjJ7Z3u9PmP2jByKJeVP1zWLeNXiuj2ykmWbZdbGqukJUx6tq9ID0jEEcf1AzcYrWyhInX61nq4U5MeXIPcFoTVE3FWVBDGwqho-E12dL61hTrS/s1600/pathways+of+school+improvement.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLacS5UF9nFhs1KOPCMrSX2EZFTTWphjJ7Z3u9PmP2jByKJeVP1zWLeNXiuj2ykmWbZdbGqukJUx6tq9ID0jEEcf1AzcYrWyhInX61nq4U5MeXIPcFoTVE3FWVBDGwqho-E12dL61hTrS/s640/pathways+of+school+improvement.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I have a new role this year. I am a Vice Principal in a K-8 Elementary school. Some might see this as a "logical next step" or the "natural progression" of a career in Education. But in all honestly, Administration was NEVER on my radar. Those who know me know that I am passionate about children and I am passionate about learning. I have never been interested in management and I have always thought of administrators as managers.<br />
<br />
Working in Curriculum, however, I had opportunities to go into many different schools, and it became quickly apparent that the schools that had a culture of learning, the schools that moved, were the schools where the administrators saw themselves as "Instructional Leaders". These administrators knew how to empower their staff and students to make learning happen.<br />
<br />
How did they do it? Could I do it?<br />
<br />
I strongly believe that the way we "do school" needs to change. I've been trying to find the best place I can be to support that change on a larger scale, because a great classroom here and there is not enough. Every child should have the opportunity to learn, to be motivated and interested, to be curious and to feel successful.<br />
<br />
I had the pleasure of seeing Steven Katz speak last fall. He gave me lots to think about. According to Katz, the connection between changes in teacher thinking and practice and student achievement is very strong. But the connection between professional learning and changes in teacher thinking and practice is much more fuzzy.<br />
<br />
What does this mean to me?<br />
<br />
- Sending a teacher to a professional development in-service does not ensure changes in thinking or practice.<br />
- Change in teacher practice is not enough - compliance does not beget improvement in student achievement. There needs to be a change in teacher thinking for the change in practice to actually have a positive impact.<br />
<br />
So basically, whoever is doing the thinking is doing the learning. If the "System" is telling teachers what to do and how to do it, teachers aren't doing the thinking, the System is, so teachers are not learning. They may be compliant, and so it might look like their practice has changed, but unless they believe in that practice, it will not be enacted with a fidelity that leads to improvement for students. Nor will the change be sustainable.<br />
<br />
What we need to do is provide the time, space, resources, and permission for teachers to do the heavy thinking. And we need to join them in it. Administrators need to learn with their teachers.<br />
<br />
So, this year, my learning is all about how to do this best. Steven Katz asked us "<i>Who is in your class</i>?" And suddenly I realized I could be an administrator. It is not about being a manager (although those pieces need to happen as well... perhaps more on that in the next post). It is about building relationships and empowering people. It is about creating a culture of learning where it is safe to take risks and where we believe in one another's ability to do what is right and necessary.<br />
<br />
If I believe that students should own their own learning, then I must also believe that teachers must own theirs. Steven Katz said that to be a good administrator is to "influence people to change". I think it is even more than that. To be a good administrator is to inspire and empower people to grow and to create the conditions necessary for that growth to happen.<br />
<br />
That is what I am hoping to learn over the next few years. How do I create the conditions necessary for learning and growth? I'm blessed to be with a principal who has created a culture of learning in her school. I plan to pick her brain, question her every move, and take some risks of my own.<br />
<br />
I will let you know how it goes.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-32142353728653281762015-03-01T12:04:00.001-08:002015-03-01T13:46:28.360-08:00Teacher Agency - Who Owns the Professional Learning?This morning it feels as though my brain is going to explode. Actually, it feels like that most days lately.<br />
<br />
In September I took a secondment with the Student Achievement Division on the <i>Capacity Building Team </i>at the Ministry of Education. In the past six months I've had the opportunity to learn from so many deep thinkers in education. I've been participating in wonderful reflections, discussions, and heated debates on teaching and learning and most of the time, my head is spinning and moving in so many directions that is difficult to tease all of that learning apart into specific threads.<br />
<br />
But one of the threads that I keep coming back to is the notion of "agency". In January, they posed a question on the <a href="https://ossemooc.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">OSSEMOOC</a> blog that I follow: "<a href="https://ossemooc.wordpress.com/2015/01/13/what-is-your-oneword-for-2015/" target="_blank">What is your #oneword for 2015?</a>" Without hesitation, my immediate thought was "agency".<br />
<br />
I first came across that word about a year ago, and I brought it up at one of our recent planning meetings at work. This word alone has inspired great on-going discussion and led to shifts in our current thinking on learning.<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Agency ... is an individual’s sense of what they can do and what they think they can do.</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Duggins, Shaun D., "The Development of Sense of Agency." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2011. http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/psych_theses/88</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-fc3379c4-d559-3ffa-6137-0470d6a2df88"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Agency is the power of the individual to choose what happens next.</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lindgren, R., & McDaniel, R. (2012). Transforming Online Learning through Narrative and Student Agency. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Educational, Technology & Society</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">15 </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(4), 344–355.)</span><br />
<br />
I first became intrigued by the notion of student agency when I saw these images on Twitter.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBmUU9LYqigjyP6KvAkrzcg4XtWxx0ol6u66fcQe1LbbSsMZsTVCyZVkfcWsxr3NhOz49hPUVN97-DlbuvxKN7GgdEXL2MJbjPVk_FSCslSa3JhEjpOgT948EVaueW8aINUFIUXHonb63/s1600/12188001525_23f85e89bb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBmUU9LYqigjyP6KvAkrzcg4XtWxx0ol6u66fcQe1LbbSsMZsTVCyZVkfcWsxr3NhOz49hPUVN97-DlbuvxKN7GgdEXL2MJbjPVk_FSCslSa3JhEjpOgT948EVaueW8aINUFIUXHonb63/s1600/12188001525_23f85e89bb_z.jpg" height="204" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images courtesy of flickr user <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/plugusin/12188001525/" target="_blank">Bill Ferriter</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl9pVrqk5vNk9PLx1FTaGCuKW9oswoCOUmvcIwVxWS0-gSv5iQqElB5gF2HuZ6Uw3md7mBhZelym6RmP4-MsCQX-LLrS5Y0q7SPumDpGeef_cVWMFZJRvfO5q5RTX0uTnxMzlYlSmiG1I/s1600/12188008225_673c927c44_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl9pVrqk5vNk9PLx1FTaGCuKW9oswoCOUmvcIwVxWS0-gSv5iQqElB5gF2HuZ6Uw3md7mBhZelym6RmP4-MsCQX-LLrS5Y0q7SPumDpGeef_cVWMFZJRvfO5q5RTX0uTnxMzlYlSmiG1I/s1600/12188008225_673c927c44_z.jpg" height="320" width="196" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These images can be found on Bill Ferriter's blog <i><a href="http://blog.williamferriter.com/2014/01/28/should-we-be-engaging-or-empowering-learners/" target="_blank">The Tempered Radical</a> </i>where he distinguishes between the notions of engagement vs empowerment. I believe that "agency" is more than just being engaged in the learning; having a sense of agency is about being empowered to doggedly choose to pursue learning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've also been inspired by the work of <a href="http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/books-on-educational-technology/" target="_blank">Alan November</a> and his book "Who Owns the Learning". Alan November explains that with the advent of educational technology we are living in the</div>
"Age of the Empowered Learner". I have written a fair bit on how using <a href="http://raine6.blogspot.ca/2013/04/on-blended-learning.html#.VPMUCLPF9IY" target="_blank">blended learning</a> in a grade six classroom really empowered my students and helped them to take ownership for their learning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But in my current role I am not working directly with students. I support the learning of adults. To be specific, I support PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. I've been interested in professional learning for a long time. It is actually a rather elusive term for me. We tend to call any event where we pull educators away from their regular work to tell them something new "professional learning", but I often have my doubts that much "learning" is actually taking place. In fact, I wrote a blog post about the difference between professional learning communities and professional learning networks because I have sometimes been frustrated by the PLC's that I've been involved in (which you can find <a href="http://raine6.blogspot.ca/2013/01/professional-learning-communities-vs.html#.VPL-MbPF9IY" target="_blank">here</a>). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I believe we need to start considering the term "agency" more deeply when it comes to teacher learning. This question was posted recently on the OSSEMOOC blog:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"<i>How does shift occur from a mindset where learning is provided to a culture where learning is sought?"</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As I ponder the idea of teacher agency and reflect on our current professional learning practices I end up with so many more questions:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Millions of dollars are spent each year on professional learning in the province of Ontario, how do we know what impact it has on changes in teacher practice and student learning? </li>
<li>How do we differentiate the learning of our teachers since we know that they all have different experiences, skills, strengths, interests, and most importantly - students with different needs?</li>
<li>How do we provide system level and school level professional learning and yet still provide teachers with voice and choice in their learning? </li>
<li>How can we leverage the use of technology to empower our teachers to be innovative learners?</li>
</ul>
<div>
My friend Regan and I have had frequent conversations about professional learning. We often question our own beliefs about learning and teachers' motivation to learn. There is an expression in education that is "Go with the Goers". Some teachers are seen as "Goers" - they exhibit a learning stance, believe they can and should be constantly improving their practice, and seek out new learning on their own. I often wonder why it is we should go with the Goers if they are going to get there anyway? Isn't it the slow starters we should be focusing our attention on? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This in turn leads to more questions:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Can we help teachers develop an inquiry stance about their teaching practice if they currently don't have one? If so, how do we do that? </li>
<li>Can we impact teachers' motivation to learn? </li>
<li>Can we develop in teachers a sense of agency? If so, how do we do that? </li>
<li>How does our current professional learning practice either foster or inhibit a sense of agency in our teachers?</li>
</ul>
<div>
These questions are really important because research indicates that teacher efficacy directly impacts student learning, and teacher efficacy is tied closely to teacher agency. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"Teachers who set high goals, who persist,
who try another strategy when one approach
is found wanting—in other words, teachers
who have a high sense of efficacy and act on
it—are more likely to have students who learn</i>
(Shaughnessy, 2004)" ~ as quoted in "<a href="http://www.naesp.org/resources/1/Principal/2008/M-Jp42.pdf" target="_blank">Teacher Efficacy and Why Does It Matter</a>".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I realized as I reflected on these questions that I had a fixed mindset about this topic. I believed that some people are more motivated to learn than others, some educators have a learning stance, and others don't. In fact, teacher agency is often defined as an innate quality.<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-fc3379c4-d6d7-443f-f70a-0f1af4dd2318"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Teacher agency is typically viewed as a quality within educators, a matter of personal capacity to act (Priestly et al., 2012) usually in response to stimuli within their pedagogical environment. It describes an educator who has both the ability and opportunity to act upon a set of circumstances that presents itself within that individual’s leadership, curricular or instructional roles. The educator described would then draw from acquired knowledge and experience to intercede appropriately and effectively. Agency is increasingly rare in the educational world of prescriptive improvement, and the term is too “often utilized as a slogan to support school-based reform” (Priestley, Biesta & Robinson, 2012, p. 3). </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://colleaguesplus.com/latest%20colleagues/education-matters-2/" style="text-decoration: none;">Teacher Agency in America and Finland By Roger Wilson, GVSU Faculty</a></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
As I've been exposed more and more to the work of Carol Dweck, however, I realize that the definition above is very much a fixed mindset. Do we believe that all educators are capable, competent and curious? If so, then the old adage "Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire" by Yeats is as true for educators as it is for students. So the question for educational leaders becomes not "What should professional learning look like?" so much as "How do we light a fire in our teachers?"<br />
<br />
How, then, do we (in the words of <a href="http://www.metatlcinc.com/" target="_blank">Lucy West</a>) create a multi-generational learning culture in which educators - including ourselves - and students become <i>learners</i> in the company of one another?<br />
<br />
Kristen Swanson poses the following question on her blogpost <a href="http://www.kristenswanson.org/2015/01/hackpd.html" target="_blank">#HackPD</a>:<br />
<br />
<i>What if the only PD ever offered by a school was "How to Learn Something When You Want to Know Something?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It is time to re-think professional learning, to look closely at its impact on students and teachers, and perhaps to redefine it. We need to be thinking about why teachers need to own their professional learning and what that will look like at both the school and system level. We need to start thinking about how we are going to develop agency in our teachers and think less about what content, skills and strategies we need to be teaching them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-15736508223131629012014-10-26T10:59:00.002-07:002014-10-26T12:07:12.526-07:00What is "New Math"?<br />
Last week my father emailed me to ask what I thought of <a href="http://www.anthonyquinn.ca/" target="_blank">Mr. Anthony Quinn</a> who is running for one of our School Board's Trustee positions. I told my dad I would look up Mr. Quinn and then get back to him with my opinion. I found the following from one of Mr. Quinn's <a href="http://createsend.com/t/t-BC299A4C38A637F8" target="_blank">campaign newsletters</a> that I would like to discuss here.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjauTgQvt5yXNBc-BoV1eY6Dw1vlxlGcZfT4Rq-RUf_yQfieH0q_f1F6R-U0n2l7QB-_8aGbfOBVLVeZW4NX5761OWRL1ii8ptM_3VAlkLyaFGbaHbnVZKRLtyg8XLL43IoEaGlLDEiJ4j/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-26+12.32.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjauTgQvt5yXNBc-BoV1eY6Dw1vlxlGcZfT4Rq-RUf_yQfieH0q_f1F6R-U0n2l7QB-_8aGbfOBVLVeZW4NX5761OWRL1ii8ptM_3VAlkLyaFGbaHbnVZKRLtyg8XLL43IoEaGlLDEiJ4j/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-26+12.32.07.png" height="640" title="" width="230" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
This "news" piece really bothers me because it is rife with misconceptions and incorrect information. The current Math curriculum that we use in Ontario was written in 2005 and is an updated version of the older curriculum written in 1999, so why it is being called "new math" is something I am having trouble understanding. An analysis of curricula of high-achieving regions around the world indicates that our Math curriculum is aligned with those that are the most successful in the world. But in addition, it is my understanding that the gap between our highest achieving students and our lowest achieving students is smaller than anywhere else in the world. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am also struggling to determine where the term "discovery math" comes from. I have been an Elementary school educator for 13 years, and until now, I have not heard that term before. I did a search of our Math curriculum document and I found the word "discover" in two places:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Students who are willing to make the effort required and who are able to apply themselves will soon discover that there is a direct relationship between this effort and their achievement in mathematics. Pg. 4 of the Ontario Math Curriculum, 2005</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
and </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Graphs and statistics bombard the public in advertising, opinion polls, population trends, reliability estimates, descriptions of discoveries by scientists, and estimates of health risks, to name just a few.</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>Pg. 9 of the Ontario Math Curriculum, 2005</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
Certainly, as you can see, the term "discover" does not figure largely in our current Math curriculum in Ontario. However, Mr. Quinn seems to be under the misguided notion that students are expected to "discover" math concepts on their own, which is very much NOT the case, and he would know this if he were to have a look at our <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pdf" target="_blank">Math Curriculum document</a>. In fact, if he were to scan the verbs used in our overall and specific expectations for Math he would find terms such as: identify, describe, construct, create, analyse, compare, connect, extend, and determine, just to name a few. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Mr. Quinn also has an italicized quote that suggests that students are not expected to know their multiplication facts. Quite the opposite is true. Here is an example of an expectation from our Grade 4 Number Sense strand:</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>– multiply to 9 x 9 and divide to 81 ÷ 9,</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>using a variety of mental strategies (e.g.,</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>doubles, doubles plus another set, skip</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i>counting);</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
If someone were to ask me what is the difference between the expectations in the Math Curriculum currently being taught from what was taught in the 1970's I would have to say that when I was growing up, I was expected to have rote memorization of my multiplication facts whereas students today are expected to have conceptual understanding of mathematical operations and can represent them in a variety of ways, as well as use them to solve problems. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Students today are not only expected to solve questions like <span lang="EN-US">¾</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">÷</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'MS ゴシック';">
</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">½ = ?</span></b>, they are also expected to be able to represent a real-life situation where that expression would be needed to solve the problem. I wonder how many people educated in the 1970's are able to do that? I was taught "<i>Yours is not to reason why, just invert and multiply</i>". Students today ARE expected to reason and they are expected to be able to explain why multiplying by the inverse fraction provides the solution for the division of fractions. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I have spoken at several schools' Family Numeracy nights as well as at the Halton Catholic Parents Conference and each time I begin by asking how many parents in the audience think of themselves as "Math People". Invariably, less than half of the people in the room raise their hands. I want ALL of our students to see themselves as "Math People". Learning Math the way I did simply did NOT achieve that result. So I disagree strongly with Mr. Quinn's statement about "fixing something that wasn't broken"; there was something very "broken" in the way that Math used to be taught thirty and forty years ago. </div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
As <a href="http://www.saea.uottawa.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=92&Itemid=613&lang=en" target="_blank">Dr. Christine Suurtamm</a> said at a recent symposium I was fortunate enough to attend, the mathematical thinking we are teaching is so complex, we definitely do not support "discovery" learning. But we do support the generation of student algorithm. We are supporting students actively participating and thinking, not just being passive consumers regurgitating and performing rote procedures. Kids need to do the math to learn the math. They need opportunities to makes sense of the mathematical skills they are learning. If you look at the curriculum, you will see it includes traditional algorithms and mental math, and in addition, the thinking involved in doing the math. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Our current EQAO data indicates that students are actually doing quite well in using procedural knowledge. The area they are having difficulty with is in solving multi-step multi-strand problems. No amount of rote procedural knowledge is going to help them think their way through these types of problems. Students need to have deep conceptual understanding of number sense, including operational sense, place value, and proportional reasoning to be able to successfully solve the types of problems they are currently struggling with. They need to develop a facility in composing and decomposing number.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Our students need procedural fluency, which implies much more than merely knowing their Math facts. Yes, they need to know those facts, but that is not enough. Procedural fluency is the ability to perform math operations flexibly and see the connections between those operations. Rote memorization of a procedure does not mean that you have conceptual understanding of that procedure. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Do we need to learn more about teaching and learning Math in Ontario? Absolutely! We need to support our teachers in developing their own conceptual understandings and pedagogical knowledge in Math because they are victims of what I will call the "old Math". We need EVERY student to achieve at high levels in Math in Ontario and we are not there yet. I'm sure if Mr. Quinn took the time to read the <a href="http://www.hcdsb.org/Board/bip/Documents/HCDSB%20Board%20Improvement%20Plan%202013%20-%202016.pdf" target="_blank">Board's Improvement Plan</a>, he would see that a philosophy of continuous improvement exists and that no one is suggesting "there is nothing we can do".<br />
<br />
I am sure that if Mr. Quinn is elected as a trustee he will dedicate himself fully and devote himself to representing the voice of our parent population. I hope that he, and all of our trustees, will take the time to look at our Math curriculum so that they can provide the informed support that is very much needed if we are to improve student learning in Math.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I will leave you with a typical question from the Junior EQAO Math Assessment. I ask you to consider - could you have solved this question when you were in Grade Six? Can you solve it now? </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXtnG4QwZXjjDNjq-TqkfQk10_UXyderRaXfygzL6xx2opUMzbT1b6AfzYFRp-UQPMp5tScKJloRxok0n9HfBV2TW7iygvXioaJKKa7OMkd71uJBqvYjt4HYdwT4h48tbEmsFc-bfwmd1/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-26+13.57.20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXtnG4QwZXjjDNjq-TqkfQk10_UXyderRaXfygzL6xx2opUMzbT1b6AfzYFRp-UQPMp5tScKJloRxok0n9HfBV2TW7iygvXioaJKKa7OMkd71uJBqvYjt4HYdwT4h48tbEmsFc-bfwmd1/s1600/Screenshot+2014-10-26+13.57.20.png" height="154" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-87901347251974651912014-08-23T09:51:00.001-07:002014-08-23T09:54:49.432-07:00 Things We Learn From Our Students<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WmEcgddYRNlW896R_-t_AdDIPU1FPuEqR5Gmbw5Mpfa-4m_4SkzJ_o_zg7O1ROVQfqNK83o6dSDfJRIIMbTE7ltAcblOQUXf_e-nyJiJkadR_RmfP-RYKRMXPGqmiGD9fbu6-W5kNOq2/s1600/Screenshot+2014-08-23+12.45.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WmEcgddYRNlW896R_-t_AdDIPU1FPuEqR5Gmbw5Mpfa-4m_4SkzJ_o_zg7O1ROVQfqNK83o6dSDfJRIIMbTE7ltAcblOQUXf_e-nyJiJkadR_RmfP-RYKRMXPGqmiGD9fbu6-W5kNOq2/s1600/Screenshot+2014-08-23+12.45.59.png" height="165" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Every year, in June, our school board has a special event called Staff Recognition Night. During this auspicious occasion, we honour those staff members who are retiring. Our retirees are asked if they would like to make a speech, and many of them do. I love hearing those speeches and listening to how our various staff members have been modelled and shaped by their careers in education. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
One of my favourite speeches this year was by a Secondary teacher named Mark Whinton. Mark taught Tech as a Department Head at one of our high schools for twenty years. In his speech, he shared how he was influenced and supported by his many colleagues. But what I really loved about his speech was how Mark shared what he has learned from his students over the years. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
I've asked Mark if I could share his comments here on my blog and he graciously agreed. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ95CHuTxGBiOKzjo0BIOHDidly_aVpz6Fwf8P8_2ukYDcgfj4ThCZQDs6p4y1FyDshy46aTydwewdKi_pM76mE25gB4ESsj4ne0vwbHQR5kBuaJNq0Zl1S8qRL1JZEt-WOGWyXK7ndjGz/s1600/6354852227_09b6bb7aca_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ95CHuTxGBiOKzjo0BIOHDidly_aVpz6Fwf8P8_2ukYDcgfj4ThCZQDs6p4y1FyDshy46aTydwewdKi_pM76mE25gB4ESsj4ne0vwbHQR5kBuaJNq0Zl1S8qRL1JZEt-WOGWyXK7ndjGz/s1600/6354852227_09b6bb7aca_z.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>CC licensed photo shared by Flickr user </i><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphpaglia/" target="_blank"><i>Di</i></a></span></span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphpaglia/" target="_blank"><i>gitalRalph</i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<u><b><i>From my students I've learned a few things over the years, primarily about technology;</i></b></u></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i> 1. Be an early adopter of technology - while students were learning Facebook back in 2007 the Board was busy blocking it on our intranet system so they couldn't use it but a student showed me and others an easy way around it. - As of last August the Board now has its own Facebook page and it can be accessed from school - who is teaching who here?</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 35.45pt; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i>2. Go to YouTube (now the third most visited place on the planet) was the “go to” place if you wanted to fix something.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 35.25pt; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i>3. What they were interested in was all self taught and they didn't do it for a credit or money but simply because they were interested in learning it. - texting, developing, editing and sharing images, videos and music. Creating and using social media sites developing websites and blogs etc. Amazingly I realized they had created nothing short of a new system of knowledge. This system is so prevalent and undeniable that in today’s society the primary source of knowledge comes from a system of digital news not a classroom, not a newspaper, not a book and not a teacher. It comes from everyone and anyone at anytime.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i>So in my retirement I see myself putting to good use the lessons I have been taught by my students by creating an HCDSB NEWS site for former students, and staff, something I hope that will keep me connected to my former students and my many friends at the HCDSB.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
When I suggest to some teachers that they tear down their classroom walls by encouraging their students to connect to the world outside of the classroom, they tell me they are not yet comfortable with the technology. I think they need to learn from Mark Whinton's experience. Students are teaching themselves how to use social media to share, connect and learn from one another, not because they are being told to, just because they are interested in learning how. We need to jump on that bandwagon. We don't need to be comfortable to do so. Our students, even the youngest ones, will teach us! We can and should be learners together in the classroom. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
We need more teachers like Mark Whinton who recognize that in education we can't afford to be the last ones joining in the digital world. We need to be the early adopters, the trend setters, the ones willing to take the risks. That is what we need our students to become when they get out into the world to take care of us in our retirement, the innovators and problems solvers. We need to start promoting that now!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
As you step into your classroom in the next few weeks, please think about technology. How will you make it available to your students? What would you like them to teach you about their digital worlds? How will you use the ability to connect with others outside the classroom to stimulate and empower your students this year?<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-56211821315549809962014-07-18T17:36:00.000-07:002014-07-19T08:33:43.206-07:00Exploring Fractions with a Growth MindsetI love summer. I love it for so many reasons. One of the reasons I love summer is because it gives me the opportunity to tutor students at my own pace with no "curriculum" other than what I believe to be good instructional practice to follow.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This summer I'm tutoring a 10 year old who has just finished Grade Five. I have worked with this student before, (I will call her Grace because she's an incredibly graceful young lady), and I know that she has struggled with Math for the last few years. Grace is pretty typical of many students that I have taught. Traditional math instruction is not that effective for her. She is quiet, and if something doesn't make sense to her she won't ask questions, preferring not to single herself out. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Grace also has some issues with her short term memory. Many of her teachers have expected her to learn her addition and multiplication facts by rote memory. That is just not a realistic expectation for Grace. She has difficulty memorizing facts. Last summer, Grace and I explored repeated addition, skip counting, and making groups. Although she doesn't know her facts with lightening speed, she can figure out any multiplication question using strategies that makes sense to her. She understands what multiplication means. But some of her teachers don't value this, and as a result, at the tender age of 10, she does not really see herself as a "math person". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also love the summer because it gives me time to work on my own professional learning. In past summers I have taken Marilyn Burns' <i><a href="http://mathsolutions.com/" target="_blank">Math Solutions</a></i> course and attended our Ministry's <i><a href="http://gains-camppp.wikispaces.com/" target="_blank">Math Camppp</a>. </i>This summer is no different and I am currently taking Jo Boaler's MOOC <i>How to Learn Math. </i>(You can watch the Youtube videos <a href="http://youtu.be/IQUezn-XAYk" target="_blank">here</a>). There is a common thread through all of the learning - Math is not a textbook subject! You don't develop deep understandings of mathematical concepts by completing worksheets or workbooks. In order to develop conceptual understanding in math, in order to see connections between concepts, in order to love math and think creatively in math, students need multiple opportunities to explore math. I love the summer because I can work one on one with students, give them those opportunities to explore and construct their own understandings, and watch and listen to learn how they learn. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I knew that Grace had had trouble with fractions this year, so that is where we started this summer. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMsb5MP3QOLCGPRm6hllOYJsR57IleIxgORvsi1ka4wjFMlrGvx0sX-h-kl6tHLBvzQpHkRsobgKSjtEnIDRIM0Ah82eo3phdDRzuSI4MNRzxBBo30QXSGmUQGP-8NFWHtQMP3drgff8T/s1600/Screenshot+2014-07-18+18.34.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMsb5MP3QOLCGPRm6hllOYJsR57IleIxgORvsi1ka4wjFMlrGvx0sX-h-kl6tHLBvzQpHkRsobgKSjtEnIDRIM0Ah82eo3phdDRzuSI4MNRzxBBo30QXSGmUQGP-8NFWHtQMP3drgff8T/s1600/Screenshot+2014-07-18+18.34.48.png" height="320" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was an SOS I got from Grace in the Spring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MIW2nlkqoVjW5UPAesJspxPBp22qcoV3j_qUsD9W3CZ_6mONanPHtQt3InCevPYy7Yw8gMzEtfvfqGBLTiXyqqkMWdtCNQpvnd7q5jltKLt929J5PILR2SPyWRx5XJjeNFf7M6FFd9EJ/s1600/traffic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6MIW2nlkqoVjW5UPAesJspxPBp22qcoV3j_qUsD9W3CZ_6mONanPHtQt3InCevPYy7Yw8gMzEtfvfqGBLTiXyqqkMWdtCNQpvnd7q5jltKLt929J5PILR2SPyWRx5XJjeNFf7M6FFd9EJ/s1600/traffic.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a>More than ever, I've been trying to use <a href="http://mindsetonline.com/" target="_blank">Growth Mindset </a>language. I've been using "<a href="http://www.rundesroom.com/2012/08/quick-and-easy-assessment-strategies.html" target="_blank">traffic light comprehension</a>" with Grace, asking her frequently if she is red, yellow or green light in her understanding, and asking her to really pay attention to her own learning. I'm being careful about the language I'm using, drawing attention to how successful she has been with her persistence and hard work. I'm also making sure that if she doesn't get something, we add the word "yet". I give her lots of time to explore her understandings and allow her misconceptions to "float" out there, merely asking questions that allow her to re-evaluate her own beliefs and re-adjust her understandings. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We've spent three 90 minute lessons just on representing proper fractions using fraction circles, fraction strips, sets, area models and number lines. We compared these representations looking at the connections between them. I've been encouraging Grace to name her learning so that she can see her own growth and take ownership for her understandings. Grace has concluded that:</div>
<div>
- the numerator counts how many parts you have (or are discussing)</div>
<div>
- the denominator tells how parts make up the whole</div>
<div>
- a proper fraction is always less than one</div>
<div>
- in a proper fraction the numerator is always less than the denominator</div>
<div>
- different fractions can represent equivalent amounts e.g. 1/2 is the same as 5/10 which is the same as 0.5</div>
<div>
- the equal sign (=) means "the same as"or "is equivalent to" and not "the answer is..."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDA-oSikC8-OV6prk4ZxV0yxoETD32qByM6GTmbcuBza3u0IBe0nzqqghEIMb9UEr639NyZUmwbDbgpupR3h6gunwzL489GDGpQqqaAQxHOrsgsTzogND6ThGG2yIEE-TeB8EifZx8FIK/s1600/numerator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDA-oSikC8-OV6prk4ZxV0yxoETD32qByM6GTmbcuBza3u0IBe0nzqqghEIMb9UEr639NyZUmwbDbgpupR3h6gunwzL489GDGpQqqaAQxHOrsgsTzogND6ThGG2yIEE-TeB8EifZx8FIK/s1600/numerator.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Grace doesn't have to memorize these things because she came to these understandings on her own. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSPP4CGGddXQOEWBETYzKynDih7KCtkvxpZcTkwaoBPHfYcYiez1STz7-MFG_I_BKFEmBLTK-Gb3E4P16SGK8x-03lqMkG2ThdB0cGM276dtXd1mcbKRtbLmm_aZ3JlxYpUwAKDWHKXCu/s1600/half.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSPP4CGGddXQOEWBETYzKynDih7KCtkvxpZcTkwaoBPHfYcYiez1STz7-MFG_I_BKFEmBLTK-Gb3E4P16SGK8x-03lqMkG2ThdB0cGM276dtXd1mcbKRtbLmm_aZ3JlxYpUwAKDWHKXCu/s1600/half.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
During one lesson while exploring proper fractions Grace said "My teacher kept giving me questions like this: 2/3 = ?/6. I didn't know how to answer those". Those questions had absolutely no meaning for Grace at all. She did not know what the teacher was asking or looking for. I pointed to the number line we had created and how we had divided it up many different ways. I pointed to the half and asked "How many ways could we name this fraction?" She said we could call it "1/2 or 5/10". Then she went to the fraction circles we had on the fridge and said "It's like 1/2 is the same as 2/4 and 3/6". I explained that is what the teacher was asking, that she was asking what fraction with a denominator of 6 was the same size as a fraction of 2/3. All of a sudden the question made complete sense to Grace but she needed to connect the question to a visual representation. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxAze24CIkbgXCKzPeWE8TG6xOflGv4i6ECAYPqCrD2VFpGLB9qrMit2f52POfD8LTnRt4DCYWzmclfNNGjhRMQgno7vhW1hk9E7a7rxyLqpSzr7kIgq38lO0hBiUe26Pii5BcWCgKHAw/s1600/equivalent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxAze24CIkbgXCKzPeWE8TG6xOflGv4i6ECAYPqCrD2VFpGLB9qrMit2f52POfD8LTnRt4DCYWzmclfNNGjhRMQgno7vhW1hk9E7a7rxyLqpSzr7kIgq38lO0hBiUe26Pii5BcWCgKHAw/s1600/equivalent.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Today we began working on improper fractions. I could not believe how quickly she picked it up. I guess it was easy after all the work we had done on proper fractions. Grace had such a deep understanding about the role of the numerator and the denominator she quickly deduced that if the numerator was greater than the denominator we were talking about a fraction greater than one. She had no trouble representing them in any format. Next week I will show her how to write an improper fraction as a mixed number. This should be easy for her to understand since she's already been naming them out loud as "two and a quarter" for example because she can see them pictorially as a combination of wholes and fractions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5nysWiiQ0FlC69m_ELyev0HXQVbhekFeU4O9quRuEpuF1sKI84laPDjEyvxkWMmy-3LuHvD4D9IelrU6sfXcAzvzFaukNSF1V1uKXMy9J33C2irxkiu0LS1Mu3GUz17_Ka_z3hpjwmSv/s1600/improper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5nysWiiQ0FlC69m_ELyev0HXQVbhekFeU4O9quRuEpuF1sKI84laPDjEyvxkWMmy-3LuHvD4D9IelrU6sfXcAzvzFaukNSF1V1uKXMy9J33C2irxkiu0LS1Mu3GUz17_Ka_z3hpjwmSv/s1600/improper.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMo3WkLD0D7ISYBoptsJt0qbZ-Jxpm8q3GYqHeF2sbKX1dkbZvbftTEtrTHyyR604HKUFF4OWjM588hzJNpSeVI4e5dp7VbuEAjeCemYIGOP_EHFaJ0veT7loVk7rlbI732EQclXQsJfMd/s1600/numberline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMo3WkLD0D7ISYBoptsJt0qbZ-Jxpm8q3GYqHeF2sbKX1dkbZvbftTEtrTHyyR604HKUFF4OWjM588hzJNpSeVI4e5dp7VbuEAjeCemYIGOP_EHFaJ0veT7loVk7rlbI732EQclXQsJfMd/s1600/numberline.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Along the way we've been comparing fractions. As we put the fractions on the number line, as we use the fraction circles on the fridge, and as we draw our area models, I'm always asking "What do you notice about these two fractions". Eventually, I will teach Grace about common denominators, but not for a while, not until she has a really solid understanding of fractions, and has an idea of benchmark fractions on a number line so that she can estimate the relative size of a fraction. I want Grace to have many ways to compare fractions. She has already noticed that the larger the denominator, the smaller the fractional piece. I want her to realize that 7/8 is less than 9/10 because each fraction is missing only one piece but the tenths are smaller pieces, so 9/10 represents more. I want her to know that 9/20 is closer to half than 4/10 is, and I want her to know this without having to use a common denominator because she understands fractional parts.<br />
<br />
I'm really enjoying the Jo Boaler MOOC. One thing that Jo said was that intuition is an extremely important part of math competency. I've often thought that having mathematical intuition was a genetic gift - I guess you could say I had a Fixed Mindset about math ability. But Jo has conducted research to show that it is mathematical understanding that helps a person to develop mathematical intuition. And having mathematical intuition, in turn, helps a person to develop their mathematical understandings. Jo Boaler explains it as an iterative process. This makes total sense to me. I'm helping Grace to understand fractions. I'm hoping this will help her develop an intuitive sense about proportional reasoning. Once she has honed this intuition, it will help her solve problems and make sense of problems involving fractions, decimals, percentages, rates, and ratios. It is my goal that Grace sees the connections between all of these beautiful math concepts.<br />
<br />
Graces always texts me before she comes over. I told her I had bought her some fraction circles she could take home. She wrote "Do the fractions stick on the fridge?"She wants some like mine so she can play school at home and use them for math homework. Then she wrote "I can't wait". She clearly loves math, she just doesn't love it at school. Isn't that a shame? <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-10078365671104200982014-06-18T21:24:00.003-07:002014-06-18T21:31:16.391-07:00Getting Your Technology to "Bing"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFz3HivoQApXgTxoN-cCrNMktGkx55p5qo6wF83Z3WeGLUgzNfSE63KGBch5DCwU2SY1OAjJKsEu5TjV2JRsE1IOM5cQxDQAxV1FWadwZCWnqKjM3hl2lxMNVmtJI2e3tXK13FpwCSgcL/s1600/kobo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFz3HivoQApXgTxoN-cCrNMktGkx55p5qo6wF83Z3WeGLUgzNfSE63KGBch5DCwU2SY1OAjJKsEu5TjV2JRsE1IOM5cQxDQAxV1FWadwZCWnqKjM3hl2lxMNVmtJI2e3tXK13FpwCSgcL/s1600/kobo.JPG" height="200" width="170" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Four years ago I got a Kobo for my birthday. I was really excited to have an e-reader, but after downloading my first book, I actually found it kind of hard to read on the Kobo. I had trouble navigating the pages, I'd try to turn the page but instead the menu screen would pop up. Sometimes the screen would freeze on me too. I couldn't figure out how to use the highlight or search features. So, while I read the occasional book on my Kobo, I mostly continued to read conventional books.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then, two years ago, I went on an extended European holiday. Traditional books would be too heavy for my suitcase so I loaded up the Kobo and I've been using it ever since. But the other day I stumbled upon a book titled "<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13227454-the-unlikely-pilgrimage-of-harold-fry" target="_blank">The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry</a>" in a book store; I was so intrigued I bought the book on the spot - in hard copy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Harold did not let me down, it was a great read, but the whole time I was reading it I was quite frustrated. I couldn't highlight or bookmark the pages the way I had finally learned to do with my Kobo. I had also gotten into the habit of emailing favourite quotes I'd highlighted to my friends. I couldn't do that with a traditional book. While reading "Harold Fry" I suddenly realized that all of the things I used to find difficult and frustrating when using the e-reader had now become automatic. I guess it had happened so gradually, that I didn't even notice that I had moved to that level of not just being comfortable with my Kobo, I actually preferred it, and why wouldn't I? I can do much more with the Kobo than with a traditional book. I can search for a line or even a word and find it in seconds and my Kobo tells me exactly how many hours it will take me to finish my book. With my Kobo app on my phone and iPad, I can read my book wherever I happen to be waiting, and it asks if I want to sync my devices so I never have to search for my page.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7jGbZvRemKzFXqX3C-tndV1Ao0Y5N7vAwjnzGB7udoLD2PWUZKgb0orO81CaHssg7k3VjbUXF9h6A3vNp__xSRCcvz1WSHEuXUfWvu0g6aB1v2Fhw-LEo3I6B_SLbm9h393rKUOmcm9M/s1600/book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7jGbZvRemKzFXqX3C-tndV1Ao0Y5N7vAwjnzGB7udoLD2PWUZKgb0orO81CaHssg7k3VjbUXF9h6A3vNp__xSRCcvz1WSHEuXUfWvu0g6aB1v2Fhw-LEo3I6B_SLbm9h393rKUOmcm9M/s1600/book.JPG" height="137" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While reading "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" I had to keep sticking tabs in for my favourite quotes, and I couldn't forward them on through email without first typing them up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
Learning how to use new technology is exactly that - it is learning. Learning can be uncomfortable and it requires lots of practice. With technology, you have to put in enough practice time to develop a level of automaticity and fluency to actually make using the technology worthwhile.<br />
<br />
It is June now, and in the world of Curriculum, it is time to purchase textbooks. I've asked teachers if they would prefer to have a digital text - a text that includes a PDF version kids could download and print if they truly prefer a hard copy, but also includes online quizzes, videos, highlighting features, note-taking features, interactive activities, links to online resources, a calendar, and options for teachers to push notifications through to students. But the teachers I've offered this option to say that they, and their students, prefer to have a traditional text. I couldn't understand at all why.<br />
<br />
Then I thought of me and my Kobo. I actually preferred reading my traditional books at first too. Why? Because I was fluent at reading a book, I could get right to it and there was no new learning involved. But once I made the effort to learn how to use my e-reader, and got over that initial learning hump, I discovered that I preferred to read on my Kobo hands-down. There really was no competition.<br />
<br />
I can remember back in the Seventies my grandmother telling my mom she didn't need an automatic washer, she preferred her wringer washer. I thought she was crazy, but now I realize she was afraid of the effort involved in learning something new.<br />
<br />
Can you imagine using a wringer washer now? Or a rotary dial phone? Or getting up to change the channels on the t.v.? Making the switch to an automatic washer, a remote control, a tablet, a smart phone, all require new learning and are uncomfortable at first. (It took me a year to get comfortable at using the remote to switch from the DVR to my Apple t.v. or the Blue Ray). In the end, making the effort to learn is always worth while!<br />
<br />
Can you teach an old dog new tricks? You sure can. I got this iMessage from my 73 year old mom the other day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjal4Pa-n1sstXfTviY_8Abvh4gjPOOXLTInVe9Mwx-Xso8799cEYXT9RNSFAN2AKlywBkl1qdzbrpTIFJmpLkqRMaXJ0QH96TUtssHos-jo7Qa75XDg4rxmNc93g9o0uyrp_dCsE76v0mX/s1600/message.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjal4Pa-n1sstXfTviY_8Abvh4gjPOOXLTInVe9Mwx-Xso8799cEYXT9RNSFAN2AKlywBkl1qdzbrpTIFJmpLkqRMaXJ0QH96TUtssHos-jo7Qa75XDg4rxmNc93g9o0uyrp_dCsE76v0mX/s1600/message.jpg" height="310" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My mom meant to send this message to her 76 year old sister Eleanor. She was trying to help my aunt turn on her notifications button on the iPad. I think it is a beautiful example of learning made visible and persistence when something is uncomfortable and difficult. I think I owe my love of technology to my mom, she has every new gadget known to man, and won't sleep until she can get her newest gadget up and running, whatever it may be.<br />
<br />
Making the switch to new technologies requires new learning, whether it's moving to a digital text or a Learning Management System. But in the end, we know that the tools and features they provide offer more and better opportunities for our students to learn.<br />
<br />
As a teacher, are you making sure you are keeping up with the new technologies available to help your students get the best learning experience possible?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-19918583439522701602014-06-08T13:18:00.001-07:002014-06-08T18:10:48.033-07:00Professional Learning in the 21st Century<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD02wqUGMeJqV1TagArhzbJcVFZA7m-e7MwU1jltyvcFWjkkONExsF2Vyl7reV1eRQMgzBukqetFjG1W1Hap5M4B5K3oAA-wPQ3Sfpk3TZRUeTcA4g8-VpK3LVZ6hUOXhyRoReDYA_DYv/s1600/conversations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSD02wqUGMeJqV1TagArhzbJcVFZA7m-e7MwU1jltyvcFWjkkONExsF2Vyl7reV1eRQMgzBukqetFjG1W1Hap5M4B5K3oAA-wPQ3Sfpk3TZRUeTcA4g8-VpK3LVZ6hUOXhyRoReDYA_DYv/s1600/conversations.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning through collegial conversations June 5th, 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</blockquote>
Thursday was a good day. I was invited to attend a day of sharing and reflection with teachers who had participated in some action research on 21st Century Teaching and Learning. I got to listen to and take part in some terrific conversations that included more questions than they did answers. I find that exciting. I hope the teachers who attended felt the same way that I did.<br />
<br />
More so than ever, I've been trying hard to pay attention to the impact Professional Development opportunities have on professional learning. I still have a hard time understanding the difference between "Professional Development" and "Professional Learning." I get the feeling that "Professional Development" is something that is <i>done to you </i>and it may or may not result in Professional Learning. I see "Professional Learning" more as something you actively participate in and take ownership for.<br />
<br />
The issue I'm concerned about is that many educators often complain about Professional Development (with good reason). It takes them away from their class and students, often makes them feel incompetent suggesting that they could and should be doing most things differently and better, and can seem irrelevant to what they believe their students need to be successful learners, i.e. they don't buy in. It is not life-giving and it does not often result in positive changes in student learning.<br />
<br />
I've tried hard this year to move away from providing "Professional Development" but rather support teachers in their professional learning. With some schools and with some teachers, I think this has worked out very well. There are many teachers who truly have a learning stance and they welcome opportunities to learn together. But I've also encountered teachers who feel overwhelmed when it is suggested they learn something new, who feel there is no time, no support, and no follow-up.<br />
<br />
We have adopted the <a href="http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf" target="_blank">ISTE standards for students</a> in our board. We want to help our students develop into collaborative and creative problem solvers who use technology in innovative ways to make the world a better place, and who can successfully communicate their ideas with others. It is not enough for them to be consumers of information, we want them to be knowledge creators. But what about our teachers? There are <a href="http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf" target="_blank">ISTE standards for teachers</a> too. As teachers in the 21st Century, we need to facilitate and inspire students' creativity and learning. We need to be comfortable with trying out new technologies that enhance student learning and empower our students to be drivers of their own education. We need to use formative assessment practices to evaluate the impact of our teaching and make adjustments accordingly. We need to teach our students to be metacognitive and set their own goals for learning. To do all of this, we need to engage in continuous professional learning and reflection.<br />
<br />
But so much of the Professional Development we provide for educators uses archaic structures and methodologies. The Power Point presentation just doesn't cut it anymore. If we believe in 21st Century teaching and learning, then those of us providing professional learning opportunities for educators must model what we know are effective teaching and learning practices. If it works for students, I believe it will work for adult learners as well.<br />
<br />
How do we "light a fire" in tired, over-whelmed teachers who are often just trying to keep their heads above water? How do we empower them to be leaders and changers in education? Making the shift to student-driven education can be a huge learning curve, but somehow, if we can convince teachers that the effort up-front will lead not only to improvements in learning for their students but also increased engagement for teachers themselves, perhaps they will buy in and be open to making that shift.<br />
<br />
But the shift is a huge one, and the learning curve, especially for some teachers, can be steep. No, it is not all about the technology, but digital fluency is a big part of helping students become collaborative problem-solvers who communicate beyond the classroom walls. Teachers need to become digitally fluent if they are going to support their students in becoming 21st Century learners. This can be a huge challenge for many teachers, and they need to know that they will be supported in their efforts and that their efforts will be worth while.<br />
<br />
In order to support teachers with this shift, our Professional Development needs to be teacher-driven. We should differentiate the support we provide based on teacher need. It is important to encourage our teachers to be metacognitive, asking them, what do YOU need to learn about in order to be effective in moving toward technology-enabled student-driven eduction? Formative assessment practices, particularly self-assessment practices, are necessary for teachers as well as for students. Teachers need to have a voice in what the professional learning they are engaging in will look like. As leaders, we have to ask, "what is working for you; what isn't working? What do you need me to do differently so that you can be successful?"<br />
<br />
Then we need to model and support teachers in becoming networked learners and provide on-going, "guided" support as they learn. 21st Century teachers are knowledge-builders, establishing parameters for our professional practice, leaders who support and learn from one another.<br />
<br />
It stands to reason that taking a blended learning approach to professional learning is a logical next step for Professional Development and one that I hope to develop next year.<br />
<br />
What would your ideal Professional Learning opportunity look like?<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-38866841439947237492014-05-04T08:28:00.001-07:002014-05-04T12:06:36.009-07:00Using Classroom Conversation to Push the Thinking and Deepen Understanding<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU27BKh3zalfrpHXxWmsWRVMrTVKrHgwGxE6Zfg6cuHr9LECx2t75WiFjroHABk-stPyyM8EUyKJJE87irg7t3VDfMnNqm6CE-7N6PVChOLIPOxgazq_LoB_HUAsAg2e1HgtPzu-SPH7Zt/s1600/Kids+talking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU27BKh3zalfrpHXxWmsWRVMrTVKrHgwGxE6Zfg6cuHr9LECx2t75WiFjroHABk-stPyyM8EUyKJJE87irg7t3VDfMnNqm6CE-7N6PVChOLIPOxgazq_LoB_HUAsAg2e1HgtPzu-SPH7Zt/s1600/Kids+talking.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px;">CC licensed photo shared by Flickr user <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/santea/" target="_blank">Alexander Lyubavin</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am a huge believer in Assessment for and Assessment as Learning. In fact, I would go so far as to argue that it is Formative Assessment practices that are the game changer in education. I think it is paramount that in the 21st Century, we help students to develop into critical thinkers who are able to assess their own understandings and abilities. When they can do this accurately, they can set goals for themselves and take steps towards deepening their understandings and skills.</div>
<br />
That is why it is so important to reflect on the way we are currently giving feedback to our students and encouraging them to give feedback to one another.<br />
<br />
I don't believe in formulaic responses, not for responses to reading (please, no more "A.P.E." or "Point, Prove, Comment") and not for responding to someone else's work. I think "two stars and a wish" might have been a good place to start, but the more I read students' "stars and wishes" for their peers' work, the more I feel we are straying from the point of the exercise.<br />
<br />
I fully admit, I used "two stars and a wish" with my own students. But over time I started to feel deep down that this wasn't achieving the goal I had set out for. It first really hit me when I was having my students do a "<a href="https://rainesteachingresources.wikispaces.com/Writing+Resources" target="_blank">Write Around</a>" which I had learned about from Harvey Daniels. (Click on link for full instructions). In a Write Around, students write a response or an opinion to something they have read or viewed, and then they pass their response to the person beside them. That person must then comment on what the first person has written, and then pass the notebook on again. The notebook then gets passed to a third person, who must comment on both the original response and their predecessor's comment. It is a great way to teach your students to dialogue, to push one another's thinking through questioning and extending. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, my students were writing things like "good job telling the main idea, and your printing is so neat, next time try to add more detail." How was this pushing anyone's thinking? I have seen this time and time again in my travels as a Consultant. Teachers teach their students to "assess" their peers' work and provide them with feedback using "hearts and arrows" or "stars and wishes" without really teaching students WHY exactly they are doing this. Isn't it to push one another's thinking? <br />
<br />
One of the most difficult aspects of teaching is assessing student work, putting a name to what makes one piece better than another and giving feedback that truly tells the student what to do next to improve. I think it is important to help our students develop a nose for quality, and I think it is important that we teach our students self-assessment and peer-assessment strategies. But we must not confuse "assessment" with "evaluation". We need to teach our students how to use DESCRIPTIVE words rather than EVALUATIVE words when giving one another feedback. That means WE as teachers need to learn the difference first, and monitor what WE say when we are providing feedback. To truly develop a community of learners that push and extend one another's thinking we will gain more if we focus less on asking students to give "hearts and arrows" or "stars and wishes" to one another and more on teaching them how to converse with and challenge one another.<br />
<br />
I love this Ministry monograph on <a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Grand_Conversations_Junor.pdf" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Grand Conversation in the Junior Classroom.</a><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>We need to teach our students how to converse with one another in a way that pushes their thinking and makes their learning visible to themselves and others. We need to teach them to address one another's misconceptions, to question discrepant events and ideas, and to seek clarity from one another.<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;"><br /></b>
I would far prefer to hear a student say "That doesn't make sense to me, why did you put the decimal there?" than "Good job solving that problem, your graph uses a proper scale, just remember to use labels." Students need to challenge and build on one another's ideas. They need to be making comments that push their peers for clarity, "I can't tell who's talking in this paragraph, is it the mother or the kid?" or "I don't see how you went from this step to this one, I got a completely different solution, I think you missed a step." Instead of "Great job using humour" how about "I cracked up when I read the part about the dog in the spaceship, it was hilarious!"<br />
<br />
The first step in teaching your students how to think critically and converse critically with one another is to sit back and listen to them; less teacher talk, and more student-to-student talk. What do you notice? What types of things are they picking up on? What types of questions are they asking one another? Are they even asking one another questions? Pay attention to how they converse, and then bring it to their attention, making their conversation visible. Try video-taping them, and then analyzing the video together. Challenge them, "Why did you say that to her?", "What else would you like to ask him?", "Do you understand his work now?" Monitor what you say to your students, model for them by challenging them and seeking clarity from them. Teach them to paraphrase, "So what you are saying is...". If you need help, read the monograph. And then together, with your students, establish the criteria for having a critical conversation.<br />
<br />
Let me know how it goes!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-84907078249875048072014-04-14T12:43:00.000-07:002015-03-06T08:16:53.210-08:00Making the Shift to “Conditions Necessary for Success”<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">From an historical perspective, our public
education system is in its infancy, and inclusive education is something new.
During the 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> centuries, the family was the
basic unit where socialization and education took place. Families were dependent upon the economic
contributions of their children. Any
formal education in Canada during that time was the responsibility of religious
orders and its focus was on catechism. In the early 19<sup>th</sup> century,
the idea of formalized schooling began to gain some popularity. With the advent of new and massive
immigration along with the move from a rural to an industrialized society
during the mid-1800’s, the push for public education became more prevalent.
Legislation for Special Education only began to take root in the latter half of
the 20<sup>th</sup> century. For more information, please see: "<a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/history-of-education/" target="_blank">History of Education</a>".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t202"
coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="202" path="m,l,21600r21600,l21600,xe">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Text_x0020_Box_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1027"
type="#_x0000_t202" style='position:absolute;margin-left:306pt;margin-top:141.25pt;
width:180pt;height:57pt;z-index:251660288;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;
mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text;v-text-anchor:top' o:gfxdata="UEsDBBQABgAIAAAAIQC75UiUBQEAAB4CAAATAAAAW0NvbnRlbnRfVHlwZXNdLnhtbKSRvU7DMBSF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" stroked="f">
<v:textbox style='mso-fit-shape-to-text:t' inset="0,0,0,0">
<![if !mso]>
<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%">
<tr>
<td><![endif]>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>
<span lang=EN-US>Note: </span><i><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;
border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0cm;padding:
0cm;background:white'>Note: This image was adapted by OEHR from the
original graphic:<br>
</span></i><span lang=EN-US><a
href="http://indianfunnypicture.com/img/2013/01/Equality-Doesnt-Means-Justice-Facebook-Pics.jpg"><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#2289A8;
border:none windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-alt:none windowtext 0cm;padding:
0cm;background:white;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>http://indianfunnypicture.com/img/2013/01/Equality-Doesnt-Means-Justice-Facebook-Pics.jpg</span></a></span><span
lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoCaption>
<span lang=EN-US style='mso-no-proof:yes'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<![if !mso]></td>
</tr>
</table>
<![endif]></v:textbox>
<w:wrap type="tight"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:306pt;margin-top:1.05pt;width:180pt;
height:135.7pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;
mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;
mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\bouloslo\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg"
o:title=""/>
<w:wrap type="tight"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So while education often looks to be a
static institution, it is actually an evolving entity that responds to the
changing cultural forces in society. As
we move forward in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, it is my firm hope that we will
no longer require a distinction for “Special Education” but rather, the focus
will be on accessible learning for all students; i.e. the focus will be on
“equity” rather than “equality”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dwkei-c-jBCLsjcMLDyZPeYocKf6OdA-dxEllTtvcga0u_j9VPa2Z2PNhMEV14yTWsIpkbwQFZHD6nN6Z5FGgF08kP6gupcPXjjoujKpkTakXj-esU-SbSi-0OJKP4rt6XYLb5n7rlVk/s1600/equality+vs+equity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dwkei-c-jBCLsjcMLDyZPeYocKf6OdA-dxEllTtvcga0u_j9VPa2Z2PNhMEV14yTWsIpkbwQFZHD6nN6Z5FGgF08kP6gupcPXjjoujKpkTakXj-esU-SbSi-0OJKP4rt6XYLb5n7rlVk/s1600/equality+vs+equity.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; padding: 0cm;">Note: This image was adapted by OEHR from the original
graphic:<br />
</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://indianfunnypicture.com/img/2013/01/Equality-Doesnt-Means-Justice-Facebook-Pics.jpg"><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #2289a8; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://indianfunnypicture.com/img/2013/01/Equality-Doesnt-Means-Justice-Facebook-Pics.jpg</span></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Currently, to support and guarantee just
treatment for our identified students we use Individualized Education
Plans. But educators of the 21<sup>st</sup>
century must acknowledge the uniqueness of all individuals and recognize that instruction
and assessment should be tailored, or individualized, for ALL students. Hattie’s research indicates that labeling
students with an identification actually impacts their achievement
negatively. <i>How much better education would be if we could do away with labels, and
start focusing rather on the conditions necessary for success for each of our
students!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Teaching and learning in the 21<sup>st</sup>
century is shifting to a focus on Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment AS
Learning practices. With this shift to
formative assessment, education will be learning-driven as opposed to
achievement-driven. 21<sup>st</sup>
century teaching and learning will be student-centered and begin with student
assets and needs, thus making the IEP and formal identification superfluous. 21<sup>st</sup>
century teaching and learning will make accessible to students the technology
and teaching practices necessary for learning to take place and for all
students to meet, and yes, even exceed their current potential. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-56460492772244323422014-04-01T19:34:00.000-07:002014-04-01T19:34:00.271-07:00Why Are You Blending?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKjuU7hBOPDYdbs1OM_OkIcrKJC2wWnqbq0o2uZla7-vxhmr84jOdVak81rIM-Tt8Rm8TplxRol9sH1H2w1G2P6C9obTfG85R2lY7dK5mGWoopjgAegzIiQXE8IsuknA9Nef0rYeEO_fC/s1600/On-the-Rise-Logo-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKjuU7hBOPDYdbs1OM_OkIcrKJC2wWnqbq0o2uZla7-vxhmr84jOdVak81rIM-Tt8Rm8TplxRol9sH1H2w1G2P6C9obTfG85R2lY7dK5mGWoopjgAegzIiQXE8IsuknA9Nef0rYeEO_fC/s1600/On-the-Rise-Logo-3.png" height="141" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today I attended the <i>On the Rise K-12: Enhancing Digital Learning Conference</i>. It was a great experience, and I met some really passionate people that I was truly inspired by. One such person was <a href="http://aperrotta.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Anthony Perrotta</a>. He led a session on Student Voices.<br />
<br />
This year, some of our Secondary teachers were provided a new digital resource to support learning for an Applied-level course. The resource is really a digital text, with animations, applets, videos, bookmarking features, note-taking features, a calendar, quiz tools, etc. Basically, it is essentially a Learning Management System, not just the e-text teachers were expecting to get.<br />
<br />
The feedback on this resource has been pretty mixed. While the teachers are seeing some merits to having this e-resource, they are also finding that perhaps we targeted the wrong students. It has been suggested that students in an Academic course, who are perhaps more self-motivated might benefit more from this resource. Overall, some of the teachers felt that the students in the Applied stream work better with a traditional text and traditional handouts.<br />
<br />
I was surprised by this feedback. I believed that students who often struggle with dense text and who lack organizational skills would benefit from a blended learning environment. But after today, I realized that not all blended learning environments are created equally. Just because we provide teachers with digital tools does not mean that they will change their teaching practice. The tools are only helpful if we choose to use them to teach differently. <br />
<br />
A blended learning environment is not beneficial to all students all of the time. Anthony Parrotta reminded me that it's not the Learning Management System or the technology or even the "blending" that makes school engaging and motivates students. It's about using the technology and digital tools to permit our students to be the drivers of their own education. When we provide teachers with new technology, we have an obligation to provide them with support that will help them consider how they can use those tools to teach differently. There is no point in using a 21st century tool in a 20th century way. <br />
<br />
For blended learning to positively impact our students, both teachers and students need to take on new roles in education. The teacher needs to become a co-learner in the classroom. Teachers and students need to be jointly responsible for the knowledge building that happens in the classroom. This is a huge shift in paradigm for many of our teachers <u>and</u> our students; they need time and opportunities to discuss what this means and what it would look like in their classrooms. <br />
<br />
Anthony said "Student voice is grounded in ownership". I firmly believe, I in fact KNOW from experience, that ALL students can take ownership for their learning when explicitly taught how to do so and given the tools they need to be successful. Digital technology can not only engage our students, it can empower them to be active participants in their learning rather than passive recipients of information.<br />
<br />
Teachers need support to know how to teach this to their students. It is not enough to teach our students content knowledge. We have to teach them how to be learners. The power of a Learning Management System is not in its ability to provide students with online content and its not in its ability to grade students or even for them to easily submit their assignments to a dropbox. The power of a blended learning environment is in its ability to put students in the driver's seat, to empower them to become collaborators in their own learning, and to choose who they would like to connect with to share that learning and how they would like to share it.<br />
<br />
How are you using a blended learning format to ignite a passion for learning in your students?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-12909669513733988422014-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:002014-03-22T08:33:53.452-07:00Empowering Students Through Blended Learning<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYHy6mfVFe2ZCg2l0yLS5nmsPEc_44gZ4961kJ119SBb_Tft2jZs6MWVUg85oeGFwzRM44Gxp99us6ZtIo8yH3XF-aYp9myykIeqMrOv4pLzMnuP6CrcrGEtSrnlY9C5EQROmCFvDU6kI/s1600/On-the-Rise-Logo-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYHy6mfVFe2ZCg2l0yLS5nmsPEc_44gZ4961kJ119SBb_Tft2jZs6MWVUg85oeGFwzRM44Gxp99us6ZtIo8yH3XF-aYp9myykIeqMrOv4pLzMnuP6CrcrGEtSrnlY9C5EQROmCFvDU6kI/s1600/On-the-Rise-Logo-3.png" height="88" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Last year, I used the Ministry's Learning Management System to teach my Grade 6 class through a Blended Learning format. It was the most exciting and inspirational year of my teaching career to date. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next week, my friend and colleague, Penny, will be joining me to present our experiences in using the D2L Learning Management System with our Elementary students at the <b><a href="http://www.otrk12.ca/" target="_blank">On The Rise K-12 Conference</a>.</b> Preparing for this presentation has fired me up once again with the excitement that I experienced last year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think Education is one of the most exciting professions that exists. My motto is: <i>If I'm not having fun, then my kids are not having fun.</i> And if my kids are not having fun, they are not learning to their potential. If they are not thoroughly engaged and inspired, if they are not "lost" in the learning, they are not learning deeply enough. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I began to use the D2L with my students, incredible things started to happen. My students began to take ownership for their own learning! Having a Science background, I approach every new experience as an experiment. I have often commented on the fact that I see the classroom as a laboratory. Using the D2L then, was just one great big experiment, and as is always the case in Science, in order to learn, we need to make observations and collect data to definitively determine the impact of the changes we make to the environment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had hypothesized that using a Blended Learning format would positively impact student achievement as measured by report card marks and EQAO scores. For the vast majority of my students (but not all), this was the outcome I achieved. But what I hadn't anticipated, was the impact the tools in the D2L would have on my students' Learning Skills. With the exception of one student, the kids in my class became more self-directed and took greater ownership for their learning using the tools found in the D2L. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I began to notice this shift in their Learning Skills, especially their collaboration, communication and self-regulation, I had to pause and think why is this change happening? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What hit home for me was the the impact of the Assessment For and As Learning practices, (or what I prefer to generally refer to as Formative Assessment practices), that we implemented in the classroom and how the tools in the D2L supported those practices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Last year, I really tried to change the format of discussion in my classroom from Teacher - Student - Teacher to Teacher - Student - Student - Student. But we found old habits are hard to break. It was easier to develop this flow of discussion using the Discussion tools in the D2L. Not only that, but we could go back to the Discussion threads and USE THEM as formative assessment. We could look at our conversations, and talk about how could we have said that differently to extend our peer's thinking or to gain a deeper understanding into their thinking, or how we could have expressed our thoughts more clearly. As a teacher, I could look at the conversations my students were having and know so much more about what they understood and what they didn't understand so as to tailor my instruction more expertly to meet their needs. I was able to find patterns in their misconceptions that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think the other thing that led to the change was the fact that I could provide my students with more immediate feedback. They used the paging tools regularly to let me know when they were struggling with concepts. Students told me that they were more comfortable asking me questions through the D2L than aloud in class because no one but me knew that they were struggling. However, as the year progressed, and they saw the positive impact their questioning was having on their learning, they began to ask the questions in class as well, and more excitingly, they began to answer one another's questions while I sat back and took on the role of observer rather than expert.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">They started to pay greater attention to what helped them learn and what didn't help them learn. Their communication to me changed from "<i>I don't get it</i>" to explaining to me exactly what they were having difficulty with "<i>I don't get how you know whether you have to multiply or divide the decimal when converting to different units</i>" to eventually saying "<i>I watched the video to see how you solved it, but I solved it a completely different way, and my way is easier and works too because I got the same answer as you did</i>". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My students began to take ownership for one another's learning as well and truly became a community of learners to the point that they were letting me know which videos I had posted were helpful to their learning, and which ones weren't. They would search for alternative videos and additional links and urge me to share them with the class because they felt their peers needed to see them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Using the tools in the D2L, my students were making their thinking visible. They became more metacognitive and paid attention to their learning. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Blended Learning format gave my students a voice, and they learned to use that voice. They were empowered, and teaching doesn't get any more exciting than that!</span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-1602307372965002862014-03-19T11:26:00.000-07:002014-03-19T11:26:55.133-07:00What's in a Blog?I haven't blogged since the fall. I really don't know why, but I've been missing it terribly. Last night, I joined #etmchat on Twitter. I'm so happy I did. #etmchat is a hashtag used by people who participated in last year's ETMOOC, (Educational Technology Massive Open Online Course).<br />
<br />
To see some of our conversation, click <a href="http://storify.com/Lenandlar/etmchat-on-blogging?utm_source=t.co&awesm=sfy.co_pRPW&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_campaign=" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
It was so nice to chat again with members of a wonderful PLN (Personal Learning Network); and their thought-provoking questions and tweets really got me to think about why I blog, what blogging does for me, and why I haven't blogged in such a long while.<br />
<br />
I think different people blog for different reasons, but I can only speak for myself. I blog because it helps me to think. As you may, or may not know, this year I'm in a new role. I no longer have a classroom of my own. <br />
<br />
Last night, I started worrying that perhaps the fact that I haven't been blogging indicates that I haven't been thinking! YIKES!<br />
<br />
Mostly, over the last few months, I've been blaming my lack of inspiration on the loss of my students. I felt I needed to be inspired by the kids; it is from them that I gain wisdom.<br />
<br />
But if I'm really honest with myself, I think I haven't been blogging because sometimes I worry that maybe it is best to edit myself. Should I be sharing my thinking "out loud" even when it is not entirely positive? I realized suddenly that this has been my dilemma. I am LOVING my job, and have been working with and meeting some amazing people. I feel truly blessed. But not all of it is positive and I guess that is the rub. <br />
<br />
I find I am in a delicate balancing act where I am on the one hand working hard to build positive, collaborative relationships, but on the other hand, am also trying to apply some gentle pressure to get people to shift their thinking. It is challenging, but it is also energizing and exciting. I'm just not so sure how wise it is to blog about it!<br />
<br />
In analysing my current drought, I stumbled upon a blog post by Beth Kanter. It is titled<a href="http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2006/10/blogging_in_the.html" target="_blank"> Nonprofit Blogging in the Workplace: Apologies or Permission? </a>It thrilled me to see that someone else had put into words exactly what I had been struggling with but was having so much difficulty to name. To quote her blog, I have been wrestling with what I should and should not write, so it became easier to simply not write. Last night, however, thanks to the #etmchat Twitter chat, I realized that not blogging is not a solution! Blogging is cathartic for me, and maybe, just maybe, someone else needs to read what I write.<br />
<br />
Late into the night last night, I sat with my iPad in bed, and jotted down all of the thoughts I've been curating for the last five months using my trusty Evernote. It felt so GOOD to let it all loose! Evernote is my Pensieve for those of you who are Harry Potter fans.<br />
<br />
<b>Dumbledore: "</b><i>I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Harry: </b><i>"You mean... that stuff's your thoughts?"</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Dumbledore: </b><i>"Certainly."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<dd style="background-color: black; border: 0px; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 1px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></dd><br />
I'm hoping to share my thoughts on 21st Century Learning in subsequent posts in the very near future, so long as I can manage to do it delicately. Stay tuned. I hope you'll come along for the ride.<br />
<br />
If you are thinking of taking up blogging yourself, here are some useful tips and ideas from Evernote <a href="https://www.evernote.com/shard/s4/sh/aaf740e1-4e74-4a70-b3cf-594f0b44690e/bad0d718c17197cddebfb8ca0010757e" target="_blank">About Blogging. </a><br />
<br />
<h3 class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 5px;">
<br /></h3>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-23363053541727309062013-11-17T14:42:00.000-08:002013-11-17T14:42:55.651-08:00What's Wrong With How We Are Teaching Math?<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i>Ontario needs to improve teacher training in math, the province’s Education Minister has said in response to standardized test results that revealed students are losing ground in the subject for the fifth year in a row.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">CAROLINE ALPHONSO AND </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/adrian-morrow" style="color: red; font-size: small; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Go to ADRIAN MORROW’s author page">ADRIAN MORROW</a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/ontario-testing-shows-dip-in-student-math-skills-for-fifth-year-in-a-row/article13996303/" target="_blank">The Globe and Mail</a><br />Published <time datetime="2013-31-28T15:08:50Z" pubdate="" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wednesday, Aug. 28 2013, 11:31 AM EDT</time></span><br />
<time datetime="2013-31-28T15:08:50Z" pubdate="" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></time>
It seems all eyes are focused on Junior Math in our schools this Fall. Everyone is asking, why are our scores dropping in Math? <br />
<br />
For the last several years, the Education Ministry has been encouraging teachers to <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/math2/videocliplibteachingthroughpromlemsolving.html" target="_blank">teach Math through problem-solving using a three-part lesson.</a> This mandate is grounded in research. In our board, like many others, our Elementary teachers have been involved in the CIL-M (Collaborative Inquiry and Learning in Math) meaning they have been learning together, through a co-planning, co-teaching, debriefing model to learn how to teach Math through-problem solving using a 3-part lesson. <br />
<br />
So why have the scores been dropping? Over and over again I hear teachers saying "So, when are we going to admit that the 3-part lesson doesn't work?" And I hear parents saying "Teachers need to go back to teaching the basics. They need to teach Math the way I was taught." <br />
<br />
Are they right? I've been thinking about this question a lot lately, and I have to say "NO!" The 3-part lesson and teaching through problem-solving WORKS and it is the best method for helping students to develop deep conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas. So, if I am right, why haven't we seen the scores improve in Junior Math on our EQAO Assessments?<br />
<br />
I have several theories that might explain why the scores are not improving. I believe that our lack of improvement is actually the result of several factors. <br />
<br />
1. <b>Teachers have not fully bought into the 3-part lesson and teaching through problem-solving</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What I have noticed during many of our co-teaching sessions is that teachers have a really difficult time "giving up the floor". The first part of the 3-part lesson, which should be a 15 minute introduction or "Minds On" tends to go on for closer to a half hour of straight teacher talk. This is because old habits are difficult to break and teachers don't fully trust that the learning should and will come out during the third part of the lesson, the Consolidation. They feel that they have to provide students with enough information at the beginning of the lesson for them to be successful in solving the problem during the "Action" portion of the lesson. They run out of time in their lesson, and the Consolidation ends up being only 5 minutes long, if it takes place at all. So while on paper, the plan looks like a 3-part lesson, what is happening in the classroom is much closer to traditional teaching.</li>
<li>Some teachers see the 3-part lesson and teaching through problem-solving as a "Friday" activity and teach traditional methods during the rest of the week.</li>
<li>Teachers did not choose to be a part of the CIL-M, they were told to be a part of it. I've asked many people to explain what their "inquiry" in Math is about and they don't even seem to know that they are inquiring about anything. I've also asked "What is the goal of your PD session today?" I've yet to meet a teacher who is a part of the CIL-M who can answer that question. They are attending as a form of compliance not because they are hoping to learn something new. Just like our students can be compliant with a learning task without knowing or understanding the learning goal, so can our teachers!</li>
</ul>
<div>
2. <b>In order for teaching through problem-solving to work effectively, teachers have to be excellent at formative assessment</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>In order for teaching through-problem solving to work, the problems have to be in a student's zone of proximal development. This can only happen if the teacher has good assessment for learning practices and knows exactly what his/her students are ready to learn next. The teacher has to differentiate for students at different places on the Math learning continuum. </li>
<li>Teachers need to be able to determine, through assessment and making learning visible, what students misconceptions are so that they can address them. This leads to very tailored, explicit instruction, but again, requires that the teacher is an expert at formative assessment practices. </li>
</ul>
<div>
3. <b>Teachers have to themselves have an excellent understanding of the Math Curriculum </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Many of our teachers lack confidence in teaching Math. They don't consider themselves experts in Math, and struggle to identify the "Big Ideas". Teachers today were taught Math by traditional methods; many of them only have rote learning of mathematical algorithms, and don't have deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Here is a small example of what I mean: how would you compare 6/7 to 7/8? When I ask teachers this question, they automatically begin to create equivalent fractions using common denominators. That's because they don't truly understand fractions. They should be able to see that each fraction is one piece away from a whole, and the eighths are smaller pieces than the sevenths so 7/8 is the larger fraction. </li>
</ul>
<div>
So what do we need to do about this? Well we need to acknowledge that we have a problem of practice. And saying that we are going to teach Math through problem solving isn't going to truly address that problem. We need to dig deeper, be more specific. What do we have to change about our teaching practice to address this learning deficit in Math?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think we need to do the following:</div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;">
<li>We need to assess our students' mathematical understandings BEFORE we begin a unit of study, but we also need to assess them along the way to determine if we are having an impact. We need to be responsive to our students' needs. In order to do this effectively, teachers need to develop their formative assessment strategies. I like Dylan Wiliam's <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Embedded-Formative-Assessment-Dylan-Wiliam/dp/193400930X" target="_blank"><i>Embedded</i> <i>Formative Assessment</i> </a>and our Ministry's <a href="http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer2/" target="_blank">AER Gains</a> site for professional development on formative assessment.</li>
<li>We need to develop our questioning strategies to provoke thinking, elicit misconceptions, and scaffold student learning to address misconceptions</li>
<li>We need to use rich multi-step problems that are open-ended or have multiple paths to a solution; that way students have multiple entry points. Dr. Marian Small's resources help teachers to develop rich problems that address the Big Ideas and common misunderstandings that students have. Here's a <a href="http://www.nelson.com/bigideas/documents/Marian%20Big%20Ideas%20K-3.pdf" target="_blank">PDF</a> that shares Marian's teaching strategies for focusing on the Big Ideas in Math through open tasks. </li>
<li>We need to explicitly teach accountable talk in the Math classroom using prompts to promote student-to-student discourse and discussion. Cathy Marks Krpan's <i><a href="http://www.pearsoncanadaschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1oC9&PMDBSUBCATEGORYID=&PMDBSITEID=2621&PMDBSUBSOLUTIONID=&PMDBSOLUTIONID=25862&PMDBSUBJECTAREAID=&PMDBCATEGORYID=25878&PMDbProgramID=99621&elementType=asset&elementID=Custom%20Bucket%201" target="_blank">Math Expressions </a></i>is a great resource to help teachers develop student thinking and problem solving through communication. </li>
<li>We need to make Math concrete. Students can't understand the abstract until they understand the concrete. We have to stop saying,"Here are the manipulatives if you need them." No student wants to say they need something others don't. We need to say, "Use these manipulatives to prove your solution." Students who are using an algorithm but don't have conceptual understanding will be forced to explore what the concepts really mean. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Teachers can learn along with their students, but they can also learn with their colleagues through a co-plan, co-teach and debrief model. Teachers need to get together to look at curriculum expectations along side their student needs before they develop problems. Once they know what their students need to learn, together they can develop rich problems or activities for their students. They need to moderate student work together to establish what they now know about what each student knows and can do, and where each student needs to go next in order to achieve the learning goals. We need to be intentional in everything that we do!<br />
<br />
But most importantly, teachers need to recognize that every classroom is a laboratory, and every lesson is an experiment. We formulate a hypothesis, "if I teach this concept this way, the children will be able to ...." and like any good scientist, we need to observe the reaction; what are students doing? What are students saying? Then we judge the evidence. Were we effective? What impact did we have on student learning? If we're not effective, we have to create a new hypothesis and determine how to fine tune our teaching to meet the needs of the students in front of us. </div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-13905036151419992722013-09-28T18:03:00.000-07:002013-09-30T17:38:58.231-07:00Why Are We Looking at This Data?!?<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://A9960293-10E3-4797-806A-598B2D872991/image.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOnAzTZImv-7gvTodtkhXpVbOJ1g-I-cVZMvz_Mwo0BO0j3z3T6cVsJQdfyXq5faCwRHgfVxEmzkOCTk7xRBk69BoJ2l64OGVV7AZjVM0pHnDQ1bwF6toCmlL1I_qOEAfvE-o1hi96diP/s1600/EQAO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOnAzTZImv-7gvTodtkhXpVbOJ1g-I-cVZMvz_Mwo0BO0j3z3T6cVsJQdfyXq5faCwRHgfVxEmzkOCTk7xRBk69BoJ2l64OGVV7AZjVM0pHnDQ1bwF6toCmlL1I_qOEAfvE-o1hi96diP/s400/EQAO.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Percentage of Students at Level 3 and 4<br />
EQAO School Report September 18, 2013<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last year was my first year back in the classroom after working as an Instructional Coach for two years. I really tried to put into practice all of the strategies I had read and learned about. It was a wonderful year, the best year of my teaching career thus far. My students and I had a blast. In comparing assessments from September to June, I truly believed that my teaching had had a positive impact on my students' learning. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then the EQAO scores came out. I was crushed! I fully recognized that the Junior EQAO Literacy and Numeracy Assessments really are just one type of assessment and can't possibly validly assess all that my students had learned over the past year. My students had learned to work collaboratively to solve problems, share their thinking, and connect with others outside of their classroom to learn authentically from the world around them. How can EQAO possibly assess that? But still, I believed that all of those experiences would have had a positive impact on their ability to be successful on the paper/pencil EQAO test. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That's probably because one of my very favourite books is "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day" by Dr. Seuss (with the help of Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith). In fact, I have always read it to my Grade Six students on the first day of school. In case you are unfamiliar with it, I've included a YouTube video of the story. Basically, at Diffendoofer School, the students learn differently, and while they never prepare for the high-stakes test, they are more than ready for it because of their unconventional learning. Oh - you've just got to watch it - it's still one of my very favourites!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/36kBn5ZOJuI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So in my new role as a Curriculum Consultant I was recently at one of the schools I support conducting an Item Analysis of the EQAO data for the Primary and Junior Divisions. Together with the School Improvement Team, we analyze the EQAO data to determine our students' needs because our student needs tell us where we, as teachers, need to focus our learning. It is very public knowledge that the scores for Math in the Junior Division across the province are dismally low. Why? One of the teachers conducting the Item Analysis with me said "We've been asked to use the 3-Part Lesson in Math and to teach through Problem Solving. When are we going to accept defeat and acknowledge that it doesn't work?"<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
And for the first time I had doubts. I doubted the efficacy of teaching Math through collaborative problem-solving because of the low scores in my own school in Junior Math. Had I been wrong? Could everything I had been espousing been incorrect? I couldn't answer that teacher's question; I couldn't blog - I felt like a fraud.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I needed to take a hard look at the data from the school in which I had taught. What could that data tell me? What couldn't it tell me? When we look at the data, we don't only look at the Achievement or Outcome data. We also have to look at the Contextual or Demographic Data as well as the Perceptual Data. That is why we shouldn't ever rank schools. We have a Community Living Classroom in our school and those students are not physically able to participate in EQAO but they are still counted in the overall scores. We also have a very high ELL population and sometimes have to exempt students who arrive from non-English speaking countries only weeks before testing. When we looked at the percentages of participating students, our results were a bit better. When I looked at the scores for my class alone the data looked even better still. 78% of the students in my class achieved benchmark levels in Math. Of course, when you are talking about only 22 students, it is difficult to talk in percentages, but I was relieved none the less. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am tired of hearing "these kids can't" and want to prove that these kids most definitely CAN! Last year I became convinced that Carol Dweck was correct in her theory on <a href="http://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/index.html" target="_blank">mindsets</a>. Basically, she says we can have a <i>growth mindset</i>, where we believe accomplishments are a product of hard work and dedication, or we can have a <i>fixed mindset</i> where we believe intelligence is a fixed entity that can't be changed. Dweck's research demonstrated that teachers who have a growth mindset are better able to motivate and engage their students. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Why do I pour over EQAO data? Because it is one of the best tools we have in this province to reflect on our impact on student learning. I think my class' EQAO data proves Dweck is correct. Here's a concrete example. I had one student who struggled all year in Math. Early on in the year, she told me she didn't like Math (Perceptual Data). When I asked her why not, she explained that when she had been in Grade One her teacher had told her she didn't have a brain for Math. I told her her Grade One teacher was wrong, and I would prove it. A couple of days ago, I called her at home to celebrate her level 3 on the Math EQAO scores. She said, "So does that mean I <i>am </i>good at Math?" I answered, "It means you can be good at anything you want to be!"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So why are the Junior Math scores so low in our province?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a theory about the Math. Traditionally, teachers have always taught the Math lesson to the whole class, then assign a set of questions from the text, and then take up the questions with the whole class. This teaching strategy has a certain level of effectiveness. I believe teaching Math through collaborative Problem-Solving is more effective BUT ONLY IF THE TEACHER IS GOOD AT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT. If the teacher is teaching through Problem-Solving but does not begin with Assessment FOR Learning, the impact on achievement is lower than the impact of teaching with the text book. I was able to positively impact my students' learning because I started by finding out what they already knew and what misconceptions they had; then I worked toward closing gaps and correcting misconceptions. This style of teaching does not work if you don't first teach your students how to communicate their thinking in Math. You have to ask the right questions to elicit their understandings. You have to know the significance of what they are saying. If you only ask for an answer, you have no idea how they got there!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During one of the Item Analysis meetings at one of my schools, two of the primary teachers were discussing the following exemplar from the released EQAO Math scoring guides. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEica73jbMvIJd6e92QubwxpK2AjKFjVbzqLyPCRsiUvo5eZy-egEcDjNlb2xjwX-YvCbXHRJA4_v_P3pHtxC6Vbk8MOveTCh9c70D24FSSqAeJvj000224NU5Fc8k2bltnQZc6hp47ArmpQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-29+at+11.35.31+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEica73jbMvIJd6e92QubwxpK2AjKFjVbzqLyPCRsiUvo5eZy-egEcDjNlb2xjwX-YvCbXHRJA4_v_P3pHtxC6Vbk8MOveTCh9c70D24FSSqAeJvj000224NU5Fc8k2bltnQZc6hp47ArmpQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-09-29+at+11.35.31+AM.png" width="283" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They were having an excellent discussion about whether or not this should be considered a level 3 response. (By the EQAO scoring system, is was considered a level 30 response). We ended up discussing what the work told us about the child's understanding of the Math concepts. Did the child in fact use critical and creative thinking to solve this problem? What does this child's solution tell us about his/her understanding of Math concepts? Are we just looking for the right answer? Or are we assessing the child's level of understanding?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We need to know the kids that we are teaching. We need to know what they know and what they can do. We have to give them multiple opportunities to explore Math concepts until they develop deep understanding of these concepts. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As long as EQAO is out there, I will be pouring over that data, analyzing it, trying to determine what pieces we are missing and how we can do it better. The current scores in Junior Math tell me that we still need to learn a lot more about how students learn Math. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a fantasy that one day we will live in a world where no one ever says "Oh, I'm not a Math person, I've never been good at Math."</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://A9960293-10E3-4797-806A-598B2D872991/image.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="webkit-fake-url://A9960293-10E3-4797-806A-598B2D872991/image.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-29832893493658808972013-07-19T11:23:00.000-07:002013-07-19T11:23:05.394-07:00Being Reflective Practitioners <h3>
<span style="color: blue;"><i>"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow..."</i></span> - <span style="font-weight: normal;">John Dewey</span></h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo3r00CP-AB1KteqARMLshz6y8qq9TwlPwkAiHX1e8jPD2fdi9HOX6UpboCIIqm6no-_1TWWo1bWChBp68MsLfNU7-bLXC405pGvNg2qVE4TE3dv67saMVA5cTjOylvloaXB9UF0YS49W/s1600/instructional+rounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXo3r00CP-AB1KteqARMLshz6y8qq9TwlPwkAiHX1e8jPD2fdi9HOX6UpboCIIqm6no-_1TWWo1bWChBp68MsLfNU7-bLXC405pGvNg2qVE4TE3dv67saMVA5cTjOylvloaXB9UF0YS49W/s200/instructional+rounds.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I'm currently reading "<i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Instructional-Rounds-Education-Approach-Improving/dp/1934742163" target="_blank">Instructional Rounds in Education - A Network Approach to Improve Teaching and Learning</a></i>" by Elizabeth City, Richard Elmore, Sarah Fiarman, and Lee Teitel.<br />
<br />
I actually picked the book up over a year ago because I was intrigued by the title. As you may know, before going into Education, I was a nurse, and nursing rounds were a huge part of our practice. So I wanted to know how the authors proposed to use the "rounds" process in the world of Education.<br />
<br />
I just wished that I had read the book BEFORE this past school year. Why? Well, this year, for the first time, I experienced our<a href="http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/framework.html" target="_blank"> School Effectiveness District Review</a> process. This process is mandated by the Ministry of Ontario. I actually learned so much going through this process, not just about the practice of teaching and learning, but also about human nature, relationships, and the pressure associated with feeling like you are "under the microscope." I also witnessed the stress teachers experience with the advent of change.<br />
<br />
Going through the review process gave the majority of the us the impetus to move our practice forward at a faster pace than we might have otherwise. That was a good thing. It also helped us to be much more reflective in what we do, why we do it, and the impact we have on student learning. I just wish we didn't have to go through a "Review Process" to behave this way! <br />
<br />
The first thing that we had to do for the Review Process, was determine a Problem of Practice. I'd have to say that this was the most difficult part of the whole process. We used our classroom assessment data along with our EQAO data to determine what our Problem of Practice is. What was interesting was how many people took issue with the term "Problem of Practice". Many didn't like the insinuation that there WAS a "problem".<br />
<br />
This is where <i>Instructional Rounds in Education</i> would have come in handy. It paints a clear picture of what a "problem of practice" is. Had I read it before going through the Review Process, perhaps I could have helped alleviate some of the tension. From my current understanding, a Problem of Practice does not reflect bad teaching. It simply reflects a need in the school. For example, we realized that, in general, the students in our school have a very limited vocabulary. We started there. But as we continued to reflect, we also realized that the students in our school have difficulty comprehending texts. We wondered, was the reason they had trouble comprehending because their vocabulary was so limited? Or was it a bigger problem? Was it that they couldn't make inferences? Were they having trouble visualizing? Or is it that overall, they lack background knowledge? We also noticed that in our Junior Division, our students had trouble solving rich, multi-step math problems. Should we focus on Math? Or was the issue with the Math problems actually related to a reading comprehension issue, they couldn't understand the questions?<br />
<br />
It was really great to notice the change in the conversations in the hallway. Teachers were having discussions about teaching metacognition, whether they should do it explicitly in the beginning of the school year, or towards the end and whether or not we were using a common language for Math instruction.<br />
<br />
After determining our problem of practice, (we decided to go with reading comprehension), we had to develop an "If... then" statement about something we were going to change in our practice to meet the need we wanted to address. Again, it would have been helpful to read <i>Instructional Rounds in Education </i>first because it helps outline how to do this. It defines the "If... then" statement as a "Theory of Action". Eventually, (it wasn't until JANUARY!) we finally came up with our statement. <br />
<br />
The next step was for everyone to participate in professional development so that we could successfully implement the teaching strategies we outlined in our Theory of Action. The interesting thing I learned from reading <i>Instructional Rounds in Education</i> is that, according to the authors, just because teachers plan together and receive the same PD, it doesn't necessarily follow that what will happen in their respective classrooms will be the same. After observing classrooms, it became evident to the authors that teachers interpret and implement what they have learned in different ways.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiutHiNmHWRR8izTiz_VF4u-ZGU7ZrZc_abqKMuAPX7TMJ7dTb68nNbvS1RXYS7hBI7hwxbEAPhJh7sLL1s3NnFeatbgDT-fI7yQn9-76jnsSCAz3w5icZ3SaHghghVQCN1DOOW6jEtH0n/s1600/intentional+interruption.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiutHiNmHWRR8izTiz_VF4u-ZGU7ZrZc_abqKMuAPX7TMJ7dTb68nNbvS1RXYS7hBI7hwxbEAPhJh7sLL1s3NnFeatbgDT-fI7yQn9-76jnsSCAz3w5icZ3SaHghghVQCN1DOOW6jEtH0n/s200/intentional+interruption.jpg" width="200" /></a>Enter "<i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Intentional-Interruption-Breaking-Transform-Professional/dp/1412998794/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374253594&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=stephen+kaatz" target="_blank">Intentional Interruption: Breaking Down Learning Barriers to Transform Instruction</a>" by </i>Stephen Katz. Katz describes the barriers we have as teachers to learning. <br />
<br />
I could see all of these barriers in action this year at my school. It is so hard to get past them. We tend to look at something new, and say "oh, I'm already doing that, I just call it something else", and not really take the new learning seriously. The other thing I hear most often "that wouldn't work with the students I have this year".<br />
<br />
Why is change so threatening? Why are we so reluctant to teach differently? These are the questions I hope to tackle this year.<br />
<br />
Since we only came up with our Theory of Action in January, and then we had to have PD, we were still novices at implementing the new strategies by June. We haven't even had a chance to reflect on whether or not they have had an impact on student learning.<br />
<br />
As a school, we won't be reviewed again for another five years. That is just too far away. It is so important that as educators, we reflect on our practice regularly. We need to look at our teaching practices critically. What impact did we have on student learning? Not just most of the students, but ALL of the students. Which group of students were we not successful with? What adjustments do we need to make next?<br />
<br />
This seems natural to me. Maybe that is because of my nursing background. As nurses, we were each the Primary Care Taker for 10 - 13 patients on the ward (depending on the unit). As the Primary Care Taker, we were responsible to make decisions about the care for our patients. Although I had 10 patients, and they all just had some sort of surgery, their needs were very different, and they healed at different rates. We met weekly to discuss each patient's progress. If someone wasn't progressing at the rate we thought they should, we worked together as a team to come up with different strategies of care. No one took it personally, no one thought it was a reflection of their nursing practice if someone didn't recover at the predicted rate. We weren't reluctant to try new strategies - new dressings, new medication pumps, new protocols for healing; we were willing to try anything to be successful, and we documented DAILY the impact of what we did on patient recovery. We charted the patient's "complaint", our observations, our plan of action, and an evaluation of the impact of our plan.<br />
<br />
I think our students deserve that same quality of care, that same reflective practice. I hope in September, at the first staff meeting, my school will begin by looking at their Theory of Action again and recognize that as a theory, we need to determine what evidence exists, if any, to validate it. What adjustments need to be made to the theory? How will we dig deeper in the coming school year?<br />
<br />
I leave you with the following video that I find so inspirational. It is time to move from an Industrial Model of Education to a 21st Century Model of Teaching and Learning. That means we have to be reflective practitioners, practitioners that can define our practice and the impact that we have on student learning. In the video, Mr. Lichtman says we need to be <b>self-evolving learners</b> and in doing so, we teach our students to also become self-evolving learners. We can't be afraid to let our practice evolve along with the world as it continues to change at such a rapid rate. Watch the video - be inspired!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UZEZTyxSl3g" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284198838335292771.post-73747487816408768812013-07-19T08:12:00.001-07:002013-07-20T07:36:00.827-07:00Liebster - Loving All of Those Blogs that Keep the Learning Going!<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
<h2>
Liebster: Discover New Blogs</h2>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sdjPbN4p4x1iGy9ZpDM7-YH9NTyHS7Z5NHg6LDR2H8Q2TyQ_fp5z-TvrqtHIdmBG8mVQqVp7dvOluY2S8B3QehyZAJPxbS7ocsH_5ffIvyyVS10LrtMOxM61sMPLgij5HbjhP3EDP6N_/s1600/liebsteraward-2i3i5wi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sdjPbN4p4x1iGy9ZpDM7-YH9NTyHS7Z5NHg6LDR2H8Q2TyQ_fp5z-TvrqtHIdmBG8mVQqVp7dvOluY2S8B3QehyZAJPxbS7ocsH_5ffIvyyVS10LrtMOxM61sMPLgij5HbjhP3EDP6N_/s1600/liebsteraward-2i3i5wi.png" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
Thank you <a href="https://plus.google.com/107816696456686218306/posts" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">S</span>heri Edwards</a> at <a href="http://whatelse.edublogs.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">W</span>hat Else</a> for including me in your nominations for this fun award. It is a great way to recognize those of us who are “smaller” bloggers — with fewer than 200 followers. What a great way to help us to connect! I am thrilled to be included!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong><br /></strong>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: justify;">
<strong>Liebster Nomination Rules</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
1. Link back to the blog that nominated you.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with less than 200 followers.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
3. Answer the questions posted for you by the nominator.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
4. Share 11 random facts about you.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
6. Contact your nominees to inform them of their nomination.</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
Well, I'm not sure how many followers each of these blogs have. I am still so new to all of this, I don't know how to find out! But these are some of my "go-to" blogs that I find myself checking out again and again!</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<b>My Nominees:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
1. Aviva: <a href="http://adunsiger.com/" target="_blank">Living Avivaloca</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
2. Rick McCleary: <a href="http://rickmccleary.edublogs.org/" target="_blank">Mr. McCleary's Musings</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
3. Heather: <a href="http://heatherdurnin.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. D's Flight Plan</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
4. Lori: <a href="http://www.attheprincipalsoffice.com/" target="_blank">At the Principal's Office</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
5. Laurie: <a href="http://globalgrade3.cbegloballearning.ca/blog/author/ldrenton/" target="_blank">Global Grade Threes</a> (classroom blog) <a href="http://ldrenton.edublogs.org/" target="_blank">Professional Ponderings</a> (Professional Blog)</div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<b>My answers to Sheri's questions:</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<br style="line-height: 16.796875px;" />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">1. Why do you blog?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.1875px;">
<i>To reflect on what I have learned. I have always found that in writing, I think. I don't really write for an audience, but I admit, knowing someone else might be reading what I write pushes me to think harder. </i></div>
<span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">2. What’s the most important thing a teacher can do for his or her students?</span><br />
<i>The most important thing a teacher can do for his/her students is build a caring relationship with them. If you build a mutually caring relationship, everything else falls into place. You will know that child as an individual and do your utmost to help him/her succeed. The child in turn will trust you and feel safe to take risks. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">3. What’s the most important thing a teacher can do for his or her colleagues?</span><br />
<i>Same thing, build trusting and caring relationships so that you can help each other grow as professionals.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">4. If you could change one physical thing about your classroom, what would it be?</span><br />
<i>No teacher desk! No student desks!</i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">5. Describe one of your most memorable classroom experiences.</span><br />
<i>Dancing on the desks with my students after a math test that every single child got an "A" on. I really believe that if you tailor instruction to a child's needs, everyone can succeed. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">6. What memorable experience do you hope your students have?</span><br />
<i>No individual memory, I want them to remember how much fun we had all year learning together.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">7. How many students/teachers do you have at your school?</span><br />
<i>There are 285 students and about 14 teachers. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">8. What is your favorite classroom use of technology?</span><br />
<i>Oh, that's a toughy! I think I'd have to say using the iPads to make movies. It encompassed so much learning, from researching, writing scripts, filming, editing... they used the iPads for every portion of the video making, and were so engaged. Every child felt needed and a part of something big.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">9. Who/what is your teaching inspiration?</span><br />
<i>I have many teaching inspirations, but I'd have to say that Twitter has been the biggest inspiration for me this year. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">10. What is 1 teaching goal you have for this school year?</span><br />
<i>Well, I am moving into a new consulting role. My number one goal this year is to inspire teachers to open up their classrooms. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">11. In six words, what is your teaching philosophy?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><i>Know your students as individual learners.</i></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><b>Eleven Random Facts About Me</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">1. I am married to the kindest most patient man in the world</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">2. I have three adult children who make sure my head never gets too big</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">3. I have two dogs and a cat who always remind me that it is good that I am here on this earth </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">4. I just bought a new Mac and I'm LOVING IT!</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">5. I love to swim, I think I was a dolphin in a previous life</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">6. I love to read, read, and read some more, anything, anywhere, any time</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">7. I believe knowledge is meant to be shared and questioned</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">8. I love walking on snow that crunches</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">9. I've learned you can take the girl out of Montreal but you can never take Montreal out of the girl</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">10. AT 93 years old, I still think my Grandma is cool</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">11. I'm an extrovert that could easily become a hermit because of the Internet</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><b>Eleven Questions for my Nominees'</b></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">1. Why did you go into teaching?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">2. What do you love most about your job?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">3. How do you use technology in your class or school?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">4. How many students attend your school?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">5. If you could change one thing about Education, what would it be?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">6. What do you do after a bad day? </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">7. What is one of your proudest moments in Education?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">8. Whose blog are you always excited to read and why?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">9. What is one of your professional goals for next year? </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">10. What is your favourite inspirational quote for Education?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;">11. Why do you blog?</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 16.796875px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030713811700962791noreply@blogger.com3