Current Trends

Last week I covered current and future trends in gaming and technology with my students.  We watched YouTube videos and read articles that made promises of virtual reality, holograms, and 3D audio.  The project was a success with student work that included: blogs, PowerPoints, Kahoot quizzes, posters, and sketches with captions.  The students of course got their choice of any project so those previously mentioned were their own ideas and creations.  The perimeters were that they included 10 current trends and 5 possible future trends.

We ended the project on a positive note with a sharing session where students could show their work if they wanted.  We had students present their PowerPoints and give their Kahoot quizzes to their classmates for prizes.  That final day we also played the Wii as students shared their projects and we did our final discussion of what we covered that week.  The purpose of the Wii was for students to try out motion sensor technology that we had talked about that week in current trends.  It ended up being a "Just Dance" battle between students that had them energized and entertained.  I had a lot of fun seeing so many participate in it as well.  It was a great Friday activity that involved the current project, team building, and our sharing discussion we've been doing every Friday.

I remember how hard it got towards the end of the week when I was a student. I'd have too much energy and was cooped up in boring classes all week where we weren't even allowed to get up and walk around without permission.  My classroom will never be that way.  If a student needs to stretch their legs they can get up and walk around without asking, I leave snacks in the back of the room away from the computers so students can take a break from staring at the screen.  I encourage students to take a 5 min break during class to get up and walk around.  I've found that students like the respect I give them and don't take advantage of it. I also like to do active activities on Friday if at all possible to mix with our discussions and get the students moving.  It may not always be possible but even if it is just a walk outside to have our discussion elsewhere I think it helps.

The current trends in education in the United States seem to be hindering our students progress instead of pushing them forward.  Encouraging students to have identical looking projects with the exact same specifications makes it easier for copying and plagiarism.  It also requires little to no critical thinking or problem solving.  As educators we need to do a better job, step outside the box, and challenge to norms.

Everybody is a genius

As I sit in my classroom preparing for back to school night I thought I would take a minute to post about how the course is going. I am thankful to be in this profession; even if I am sitting in my classroom preparing for an after school event on my birthday (yep, HPD to me).

My students have shown me so many unique projects the first few weeks.  All of the projects have  shown me what they are learning and most of them in ways I would have never thought of myself. Allowing the students to choose ANY way to show me what they learn each week has been amazing.  It is a little more difficult to grade but the students have taken the parameters each week and made it their own.  I included a link to PowerPoints I put together that show screen shots of students work. The PowerPoints do not even begin to do their work justice but you get the idea.  I've seen video clip projects, PowerPoints, sketches, posters, blogs, C# coding, and more. I can't help to think if I would have limited them to only a PowerPoint or research paper; how different would the quality be?  I personally think the students have put a lot of effort in because they have more choice and can do what they are interested in and good at. 

They have to use problem solving to answer the question "How will I show the teacher I've learned" each week.  They are not handed a list that includes every step of what they need to do. They are given basic parameters of what they need to show me and then it is up to them to turn it into a viable project. 

It makes me think of one of my favorite quotes:  
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Yes, all my students are geniuses in their own way and they show me what makes them one each week.

First Week Down!

We started back to school on August 24th after a week of planning that was filled with several meetings.  I had most of my planning done so the meetings did not bother me but it did make me remember (as did my second residency last month) that a "sit and get" environment does not work.  Not for most of anyways.  Even if you are interested in the subject like I was at residency I found myself yawning, thinking about other things, and looking at the clock constantly.  The meetings and residency did help me look at it from a students point of view and make the promise to myself that I will not be a "sit and get" teacher because in my opinion there is no room for it in a learning environment.

Changing gears...the first week with students was absolutely amazing.  I have such a great group of students who are eager to learn. I truly feel that in just one weeks time WE have started to create a classroom built on mutual respect, common goals, and a personalized learning environment where we do hands on projects that require the students to think for themselves instead of me telling them what they should think.  Our first sharing/collaboration session was on Friday and I don't think it could have went any better.  I wanted at least half the students to participate in our first week and really get into some good discussions with one another. It ended up being almost all participating and there were some amazing discussions going on, students really opening up, and even some suggestions given to me which I was not sure I would right out the gate.

I really feel like the entire week was a success which means a lot to me.  There were assemblies, fire drills, students being added late, and late buses that could have thrown the week off but we all persevered together and made it a success.  The students have shown me so much maturity in this first week from getting their assignment done, staying on track (even though they're on computers that have game software and youtube), giving respect to their classmates and myself, and taking care of the room and equipment.  Each day there is never trash left even though I provide snacks, all the chairs are pushed in, computers are logged out, and I get several "hope you have a good days".  I really think this first week's success is attributed to my new teaching strategies and treating the students with as much respect as I want them to give me but know I must earn in addition to the students being really great learners that just have not been given the opportunity to learn in a way that works for them.  Friday's discussion session really energized me for next week and left me with a feeling of respect that I hope my students got out of it as well. 

This post is dedicated to my amazing students and our ever evolving classroom.  You guys truly are all wonderful and I am excited to go on this journey with you!

Summer (not so) Vacation

It has been such a busy summer!  Finishing up work in the district office, creating lesson plans, training for more industry certifications, visiting family, and attending my final Doctoral residency in Washington D.C.  This is an exciting week for me because I have worked so hard to get to this final residency!  I have only (ha!) 3 more courses, a comprehensive exam, and the dreaded dissertation before I am officially a doctor.  Finding balance while taking on such a big task has been difficult to say the least.  I have dedicated many nights to completing papers and research.  I am excited to continue my education though and I know it will all be worth it in the end. 

It makes me think about how I hope I can pass on at least some of that same love of learning to my students.  I believe teaching students how to learn and think for themselves rather than have the information handed to them is a part of it.  When students take on the process of learning and know how to answer questions they want answered it can be more interesting.  I like it when students have a look of pride and satisfaction because they completed a hands on project and walk away with an actual product. 

I am looking forward to the beginning of the school year although I never quite feel like I had enough time to prepare.  This year is certainly no different with all the things I have taken on both personally and professionally.  Three more weeks and it will be here whether I am ready or not so it's time to really work hard and keep pushing! Wish me luck... :)

Rubric

After re-reading my last post and the article I mentioned in it I decided to really get to work on a good rubric that I could use for grading my weekly topic assignments.  The weekly topics give students a lot of choice and flexibility which makes it harder on me to grade.  I didn't want to punish the students and remove that flexibility because it was harder for me.  Without further delay click here to see the first draft of my rubric to measure more than "did they cover a standard" or "no spelling errors".  Feedback is of course always welcome!

Facilitating Students to Learn

I recently read an article on my quest for improving my future classroom that I loved.  In the article Thom Markham stated: "Tests reward the right answer, and even brief essays are expected to abide by the perimeters of known knowledge and standardized terms. But open-ended problems result in idiosyncratic solutions, derived from a process of exploration in which students practice evidence-finding, thoughtful exchange, and creative design. During that process, they change and grow as people, not just as test-takers."  The article further discusses how true inquiry needs skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity instead of memorization or teachers that "teach" to a test.  Project based learning and inquiry requires projects that revolve around exploration.  The majority of projects done in classrooms revolve around "academic coverage" instead of exploration, creativity, invention, and critical thinking.  Projects that are purely covering an academic standard may not reach the majority of students and it will lack depth because students will never be able to be truly inquisitive while doing it. 

It is more difficult to measure things like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking on a rubric rather than something easily gradable  like "5 pages or more in length" and "no spelling errors" but as teachers we should be taking the more difficult route.  Make our students responsible for showing us their creativity and demonstrating how they used critical thinking and collaboration with others.  We, as teachers, will be responsible for showing them it is possible, helping them interact with new knowledge, facilitating the process, keeping an open mind, and letting go of control. Having students engage in meaningful discussion and collaboration with one another where the teacher looks for learning clues like the use of vocabulary in conversation, creative thought on how they show what was learned, the exchange of ideas with peers, and so much more.  Throw that easily gradable rubric out the window and create one that has items that show real knowledge and learning instead of robot-like reciting of information.

Our overall goal should be to give them the freedom to be as good as they can be rather than holding them to a certain academic standard that does not measure their ability to think on their own.  Isn't that the goal?  Teachers should help students become learners and critical thinkers who can function successfully in society on their own.  As a teacher; that is my goal.

If you want to read the article mentioned above you can find it here: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/03/the-challenges-and-realities-of-inquiry-based-learning/

Outside the Box

The most recent reading I was given in my 5W's training involves reading about the Finnish education system. After reading the article it was easy to see how far behind the U.S. is on thinking outside the box.  In Finland the focus is on the student, their learning, and their progress.  There is NO standardized testing (until the senior year) which allows more flexibility to cater to the students needs and interests.  The teachers in the article say: We know more about our students than what that test can show...so true.  Students do not get left behind, forgotten, or overlooked.  Teachers are required to have masters degrees and the government pays for them (and teachers get paid a reasonable amount yet are in the classroom less hours than U.S. teachers).  There is an emphasis on students getting outdoors; lessons are able to be done outdoors (even in classes like math). Finally, teachers have students for 6 or more years sometimes so they can bond, build relationships and trust, and know what the student wants and needs out of their learning.


It makes me think of how lucky I am to be going to a school that does allow me flexibility to really improve my teaching, classroom, and student relationships (nothing is possible without those relationships in my opinion).  Unfortunately it also makes me think of how poor so many initiatives are that a lot of Florida (and the U.S.) are currently doing (in my humble opinion).  Increased standardized testing, 27 page frameworks for an introductory course instead of allowing flexibility, curriculum maps that require teachers to stay on track with little flexibility, and so much more.  Districts don't like to use the word "pacing guides" yet they want teachers to say when they'll teach what throughout the year and how they'll do it...sounds like a pacing guide to me!   I would rather there be an outline of broader standards like Finland that allows flexibility for a student that goes faster to do so or that needs more time in an area to do so (along with some freedom to cater to that's students interests).


I am glad to be passionate about teaching and feel it is important I have masters and am earning a doctorate (although it does mean HUGE student loans...eek).  I think the focus on better educated teachers that want to be in their jobs and are passionate about it would make a bigger difference and a better teacher than any of the previously mentioned initiatives.  Alas, this is not the case in the U.S. currently.  I am not sure school districts fully understand how contradictory their efforts are (personalize learning and do project based assignments but wait! Cover all standards and pass this standardized test that requires the student to be taught to it with little flexibility).  Perhaps one day things will be different but for now I am truly thankful for the flexibility I have in my classroom this coming school year and I truly wish every teacher who is passionate about their job gets that type of opportunity some day.


If you want to read more about Finnish education check out the link to the article below:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/#ixzz1eMID6Lni