Developing a 21st Century Vision for Education

Our school board has provided administrators an opportunity to be in a book club together. The book we are reading is "The Leader's Guide to 21st Century Education - 7 Steps for Schools and Districts". 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.

Step 1 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.

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:

• critical thinking
• communication
• collaboration 
• creativity and innovation

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. 

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? 

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, Principal of Change, George Couros paraphrases a student who says:

“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?”

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. 

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. 

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. 

The Making of a MakerSpace

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.

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. 

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. 

Frederick Buechner said, "Vocation is where our greatest passion meets the world's greatest need". 

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. 

There have been many things I've been considering prior to embarking on this project:

1. Where will I find a space for it in the school? 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!

2. Who will be using it and when? 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. 

3. Who will supervise students in the MakerSpace? 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!

4. What resources will I need and where will I get them? 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. 

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. 

If you are interested in learning more about MakerSpace check out these links. 

Renovated Learning - MakerSpace Resources

Edutopia - Designing a School Makerspace 

Things We Learn From Our Students

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. 

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. 

I've asked Mark if I could share his comments here on my blog and he graciously agreed. 

CC licensed photo  shared by Flickr user DigitalRalph

From my students I've learned a few things over the years, primarily about technology;

            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?

                       

2. Go to YouTube (now the third most visited place on the planet) was the “go to” place if you wanted to fix something.

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.

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.

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. 

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!

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?

Getting Your Technology to "Bing"

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.

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 "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" in a book store; I was so intrigued I bought the book on the spot - in hard copy!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? You sure can. I got this iMessage from my 73 year old mom the other day.

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.

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.

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?

Using Classroom Conversation to Push the Thinking and Deepen Understanding

CC licensed photo  shared by Flickr user Alexander Lyubavin

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.

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.

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.

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 "Write Around" 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.

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?

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.

I love this Ministry monograph on Grand Conversation in the Junior Classroom. 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.

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!"

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.

Let me know how it goes!

Why Are You Blending?

Today I attended the On the Rise K-12: Enhancing Digital Learning Conference.  It was a great experience, and I met some really passionate people that I was truly inspired by.  One such person was Anthony Perrotta.  He led a session on Student Voices.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and our students; they need time and opportunities to discuss what this means and what it would look like in their classrooms.

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.

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.

How are you using a blended learning format to ignite a passion for learning in your students?

What'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).

To see some of our conversation, click here.

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.

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.

Last night, I started worrying that perhaps the fact that I haven't been blogging indicates that I haven't been thinking!  YIKES!

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.

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.

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!

In analysing my current drought, I stumbled upon a blog post by Beth Kanter. It is titled Nonprofit Blogging in the Workplace: Apologies or Permission? 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.

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.

Dumbledore: "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"

Harry: "You mean... that stuff's your thoughts?"

Dumbledore:  "Certainly."

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.

If you are thinking of taking up blogging yourself, here are some useful tips and ideas from Evernote About Blogging. 

Making Shift Happen - A Time For Reflection

It is July once again; a time for reflection.

This past year has been the best year I have ever experienced in my teaching career. This is due in large part to the learning that I have experienced this year and the teaching networks I have been a part of. I am more aware than ever that while we are often the only adult in our classroom, teaching is not by any means a solo pursuit, it is meant to be something that is done in community.

The entire paradigm of teaching has shifted. No longer is a teacher the impart-er of knowledge and information; a teacher is now a role model for learning. More than ever this year, I developed a learning stance, and became the chief learner in my classroom, and that made the year fun and exciting for me, and learning a contagion for my students.

Creating strong learning networks that I could go to for advice and ideas was really important to me this year. I am so grateful to all of the very excellent Grade Six teachers in our board that lent me their ears!  I am also grateful to my friends in other boards who acted as objective listeners to my sometimes fantastical ideas. And lastly, I'm extremely grateful to all of the incredible educators I have met in my virtual network via Twitter, Google+ and ETMOOC.

Today I started tutoring a 12 year old boy in Math.  I asked first to look at his report card, and saw that he averaged about a 67% in most subjects. In the Learning Skills section, I noticed that it was stated he needed improvement in "Self-regulation" and "Independent work". I pointed this out to him and asked if he has trouble focusing and paying attention.  He said "Not really". I said "is your class rowdy and do the students fool around a lot?" He said "Pretty much". I asked him to describe a typical Math lesson. He described a class where the teacher taught the lesson at the front of the room for the first half hour, then assigned the questions in the text book for the second half of the period. He mostly ignored the lesson and the questions while he socialized with his friends.

I asked what part of Math he found most difficult, he didn't even hesitate before answering "percentages". I asked him to complete a Proportional Reasoning Diagnostic from our Ministry's Closing the Gap on the Math Gains website. It was apparent he didn't understand the relationship between fractions, decimals, percentages, rates and ratios. We started with factors and multiples, quickly moved to numerators and denominators, then equivalent fractions. I was amazed at how quickly he caught on.  Within one hour he was solving rate problems by converting to a unit rate.  So why didn't he learn all of this in school?

It is no longer okay to teach the way we were taught!  For so many of our students, (I would argue especially our boys), it just DOESN'T WORK!

Although I've had an excellent year in the classroom, and am well aware that I still have so much more to learn, I am leaving the classroom for a temporary hiatus to go back to the Curriculum Department. Hence the name change of my blog! I am going to attempt to Make Shift Happen! We classroom teachers need to change the way we are teaching so that we reach the students most at risk in our classrooms. Every child has a right to succeed and it is our duty to make sure that that happens. I'm hoping that I can support teachers in making that shift happen in their classrooms.

I'm scared though, scared because I know how teachers feel about enforced PD and enforced "Professional Learning Communities". My blog post and the comments that ensued on the PLC vs the PLN (Professional Learning Network) were an eye-opener for me. My challenge this year will be to find a way to be a co-learner with my fellow teachers and support them in making shift happen. I am really hopeful that I can inspire and motivate my colleagues the way I have been inspired and motivated by my PLN. I think the key elements are voice and choice, I just don't know yet how to ensure those elements are embedded in my work with teachers.

I will once again welcome your ideas and opinions. Your comments and emails will be more important than ever to me on this portion of my learning journey.

"Inappropriate Use of Technology"

CC licensed photo  shared by Flickr user Daveynin

Recently, some older students in our school "smuggled" a personal electronic device out into the hallway and they used it inappropriately.  I don't think I need to go into any details, there are hundreds of ways to "use technology inappropriately".

The result is that our principal has decided to ban personal electronic devices from school property.

I understand his frustration and the pressure he must be under.   But I am not convinced this is the solution.

In my class, I have a BYOD policy.  In the past nine months, I had one student bring his phone out to recess because he forgot that it was in his jacket pocket.  He then left his jacket outside, with the phone still in his pocket.  He begged to go back outside to get his jacket.  Luckily, the jacket was still there.  I also had one student take a video of another student who was dancing in a silly manner while we were getting ready for home.  I was in the classroom at the time.  I took his device away for a few days because we have a strict policy in the class that video taping only occurs with teacher permission.

Other than that, I have had absolutely NO issues with their electronic devices.  They come in in the morning, they put their devices in a cupboard which remains locked throughout the day (it also houses our class laptops and iPads).  When we need the devices, we take them out of the cupboard.  It's that simple.

I have done a LOT of EXPLICIT teaching up front about appropriate use of technology and responsible digital citizenship.  My students have a mantra: "What goes on the Internet, stays on the Internet."  They know that they shouldn't post anything they wouldn't be proud to show to their grandmothers.

They also know how to be cautious and protect their personal identity.  They know the dangers.

I don't believe banning electronic devices is the solution.

Let's face it: Kids (and adults for that matter) have been known throughout history to use communication devices inappropriately.  Give a kid a can of spray paint, and he may paint a mural, or he may paint a racial slur.  Give a kid a marker and she might create a title page or she might write her "frenemy's" name on the bathroom wall.  I've picked up a lot of inappropriate notes that have been passed around on paper in my day!  Should we ban paint, markers and paper?  What about the almighty pen?

I know, the scope, and therefore the damage, is so much greater with the Internet available to them.  But as soon as they step off school property they are using the technology.  Are we any less responsible because it happens outside of the school day?  Isn't it better to take our heads out of the sand and teach responsible digital and global citizenship BEFORE the inappropriate usage starts?  Aren't we responsible as their EDUCATORS to teach them how to use digital devices for their benefit rather than to their detriment?

Today I showed my students this TED Talk by Sugata Mitra.  I'm guessing everyone is familiar with it, but in case you aren't, please take the time to watch this video.  More than anything else, this video helped me to understand the power of creating a child-driven learning environment using technology.

I welcome your input on this issue.  It is something we have to face and make decisions about more and more often these days.

Blended Learning in Their Eyes

I finally got around to having a class discussion about Blended Learning.  I wanted to hear from my students: what did they think of Blended Learning? Do they like it?  Do they find it helpful?

This is what they had to say:

• Most of kids don't always pay attention to the teacher; but kids pay attention to what is on the Internet, so if you didn't pay attention in class, you can learn what you missed on the D2L (our learning management system). ~ one of my English Language Learners
• I like Blended Learning because it can help you get ready for tests, everything you need to know for the test is on the D2L.
• Using the D2L is helpful because if you forgot a text book at school and you have homework, you can just message your friends and ask them to email you the work.
• I like the D2L because I work better on the computer; I have trouble spelling and using punctuation so doing my work on the computer and submitting it through the Dropbox means I can do my work better.
• If you are sick and you miss school, you can just go on the D2L and find out what you missed.
• Kids mostly use the Internet and video games for entertainment these days, so when you learn from the D2L it is more like entertainment and doesn't feel like school. This particular comment was reiterated over and over again, especially by the boys in my class.
• Kids pay more attention to what is in front of them, using digital tools makes kids pay more attention.

Overwhelmingly, the students in my class love Blended Learning.  They are already expressing their concerns that next year, with a new teacher, Blended Learning might not be an option.  They find learning this way more engaging, and it places them in the driver's seat, giving them more control of when and how they learn.  Using a learning management system, like the D2L, they now have greater recourse when they don't understand something. 

We've had a lot of fun experimenting with Blended Learning this year.  My students asked me, back in January, to "flip" my class.  A flipped class is when you provide the introduction to a lesson via a video or link on-line that students can access at home as homework prior to a lesson.  It gives them background knowledge, so that when they come to class, they are ready to start the "action" or "working on it" part of the lesson right away, while the teacher is there to provide support.  So often, teachers stand in front of the class lecturing, and then students have to do the practice work alone at home where they don't have the teacher's support if they run into difficulty.  The idea with a flipped class is that the students get the "lecture" at home, and then they work on the practice at school while the teacher is present and able to scaffold for them. 

Some of my students had heard about flipped classrooms and they wanted to try it out.  It didn't work that well for us.  Invariably, some students didn't do their homework, i.e. didn't watch the video or access the links, and other students didn't understand the videos or links.  So I still had to address the information one way or another prior to the "action" part of our lesson.  But it wasn't a total failure.  The students who didn't understand the videos went home and watched them again AFTER the lesson, and said that they made sense now.  They realized that they need some "background" knowledge to understand the videos.  Likewise, I think the lesson went more quickly and made more sense to the students who had watched the videos prior to the lessons.

What we learned was that it is helpful to have the information available for the students to access on-line both prior to and following lessons.  That is what I have continued to do all year.  Some students choose to always access the information prior to the lesson so that they are "primed" for learning.  Others prefer to access the information after the lesson to "top up" their learning.  Either way, it puts the students in charge of their learning and that is the goal.  They are paying attention to whether or not they understand.  They are monitoring their learning. 

I believe strongly that every teacher should somehow incorporate Blended Learning into their teaching.  If you teach in Ontario, your board can probably get you access to the Desire 2 Learn (D2L) learning management system that I have been using with my students.  But if you don't, Edmodo is another great option.  It looks similar to Facebook, and allows you to input your students into classes and groups so that they can access content and submit work electronically.  

But even if you are not ready for a learning management system, you can start small.  You can create a class blog where you share information that is happening in class, upload videos for your students to access, and links for them to use to supplement their learning.  There are so many on-line supports for learning, it seems wasteful not to give our students easy access to them. And if you are intimidated by the thought of managing a blog, please don't be.  I knew NOTHING about creating and managing a blog last June.  I taught myself using on-line supports via the "help" button and Youtube. Trust me, no one can be less computer savvy than I was last June. 

Consider having your students use some digital tools to collaborate together, like Prezi, Google Docs, or iMovie.  Many students are already familiar with these tools and are using them for fun at home.  Encourage a student to become the "expert" on a tool and teach the rest of the class how to use it.  You don't have to be comfortable with these tools for your students to use them successfully.  

The greatest thing about Blended Learning to me is that it is not only more engaging for the students, it makes teaching much more fun as well!

On Blended Learning

Blended learning is a form of education that combines face-to-face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities.^[1] According to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both instructors and students. From Wikipedia. 

This year I have been experimenting with blended learning.  Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face learning with eLearning.  I call it an "experiment" because I believe EVERY teaching strategy we try is an experiment.  I see my classroom as a giant laboratory.  I try different teaching strategies and then I measure their impact on student learning.  Some are more successful than others; some are very successful with some students and not so successful with other students. 

In Ontario, the Ministry provides teachers with a Learning Management System called the D2L for our blended learning.  Eight months into the experiment and I have to say that I love it and so do my students.  It is fun and engaging.  But has it positively impacted student learning?  I believe that it has; looking at the work that they are producing now compared to what they were doing in September, I think every student has made significant gains, and some of them have made dramatic gains to their learning.  

Because my students have access to the D2L 24 hours a day, they can decide when they need to access information.  I like to post a variety of different types of media to support their learning.  For example, we are currently studying Flight in Science.  As part of this unit, we are learning about the properties of fluids.  To learn these properties we have been conducting experiments together in class.  If anyone doesn't understand the experiment, they can view it or a similar one in a video on the D2L.  They can also access interactive learning activities from the Ontario Educational Resource Bank (OERB) that I have uploaded for them.  Lastly, if they still don't understand, they can email myself, or one of their classmates for clarification. (The OERB is only accessible to Ontario teachers, I'm afraid. It has great learning activities for the Ontario curriculum, but you can link to any online learning activity.) 

Having the D2L available to access information when they need it has really helped the majority of my students become responsible for their own learning.  It has given them control; they know that if they are not understanding, they can do something about it. Dylan William and John Hattie both explain that if students see intelligence as incremental, they will believe that the choices they make can lead to increased intelligence, and that will motivate them to take steps to improve.  But if students believe intelligence is fixed, "I'm not a math person, I'll never understand this", they don't even bother trying.  In fact, they will choose to NOT do their work so that they will look lazy because looking lazy is far better than looking stupid.  I have found that most of my students have come to believe that they can achieve in any subject if they help themselves. 

Using the D2L has made it easier for me to give my students feedback on their work.  They post something, and I can give them personal written feedback immediately.  We've also gotten into the habit of posting the success criteria for their work on our class page so they always have access to it.  They have also begun to give one another feedback, and they use the success criteria to help them decide what to say to one another.  

We have been using the Discussion tool for many of our reading activities.  This has really helped my students to learn how to have conversations around critical literacy.  We use a reciprocal teaching format.  I suggested they post questions they have about what they are reading, seek clarification from one another when they don't understand something, summarize what they have been reading, and make predictions.  I also ask that they consider what the author's message is, and share what they think the author is trying to tell us.  I had to explicitly teach them how to comment on one another's discussion threads at first, but now their discussions are rich and meaningful.  I no longer have to be the one explaining everything - they do that for one another, and I can peek in to see who gets it and who doesn't.

I learned a lot about the power of blogging from the #etmooc I participated in.  In February, we started using the blog tool on the D2L.  I was tempted to have my students create blogs using edublogger, but I am still nervous about having their blogs in the public domain - it is something I am still considering and exploring. (Click on the links to learn more about blogging from Sue Waters). Using the D2L, their blogs can only be seen by students in our board, and they are not nearly as visually appealing as they would be if they were using edublogger because they can't add widgets.  But that hasn't inhibited them.

It turns out my students LOVE blogging - every single one of them.  (I know because they are always asking to have time to blog, and they are doing it on their own time at home). Sometimes I assign topics to blog about.  Then I give them feedback, and ask them to improve their post given the feedback.  Some edit their original post, some opt to write an entirely new post and keep both as "evidence" of their learning.  But the posts I like best are the ones that they decide to write.  Currently, they have decided to have a "video contest".  They are posting their favourite videos. Through my comments on their blogs, I have asked them to develop a critical stance and try to determine what the intended message of the video is. 

One thing I don't like to do is have all of my students on-line at the same time.  We NEVER use the computer lab to access the D2L.  We use the devices I have in the class (five iPads, 3 desk tops, and 4 laptops).  That is enough for half of my class. They either work in pairs, or, because I use a workshop model, some are using the electronic devices, while others are doing something hands on, and still others are working with me in small groups.  Having the D2L has really enabled them to work independently for long stretches of time so that I can easily conference with students one at a time or work with them in small groups. 

Do you use blended learning in your classroom?  If so, how is it going?  If you have any ideas or suggestions to share, I would really love to hear them.  

Next week, I will ask my students what they think about blended learning, what they like and don't like.  Check in soon to hear about blended learning from the student's perspective.

Teaching Towards the Future

I finally found some time to watch Teaching Towards the Future, an episode from the Agenda's special report called Learning 2030.

I think every teacher, principal, consultant, and superintendent in Ontario should watch it.  Steve Paikin interviews Michael Fullan who speaks about the future of education.  Mr. Fullan explains why the current system, while seemingly successful, must still change.  Other speakers include Cathy Bruce from Trent University, Camille Rutherford from Brock University, and Ron Daniel from the Canadian Education Association.

They also featured Kourish Houshmand, a student trustee from TDSB.  He was very well-spoken, and described our current education system as the "National Regurgitation Institute".  Though only in Grade 12, he also said, "We cannot bring about change by being irrelevant".

Steve Paikin also spoke to Hamilton teacher, Heidi Siwak, who is truly a 21st Century teacher.  She shared how she immersed herself in social and digital media to better understand who her students are and how they learn.  Then she changed the way she taught, letting go of the reins so that her students could become the motivated self-directed learners we need children to be.

Do yourself a favour, pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea, put your feet up, and watch.  It is time for a change folks!

Using the RAN Strategy for Inquiry-Based Learning

There are many definitions out there for Inquiry-Based Learning, and I think with true student inquiry students decide what topic they wish to learn about.  In my class, I try to cluster the curriculum expectations into a Big Idea and then I like to create an Inquiry question that we will explore - so students aren't truly selecting their own topic.

For our Social Studies unit on First Nations, we asked, "How did the environment impact the way Aboriginal people lived their lives prior to contact with the Europeans?"

I use the Literacy Block - which I consider a "workshop" - for students to conduct their inquiries.  This way, I am killing many birds with one stone; my students are learning their Social Studies content while developing their  Reading, Writing, and Media Literacy skills.

I always use Tony Stead's Reading Analysis Chart for reading non-fiction texts and I always start by modeling how to do it.  So I created a RAN chart to use on the SMART board.  I started by choosing a First Nations tribe that we had a lot of background knowledge about - the Wendat.  Together, we brainstormed what we thought we knew about the Wendat.  Beginning with what we think we know sets a purpose for reading.  We are reading to confirm our thinking.   ( C- refers to confirmed facts, M - refers to misconceptions).  I have used this strategy with First Graders to Sixth Graders - it works!

Over the next couple of days, we continued to share-read information on the Wendat, and I modeled for my students how to take jot notes.  What we were doing was becoming experts on the Wendat.  We didn't write in full sentences, so as to avoid the temptation to plagiarize later on when it came time to share our learning.

When the chart was complete and we felt we knew enough about the Wendat to be able to answer our guiding question, I gave the students RAN charts of their own and they repeated the process with their tribe of choice. (Click on the link for RAN chart to edit for your students).

Students worked in collaborative groups of two or three for two weeks to complete their RAN charts.  When they had finished, I modeled how to take this information and turn it into text.  We had several mini-lessons on report writing. We focused on paragraph writing and using the elements of style even for reports.  We talked about the difference between opinion and facts and discussed how and when to include our own opinions and voice in report writing.  I wrote a report on the Wendat with my students so they would know how to do it.

My students spent the next week writing their reports.  We then had a series of mini-lessons on revising and editing.  We talked about the importance of word choice and sentence fluency. We also had several lessons on convention use and using the electronic tools available to us to help us edit our work.

Lastly, we discussed publishing. I introduced my students to several media formats such as Power point, Key Note, Explain Everything, Prezi and Microsoft Publisher.  My students decided how they would like to present/share their information.  I modeled how to create a brochure on the Wendat using Microsoft Publisher.  I suggested they use Youtube to learn how to use different publishing tools. (We can't always be the expert in the room!)

They spent a week creating their published reports, and then it took a week to present them.  During our presentations, I decided to focus on both presentation skills as well as listening skills.   I explained that they had to be attentive listeners and ask questions.  They did such an excellent job! Click HERE to see an example.

This entire process took about five weeks, which seems like forever for a project on First Nations.  But I was able to teach so many Language expectations through this process, so it was time well-spent.

My students really enjoyed the whole process.  They were excited to work on these projects.  They were teaching me!  They presented their information in a wide variety of formats, and I think that is very valuable way to differentiate.  They even gave each other feedback on how they could do "even better" next time!

Learning Goals in Math - Update!

Today I went to school and I told my students about the debate I had on the weekend about whether or not we should be posting Learning Goals in Math before the lesson or during the Consolidation.

I asked them their opinion, thinking (of course), that they would agree with me because in the past they had told me how much they appreciate having those learning goals.  I was quite surprised by their responses.

One of my students confessed that he didn't think the learning goals helped him at all, he stated he never pays attention to them.  But the other students felt very strongly about those goals, and they said that they felt it would be better to post them during the Consolidation, or in their words - "in the middle, when we've figured out the Math."

One of my students said, "We may not figure out the learning goal that you wanted us to have, but that is okay.  We will still learn something, and this way you'll find out what we learnt."  I love the way they teach me how to be a better teacher every day!

So that is what we did for our Math class today, mind you, we were learning about adding fractions, so we weren't very far into our Minds On when they told me that they knew what the learning goal was.

One thing that I've really learnt this year is how important it is to give my students a voice.  They often amaze me with what they have to say.

Before our School Effectiveness Review, my principal asked us to ask the students what they thought about Learning Goals, Success Criteria and Descriptive Feedback.  Here are a few of their responses:

The Language Block

One of the most common questions I get asked by other teachers is "What does your Language block look like?"

I have a really difficult time answering this question; it is something that would really take days to describe.

I think the problem lies in the fact that we are so used to thinking in terms of our "timetable".  By definition, in our timetable we show each subject and strand as a discrete entity.  But that is not the reality at all, at least not in my class.  

For example, last week we were watching videos about the new pope, Pope Francis.  We watched and discussed a video on YouTube about how to become a pope, we watched a CNN video about Pope Francis' first public appearance, and we read a couple of related passages from the Bible together, John 1:41-42 and 21:15-17.  At the end of the period, one of my students said, "Was that Religion or Language?"  I answered, "Yes."

Admittedly, I have "Language" penciled into my timetable, along with "Social Studies" and "Science".  I have the Language block further delineated into "Reading", "Writing", and “Word Study".  But in reality, any mixture of those items is happening simultaneously. I have tried to create a timetable that accurately reflects what happens on a day to day basis in the classroom, but it isn't a true picture of what goes on during the day. 

For me, what is truly important is ensuring that I have a comprehensive Literacy program, and by "comprehensive" I mean all-inclusive. I make sure that my students are reading and writing something every day.  I also want to make sure that there is a balance of Modeled, Shared, and Guided Instruction along with oodles of time for Independent practice.  

How do I build it all in?

Well, I spend a great deal of time during the beginning of the school year teaching my students to be independent, self-directed learners.  I do a lot of explicit instruction on how to become exactly that, and then I help them to build their stamina gradually.  So my Language block looks vastly different in the fall than it does in the spring.  In the fall, I start with a modeled or shared reading lesson, then they read for about 10 - 15 minutes independently while I take students for guided small group instruction.  I provide some direct instruction on Writing, then they work on a writing piece for 15- 20 minutes independently; I intersperse direct instruction in Reading, Writing and Word Study daily with independent practice. I decide when it is time to switch activities.  

But that is not what my Language block looks like at all at this time of the year.

I'm at that happy place right now where my students can work for 60 minutes independently (and by "independently" they may be working by themselves or collaboratively with a partner), without being off-task or disruptive (with the exception of one or two students who need occasional reminders and re-direction). 

In order for this to be possible, the students have to have highly engaging tasks that they are motivated to do, and that serve authentic purposes.  My Language block truly becomes a Language Workshop.  I list all of the items I would like students to accomplish by the end of the week, much like a menu. Students then select from the menu what they would like to work on.  Sometimes they choose based on what they enjoy doing the most, other times they choose based on what is a priority, or what they are struggling with and need to spend more time on.  I prefer to start with a mini-lesson on Reading, Writing or Word Study, but lately, I have an EA at the beginning of my Language block, so I take advantage of the extra adult in the room, and we begin our Workshop right away.  That way, she can be that support person in the room for students while I take groups to the horseshoe table for small group instruction.  I save the last 15-20 minutes of the Language block for some direct whole-class instruction

Here are a list of activities my students currently have to work on:

• Become familiar with word patterns in Word Wall Words by writing sentences and paragraphs using those words
• Post to their blogs
• Create or add to a Discussion Thread about the novel I am currently reading aloud to them
• Revise their recounts
• Swap their recount with another person in the classroom, and using Co-created Success Criteria, provide one another with descriptive feedback
• revise their recount based on descriptive feedback given by a peer
• Independent reading - focus on being metacognitive while reading

On Friday, I asked my students if they enjoyed working this way.  They gave me a resounding 'yes'.  When I asked why, they said:

·         Because except for the Word Study work, everything we have to do has a purpose
·         Nobody is fooling around and everyone knows what they have to do
·         The work is not too hard

·         The work is fun, especially when we get to use electronic devices

·         Nobody bugs anybody else when we work like this

Is my Language block ALWAYS like that?  No.  It depends on what we are working on.  When we are learning a new writing form, for example, I have students  in collaborative groups working with writing exemplars so that we can co-create success criteria for that writing form.  I find that whole process takes up 80 minutes. Next week, I'll explain what my Language block looks like when we are working on an Inquiry project, because that looks different again!  Stay tuned...

Why Are We Doing This?

In my last post I mentioned that I used Google Docs for the first time ever with my students to create an on-line survey.  This may sound like an easy task, and in the end it was, but for my students and I, getting there was not so easy.

I love using technology.  I find all of the digital tools exciting, fun to use, and actually, in the end, they do make my life easier.  But I also find technology very intimidating.  I'm ashamed to admit this because the people in the etmooc are so tech savvy.  But I have decided to come clean because it dawns on me that I'm probably not alone.

When I look at a webpage, I'm still overwhelmed.  I grew up in a linear world where there were no hyperlinks.  Following the instructions on a webpage can be really challenging for me.  I've often read the instruction to "click on the tools icon from the settings menu" only to spend 10 minutes scanning the page unable to find the settings menu!  When this happens to me, and it happens at least once a week, I call my son Jordan over to help.

This is usually how the conversation goes:

ME:  Jordan, come help, PLEASE, I'm trying to add a widget to my blog but I can't find the settings button, and I'm getting REALLY FRUSTRATED!!!

JORDAN: Sorry Mom, can't help, don't blog.

ME:  I KNOW you don't blog!!!  But you will be able to understand these instructions.

JORDAN: Just do what it says on the page.

ME: PLEASE just help me find the **%&** button!!!

JORDAN (saunters over, glances at the screen, grabs the mouse, clicks the menu):  It's right there! How could you miss that?!?!?

So when I decided to create on-line surveys with my students to help them learn about Data Management, this was a daunting task.

First, I thought we would use Poll Everywhere which I found through a Google search.  This turned out to be a really handy tool and I thought it would be perfect because it included a VIDEO on how to use it!  We watched the video and created our polls, but discovered sharing the link was not easy. This seems to be a really great tool for a teacher to use in real-time with her students if they each have a device and can respond  in real-time.  I will definitely use this tool, but it was not helpful for what I wanted to do with my students at this time.  My students became frustrated, I became frustrated.

I quickly opened my Survey Monkey account.  I thought I could just have them create their surveys via my account; I'd used Survey Monkey once before.  But we were running out of time, the period was almost over, and I had forgotten how many steps it is to set up a survey on Survey Monkey.  It is an excellent tool, but I wanted something quick and easy - it takes me forever to navigate the steps of creating a survey!

My students started complaining... "Why are we even doing this?" "Why can't we just write our survey questions and go survey the kids in the other classes?" "Why can't we just collect our data by hand and draw our own graphs?"

I had a moment of doubt.  Why were we doing this?  Was it because I wanted to use technology for technology's sake?  Was this exercise in futility helping my students to learn about Data Management? 

I had to think - What were my goals?

• I wanted my students to see that an increased sample size really does make your data more meaningful
• I wanted my students to see that your population, (who you choose to survey), will impact your data

Yes, mucking through the technology was worth it, using on-line tools would be the best way to achieve those goals.

But now I had a new goal as well.  I wanted my students to see that sometimes, we have to go back to the drawing board.  I wanted my students to understand that sometimes learning is messy and bumpy.  Sometimes things don't go the way you plan.  So you have to re-assess, start over, and create a new plan.

I told my students we'd pause for the day, and start over tomorrow.  For homework, I found a Youtube video on how to use Google Docs to create an on-line survey.
This is the one I chose:

We watched it together as a class.  They caught on so quickly, thank goodness, because I couldn't find the button that lets you add a new question!!!!  (They told me he showed us how right in the video, but somehow I missed it!)

I can't wait until tomorrow, we are going to analyze the results of our survey together!