Never Work Harder Than Your Students: Chapter 4

We are reading the book: Never Work Harder Than Your Students with our 2nd and 3rd year teachers as they come into our district.  Here are some of my main takeaways from the chapter:

• Supporting students means thinking differently about misconceptions during your lesson planning.

• Develop interventions before students fail
• What if we provided the net below the tightrope instead of being right when they fall?

What if we prevented failure instead of predicted it?

• Proactive support is merely matching your teaching style to students' learning styles
• We all have the belief that ALL of our students can achieve given the right conditions.

MATH SECTION:

Specifying what students MUST know - what they already know = What we need to teach

Intervention Plan:

1. Plan in place before a student fails.  The plan is communicated to students, parents, and posted.
2. Plan has a red flag mechanism, something that sets the ball in motion.
3. Plan has steps that are immediate results of the red flag.  IF_______ THEN _______
4. Plan has roles and responsibilities for both the teacher and the student.

I'm Confused....

• Take steps to clear up confusion before it begins
• We know which problems they are going to get wrong, but we let them anyway.
• When students are confused it may not be for reasons we think. Listen first.
• When you run into trouble have:
1. A range of explanatory options for students
2. A thorough understanding of your content

ASIDE: Discovered in the chapter:

Demystify The Process!

• We tell students to study but don't teach them how to study.
• Make the process as explicit as possible
• Clearly explain the purpose of each assignment or activity, if you can't maybe you shouldn't be doing it!
• Provide all the necessary steps in written directions
• It's not "DUMBING IT DOWN" it's ensuring success.
• It's unrealistic to think students can act like experts as soon as they are introduced to new material.

Remove Supports SLOWLY!

• Tell students it's a support and that you will remove it when they are ready
• Don't change the learning task, change the supports to get students there.
• Don't change the task, change students' role in relationship to the task.

SUPPORT:

1. Identify what support is intended to do, so you know when to remove it
2. Look for ways to ween students off of the support
3. Allow room for struggle

Interventions are for BOTH sides of the triangle:

• Often we use programs like Response To Intervention for students struggling to meet the expectation.
• We miss the opportunity to intervene with students who already "get" our material.
• Both groups, high and low, need support and interventions to ensure success.

What am I to do?

In the wake of the Newtown shootings I've been in a state of unrest.  Much like the rest of the educators in the world I'm sure.  

Today's homily at my church (link coming soon) gave me focus.  The topic being, "What is mine to do?"

In light of the recent upheaval I feel it's time to think, reflect and refocus.  What am I to do in light of such a horrific tragedy?

I am to:

• cherish every moment with ever student. Especially the tough moments.

• care deeply about ever student. Go beyond the surface.

• provide the best opportunity, using the talents I am given, to learn, grow, and share.

• provide safety and security at all times.

• provide a shoulder to lean on when a student or colleague needs it.

• leave every day having done everything I can for every person I meet.

• meet every day with a "YES!" and provide that same answer when asked if I can help.

• build strong relationships with students.

• build strong relationships with parents.

• realize the curriculum is important, but more important is the time I spend with each of my students and colleagues.

• ensure that my classroom is a place where teachers/students can take risks, learn from mistakes, and develop their passion.

• share my passion with my students and colleagues.

• approach life with love, everyday.

Overcoming Apathy

One of my favorite shirt on Mental floss is

As I have been learning and growing in my new position I have noticed an interesting trend.

One trend of interest to me is complaining.  Now I have been lucky that being the new guy nobody complains to me, yet....

Here's my thinking about complaining:

We all experience problems through out our day.  Being able to have the initiative to overcome that problem and make the decision to find/provide a solution in not natural to everyone.  A lot of this relates back to chemistry and activation energy required to begin a chemical reaction.

I realize that some teachers just need to vent and complain, getting from problem to solution is not easy:

Some teachers complain because they just need help getting from point A to point B:

Many teachers see a problem and immediate begin working toward solutions, they are always the "do-ers" and immediately work toward solutions.

People are much like reactants in a chemical reaction.  When I work with teachers I am striving, in my new position, to get from problem to solution and to be that catalyst:

I very much see my job as being the person to lower the activation energy.  Helping teachers to solve problems and achieve their goals.

How can we all see ourself as catalysts and work together to overcome the activation energy?

At the beginning of the year I show my students this video:

I use it for the remainder of the year when a kid sees a problem, I ask them if they are stuck on an escalator and if they are working to solve their problems.  Sometimes they just need me to lower that activation energy and help in any way I can to assist them in achieving their goals.

6th graders and Voki

Continuing the integration of technology and Web 2.0 tools into the curriculum I sought out a way to integrate technology using the website www.voki.com.  We utilized their free resources and turned an assignment via google docs.

Setup:

• Ensure students can use multiple tabs.
• Teach students how to copy/paste.
• preview voki on one day, create it on another.
• Create google doc of student names, share with anyone who has the website.
• Use url shortener for google doc website. (my example: http://goo.gl/d1hDR)

Lesson Plan

• Introduce making connections:  review connecting text to self (life experiences), introduce text to text (movie, song, television show, etc.).
• Practice skill of making connections text to text.
• Ensure skill of making connections text to text by utilizing in-class spiral and giving feedback.  Show Voki.
• Secure lab for students to create Voki and show their strongest connections.  Have student create their Voki, publish it, copy the embed code, paste embed code into google doc created by teacher.

Mr. McGee’s Reading Strategies

“Connections through Vokis”`

Student name: Gabi
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!



Student name: Ivan
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Katie
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Naomi
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Pieter
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: James C.
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Gillian
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!



Student name: Carlow
Voki Code:


Get a Voki now!

/
malu


Student name: Kaleb
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Alison
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Tyler
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Carter
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Kevin
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!



Student name: James K.
Voki Code:c
Get a Voki now!

>Get a Voki now!




Student name: Bridget
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!


By the By... JUSTIN BIEBER ROCKS!


Student name: Avery
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Lauryn
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name
Get a Voki now!

: Isaac
Voki Code:



Student name: Scott
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!



Get a Voki now!




Student name: Izzy
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Sabrina
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!




Student name: Miranda
Voki Code:
Get a Voki now!

Build a tower, build a team

There is a great movement happening with team building.....

When completing a task as a team a great deal of time is given to orienting oneself to the task and identifying common variables.  Then a great deal of the time is given to creating roles and responsibilities of team members included in the task.  What was fascinating to me was the competition that goes into an activity called the marshmallow challenge. (details at:http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html ) What was fascinating is the effectiveness to which kindergartenrs performaned as related to the average business students.  WOW!

I don't want to give away the results of the below video but I'll quickly talk about what I learned.  First of all an effective team has a facilitator, so quickly determine who will do that.  Secondly, try out things and don't be afraid to fail.  Third, change reinforcing patterns (systems theory) and quickly listen for feedback and working towards a common goal.  The final thing I learned was the impact high stakes has on students or in this case competitors performance.  The higher the stakes, the lower the performance.  WOW!

Enjoy!

Maybe we need more "Childish thinking"

Here is a 11 year old girl speaking on creativity, bold ideas, trust and "Childish Thinking."

I love what is said here about adults trusting students. There is something scary about handing the keys to the classroom over to our students, but why not give up control. Let the students drive. Sure you may end up in a place you never intended, but how cool would it be to open up to a world you never imagined. Watch this presentation, get inspired by this brilliant mind and see that she is just as brilliant as the kids I see every day. The difference, our school system doesn't trust our kids.

So think bold, be creative, love the unknown, hand over the keys, you might just be inspired......

The way progress happens is that new eras improve on generations that came before you.

Do you realize!?!

This video is amazing....

I never knew Canada was so progressive! Outstanding!

How do we do this in the St. Louis area. I'm ready to start the discussion how implementing this in my classroom TODAY! Are you doing it? Do you know how to make it happen?

Let's figure it out. TOGETHER!

Google for Teachers

Check this out. Great resource for making your google experience better and benefit the environment by going paperless. Also learn more than just docs, maps, and shopping!

Free Technology for Teachers: Free 33 Page Guide - Google for Teachers

Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver's food revolution debuted this past week.

Some of the items he showed were just appalling and to think we serve these food items every day in schools across the country. What can we do about it? Well, not much if you are just going to read my blog! What you should do is at least join the movement and sign his petition online: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition. We want (dare I say need) to see this show succeed.

Why? Because at least we can make a difference in our school where students spend 180 days of the year eating 1 to 2 meals.

Let's face it, we have a problem in our schools across the country there is something wrong with chicken rings, pork patties and pizza every day of the school year. We are taking dramatic steps forward in our schools to provide healthy options. I think we have two options here:

1. Educate our youth on making healthy choices.

2. No longer provide unhealthy options.

OOOOOHHHHH that's scary and unpopular to say but this show fired me up. I hate being the one to identify the problem without providing the solution but I'm not ready to understand how to make this change. I think this is one solution. Can you think of another way to help? Comment away I'm ready to learn how to help!

Check it out online at: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

Watch the full episode online here:http://www.hulu.com/watch/138201/jamie-olivers-food-revolution-episode-102

Jamie's Award winning presentation to TED:

Video on Social Media

Watch this video from Shell Terrell:



This brings about a great conversation about why students today use social media. Why do you use social media? I've stayed away from Facebook but love the educational usage of twitter. Thoughts?