The Importance of Interaction

I've been thinking alot lately about interaction.  The simple human to human interaction we have every day.

I firmly believe that in every human interaction we have the choice and ability to EMPOWER, INSPIRE others.

I know that sounds silly, but I feel like it's true.  We bring energy into every space we enter.  That energy is felt by others and then transmitted throughout their world.  In other words, our simple interaction with have with another human is like a pebble in a pond which create a ripple.

So what does that have to do with learning and schools.  Well, imagine this, every interaction we have with our students matters.  Check out this video:

Every opportunity, every interaction, every word that is uttered, it either adds to, multiples, or takes away and divides.

I was recently at a school and some of the words and phrases I overheard were:

• Don't Touch my things...
• Pick your lab partner because I don't like to change seating charts. 
• Can you come back in 5 minutes this is the boring part.
• I will eventually get to know kids. I can't get behind the pacing guide.
• If you can't get the work done we will help you..
• You know it's (blank) and then (blank)....

I also saw a poster like this hanging in a classroom:

Think about those words and phrases listed above.  Do they inspire something better for others?

What we do each day matters, and more importantly every interaction (face to face, through email, over the phone, etc.) matters.  

Embrace each day as a choice to either ADD TO, Multiply, Create, EMPOWER, Inspire:

Fill buckets, post 'UP' arrows, whatever you need to do to remind yourself about the impact you're making.

Or Belittle, Subtract, Divide, Quiet, Hush, Make less, Post down arrows.  Just be careful you never know the ramifications of your actions:

Jerry Seinfeld once had a portion of a stand up routine around the difference between Up and Down:

He states "When you're little your whole life is up" as adults we're always trying to put others (kids especially) down.

I ask you choose differently today, tomorrow, and every minute of every day.

Choose Possibility, creativity, and wonder.....

The Silence Is So So Loud

As a teacher we have all experienced it. Silence.

That moment you ask a question to a room and nothing happens.

Over the years that silence has grown into more than just a "wait time" moment. It means something. The silence is so so telling.

Sure there are many reasons that silence could happen.  It may be nothing.  What I've found more often than not is that silence is a signal.

That silence is evidence of a lack of relationship. A lack of trust. A lack of willingness to take risks. That silence can be deafening.

As a coach without a classroom now I see (and hear) this silence in classrooms and workshops across the globe.  Teachers talking to fill the air and to share their views while students sit passively by in rows in their metal desks with the plastic seats.  Don't our students today deserve more?

Learn more here

The silence we hear speaks loudly. It's truly deafening and is a part of the core as to why students across the globe are disenfranchised with the current (and outdated) concept of school.

So let's do something different.  Let's ignore the pacing guide for a little bit.  Get to genuinely know your students.  Share a little bit about you.  It's time to invest in kids so they will in turn invest in others. Put the person first and genuinely care about them. Their needs, interests, values must be authentically heard.

The content, curriculum and pacing guide will be there, it always will, but the relationships make the school a place where kids want to be.

Only when there is a meaningful relationship built will we ever get past the silence.

The "Power of Habit" and working in schools

Every day we react.  We react in the way we were taught, programmed, advised, mentored, parented, etc.

Our reactions have become a habit.

I recently was reading this:

 Then again came across this podcast about habit.  Learn more about habit here.

But do we ever analyze the way we react?

Have we even thought about whether we'd react the same way if we were given new opportunities?

Imagine this:

A kid is misbehaving in class.

The kids misbehaving are the stimulus.  The black box, being the thought process happening in our brain based on habit.  This leads to a response

That stimulus typically leads to a response from the teacher.  The teacher can:

• discipline the student
• reteach expectations
• redirect the students
• ignore the stimulus
• send the student out of the class
• etc.

But what if........

What if we imagined a different school?  What if we projected how they might behave, what their responses might be?  What if we taught differently? What if we thought differently...

Imagine the staff of "THE SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE" (I know cheesy).

But how would the teachers at that school respond to stimulus?

If we can examine the habits we have, we may be able to analyze possible solutions and the adjacent possible solutions that impact our kids.

What we do an how quick we react impacts students.

Take some time to list stimuli that happen today, how did you react to it?  Would the staff of this fictional school react differently?

Time to form some new habits....

EdcampSTL and Things you can't do with kids in the building

So I organize and lead a team of educators to create an event called #edcampSTL.  Please follow along with the hashtag and participate.  This year it will be on 2/8/2014.

One of the things we like to do is get creative.  To get creative we need people to get our of their shells.  The whole day is pretty uncomfortable for those that have never attended an edcamp.  This event really pushes them over the edge.

After lunch, typically there is a lull.  It's not anyone's fault, it just happens.  Blame it on circadian rhythms, the ebb and flow of the day, the lack of coffee, or the cycles of the moon, regardless, there's a lull.

To combat this lull, to build community, to meet new people, we needed an activity.  We came up with an activity we affectionately call "Things you can't do with kids in the building."  I know, long name.

We gave every person a sign off sheet (see below) and a MAP of the school:

The idea is get people up, moving, doing things they normally wouldn't in their "professional day."  The ideas below are accompanied by images if we were able to catch them.  These images are from over the last two years of EdcampSTL.  The stations we used included:

• Running in the halls - Super easy station and fun for everyone!  Gets the blood pumping!

• Screaming in the library - Wish I had a video of this.  People had a blast since they never get a chance to do it.  We really wanted to get a person in a white wig and bifocals (old-school librarian style) shhhhing people after they screamed.  That would have been great!
• Sliding down the rails - We all want to do it, it's great to give people permission to play!

• Bouncing balls in the hall - How many times have you said for students to not bounce the balls in the hallway, it's freeing to let go of that!

• Throwing food in the cafeteria - The one station people talk about every year.  It's a classic.  Both years we used mashed potatoes.  We forgot about having people wipe their hands after throwing them, oops!  We got smart and picked up an apparatus from the dollar spot to keep people's hands clean!

• Throwing paper airplanes - Toby is the king.  People came up with creative airplanes and we learned who's a perfectionist. :-)  

• Texting in school - Really easy station.  We used poll everywhere to gather information to show teachers how they can use student's devices in the classroom.
• Rolling chairs in the hallway - Awesome!  Be careful though, we broke two chairs and had to replace them :-)

• Playing with bouncey balls - I forgot the name of the game.  We had cups and the bouncey balls had to make it into the cup.  The only trick was there were directions of different tasks on cards.  It was awesome.  I do remember we purchased the game at urban outfitters. No it wasn't beer pong!
• Book Bowling - This was awesome!  We built "pins" out of shoeboxes and then used books to knock them down.  Very fun!  I wanted to do a station called "Angry Books"  Which we built a structure and then flung the books like angry birds, it just took too long to set up each time.
• Bullying in the stairwell - Fun one!  We came up with insults (see planning documents below) and people picked them out of a hat and read them to each other.  It was all in good fun!  Even the team from Mentor Mob appreciated it!

• Dance walking -   Interesting.  I really wanted video taken of this and then made into a promo for EdcampSTL.  I'm not sure what happened to the video.  Anyway, this was our inspiration:

• Acting up - We had a room where people could do anything they wanted.  Most just stood on the table.  That's a big thing for people.  I guess they wanted to reenact the scene in Dead Poets Society:

Here's the planning document we used from last year: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xRFvhkvrB569MM4GlbJGhlhcGdGFgXVK0NfEaYSqrys/edit

And some brainstorming done here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bWXmmsKaS6JG2PicoaNmWE_J00XqCMmAaEWJKvIF9ns/edit

 At each station is a volunteer that signs off on their form, these submissions are used to win a prize, yet another incentive to get people moving.  Here's the form for 2012:

This is the one we used in 2013: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bwz1J6fj2c9rUUlMQXFpUllKYl9neHlZN0tvNGlIUTFLWjZj/edit

Steal this idea!  Bring play, unprofessionalism and creativity to your school or team.  With play and creativity we can accomplish anything!

What stations could we have in the future?  

Add your thoughts of things you can't do with kids in the building to the comments!

More Homework Meme

My blog has been neglected.  My job has shifted into curriculum creation which has afforded me the opportunity to write a TON.  I have authored curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade in both science and social studies.

Luckily I keep track every day of the work I do and record it here: http://wgsdsciss.blogspot.com/

Thanks to my good friend, colleague, mentor, guide and general inspirer of all things awesome Josh Stumpenhorst.  He inspired me to write this post and I thank him for getting me back to my blog!

Here's his post calling me out: http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2013/12/more-homework-meme.html

For starters, here are 11 random facts about me many people may not know.

1. I'm scared of heights, closed in spaces, and being underwater.  Yes I'm a BIG scaredy-cat but I'm overcoming my fears every day.  I owe that mostly to my amazing wife who constantly pushes me to overcome my fears.
2. While in high school I thought it was a good idea to have a mullet.  It was not a good idea.
   
3. I'm against stinky cheeses.
4. I'm the one in charge of cooking and doing the laundry in our house.  On top of that I fold my t-shirts using a folding board I was given from when I worked at The Gap.
5. As a baby/toddler I was entered into a beauty pageant, and won.
   
6. My mom LOVED halloween.  She made the best costumes of any kid I knew.  She made this Voltron costume.  Pretty awesome!
   
7. I'm a "Friends" nut.  I've seen every episode and can quote almost every line.  I also own the "Friends: Scene it" game, no one will play with me.
8. My favorite color is blue.
9. When I was in High School I worked at Pizza Hut and was a "Production Leader." Fancy!
10. I am committed to having fun, no matter the age.  I do understand this comes with a trade off of not always being taken seriously.  I accept those consequences.

     11. My dad and I once got into a fight about grades.  He said I wasn't applying myself. I disagreed.          I ended up running away only to return because I was cold.  I'm such a wuss.

Here are Josh's questions for me:

1.     What was your favorite children’s book as a child or favorite to read as a parent?
A. As a parent I have not had much of an opportunity to read to my daughter (she's only a couple months).  When I was younger I loved this book about cars and trucks (seen here with my dad purchasing the same one for our daughter.

2.     If you had won that insane lottery jackpot, what is the first thing you would buy?
A. Google Glasses.  They are ridiculous but I think they're so cool.  I'm sure I'd also get a GoPro Camera and a new house.

3.     Can you touch your tongue to your nose?
A. No, but I can touch my nose and tongue simultaneously.  Does that count?

4.     If I were to meet you up at a bar, what drink would I buy for you?
A. Scotch on the rocks....

5.     When was the last time you laughed so hard it hurt, and what was it that made that happen?
A.  Between my wife and I this happens often.  Most of the time for no apparent reason.  Also any time we are with good friends of ours that live in Chicago.  We always end up laughing until our cheeks hurt.

6.     What is that one movie that shows up on TV that even though you have seen it a hundred times you still leave it on and watch?
A. Pretty Woman.  It's so emasculating to admit that.

7.     If you could sit down and interview one person, living or dead, who would it be?
A. Martin Luther King Jr.  How cool would that be?

8.     Paper or plastic?
A. Neither, reusable bags.  That way we can ring the bell at Trader Joe's.

9.     What is something you have always wanted to do but continue to procrastinate and make excuses as to why you have not done it yet?
A. Skydive.  See the random facts number 1 listed above.

10. Have you been able to unlock the code and figure out what a fox says?
A. I'm sure it has something to do with the "one thing."

11. If you could pack it all up today and move, where would you land?
A. That's tough.  I love vacations in paradise, on a beach with a cold beverage, but I couldn't imagine living there.  Spain was amazing, Madrid was beautiful, but if you live there does it all become noise?  I'm happy where I am, I say I'd stay right here. Lame but true.

Here are 11 bloggers I want to answer this next:

1. Justin Tarte
2. Robert Dillon
3. Steven Weber
4. Kyle Pace
5. Rebecca Morrison
6. Greg Lawrence
7. John Simpson
8. Josh Mika
9. Tim Brown
10. Krissy Venosdale
11. Dan Pink

Here are 11 questions for them to answer:

1. Does the toilet paper go over the top or under the bottom?  NOTE: there is only one right answer for this.
2. If you were a superhero, which one would you be?
3. What was your favorite project when you were in school?
4. Which color Starburst/Skittle/Jelly Belly is your favorite?
5. What quote inspires you every day?
6. What's your favorite sandwich, ever?
7. What is the most played song on your iPod?
8. What's your favorite sound?
9. If you could invite anyone over for dinner, living or dead, who would sit at your table?
10. What celebrity do you often get mistaken for?
11. What is the best gift you've ever given/received?

Here’s how it works:

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List 11 bloggers.
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

DRAFT Next Generation Science Standards

Post also hosted on my Daily work blog: http://wgsdsciss.blogspot.com/2013/05/k-5-draft-ngss-units.html

Below are the DRAFT units, proficiency scales, essential learning goals for K-5 Elementary Science based on the Next Generation Science Standards.

These will be updated throughout the summer to prepare and improve them for implementation.

DESE's reaction to the NGSS: http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/ngss.html

Find out more about the NGSS here: http://nextgenscience.org/

As of today we have no timeline for implementation however these are ready and will continue to be improved as we determine what the timeline may be as dictated by state adoption of the NGSS as the next Grade Level Expectations.

Kindergarten

• Weather and Climate: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBVmN3alZrX2tGZWM/edit?usp=sharing
• Forces and Interactions: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBUGpmMFZTcHZQdmc/edit?usp=sharing
• Ecosystems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBcXZVYnotNjQwS28/edit?usp=sharing

1st Grade

• Structure, Function and Information Processing: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBN2VFcThiT25udEU/edit?usp=sharing
• Waves: Light and Sound: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBRDhWazRZRlIxakE/edit?usp=sharing
• Space Systems - Patterns and Cycles: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBelJqNzdJVUtsN2c/edit?usp=sharing

2nd Grade

• Structure and Properties of Matter: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBS05wTXg0N1F4b2c/edit?usp=sharing
• Processes that Shape the Earth: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBQXlIOHpjcDZiOHM/edit?usp=sharing
• Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBNUFfZ1NOYm5SYnc/edit?usp=sharing

3rd Grade

• Weather and Climate: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBLWoyZm5lOEFCTDQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Life Cycles and Traits: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBUEhTRmdTUFQwN28/edit?usp=sharing
• Relationships in Ecosystems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBZ1ZmRy1XYmV2Tm8/edit?usp=sharing
• Forces and interactions: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBeWJ1YkhaaXZiVG8/edit?usp=sharing

4th Grade

• Waves and Information: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBd3dIZ3ZUcng4dzg/edit?usp=sharing
• Structure, Function and Information Processing: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBLTVpcllpQUYtakU/edit?usp=sharing
• Energy: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBcS1Tdjg1M2p5LTg/edit?usp=sharing
• Processes that Shape the Earth: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBdHhoN0pFVVhGVzg/edit?usp=sharing

5th Grade

• Structure and Properties of Matter: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBZkdEOWFPX1lnWmM/edit?usp=sharing
• Earth's Systems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBNXVPNl9KLTVVNDg/edit?usp=sharing
• Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBWG15THF6Ymd4MzQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Space Systems: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2myX1fkAsIBam80eUVOUC1KczA/edit?usp=sharing

How's Your Balance?

I love Podcasts.  I'm addicted.  There is no better way for me to stay current, stay thinking, stay connected in the time I have.

One of my favorites is the Entre Leadership Podcast.  Subscriber here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-entreleadership-podcast/id435836905

Recently one of the podcasts, hosted by Chris Locurto, mentioned Zig Ziglar's Wheel of life:

This prompted me to challenge myself with a New Year's resolution to seek greater balance.  

I started the year by printing the wheel and coloring in where I spent the majority of my time this past year.  I basically came clean to myself about where I placed my priorities.

I posted this on the wall of my office and set myself a reoccurring task that simple asks the question, How's Your Balance?

I'll come back to this post at the end of the year and answer the question with a new graph, being completely honest and hoping to see I may not have reach total balance but I've made progress.

So I challenge you to print the wheel, ask yourself (BE HONEST), and seek greater balance.

Find more on Entre Leadership here: http://www.entreleadership.com/home/

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.

What is the next chapter for edcuation?

Today I had the opportunity to watch Bill Rankin's discussion on the next page of education:

My takeaways:

Amazing technological changes don't do a thing to culture.

• The problem with education is us...
• "We use to do it this way, now we'll do it a slightly different way..."
• We've seen the enemy and it is us.  
• I want to see my students learn more, then in-turn don't I need to learn more?
• Letting other people move ahead gives us an excuse to not to.

We cannot focus on the technology without focusing on the culture.

• It's time for everyone to be involved.
• All contributions are important.
• New technologies allow us to localize education.

SHIFT in education must move the students to the center:

• Customizing education to fit YOUR needs.
• Getting the tool "I" need means we cannot have a one-size-fits-all solution.
• When will we realize we are teachers first and content specialists second?

Engagement

• How are we ALL connected?  Why aren't we capitalizing on it?
• Increasing anytime and anywhere learning.
• How long until the tools become invisible?
• The days with the single teacher in front of the class with the book has passed.
• Teachers are becoming CO-LEARNERS.
• How can kids get prepared outside of class to go in-depth inside of class.
• Every child needs to have THEIR OWN personal device.

We are at the beginning of the SHIFT to ubiquity of access.  

• We are heading to a mobile environment.
• Kids are significantly ahead of us as teachers. (we often get in their way)
• Kids have games and life apps on their mobile device.  We are missing the opportunity to design GREAT apps to engage students in learning.

Instead of letting technology influence the classroom, let's think about what we want our classroom to look like.  

• Keep the outcomes in mind!
• Technology is focused and supportive to the goal.
• Funding is an issue.  You've got to "bring your own."
• Assessments need to be embedded.

WOW! as we continue to discuss curating our own textbook.  I continue to wonder.....

• Will a Digital resource or really anything technology related change the culture?
• How do you change the culture of education in your building or district?
• How can we SHIFT the focus from the teacher to the learner?

We Sit'n here talk'n bout practice...Not a game, not a game, Practice!

Our district is currently doing a book study on the Art and Science of Teaching.

See other posts here:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 6
Chapter 8

This chapter is on giving students opportunities to deepen their understanding.

Or as Allen Iverson would say, We're going to use the Blog post to talk about PRACTICE!

MISCONCEPTION ALERT!
Deepening your understanding does not mean doing the same thing to the same depth that was done before.  That is just practicing, which is fine for somethings.  Deepening means going to the next depth of knowledge.

My take-aways are:

• Students need opportunities to practice new skills and deepen their understanding of new information.
• Students need time to extend their thinking
• Part of this process is students recognizing their own misconceptions
• "Students need a sound foundation to build new awareness."
• Determine what kind of learning they need it is skill based (procedural) or knowledge based (declarative)
• Assign tasks as determined by kind of learning they are doing...

Building new awareness:

• Schema Development
• linking old learning and new
• challenge existing perceptions
• Procedural knowledge
• the "do" of a learning goal
• develops from declarative knowledge
• involves adding, editing, and delting steps
• fully developed seems automatic
• also termed as "fluency"
• Need for practice to make this automatic
• guided practice involves "gradual shaping of a procedure facilitated by teacher guidance"
• OVER TIME PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE IS SHAPED BY THE LEARNER.
• Developing Declarative Knowledge
• reviewing and revision are key
• Students need at least 4 exposures to integrate something into their existing knowledge base. (Rovee-Collier, Nuthall)
• No more than 2 days between exposures (Think about this as it relates to Professional development)
• Ways to improve declarative knowledge
• revision - as in writing
• error analysis - revising ones own thinking
• Similarities and differences - think Venn Diagram, classification also work
• homework - extends learning opportunities that are limited byt he school day

Facts about homework (Don't shoot the messenger, I don't like homework either)

• Relationship between amount of homework students do and their achievement level were found positive and statistically significant.
• No clear benefits of homework at the lower levels (below grade 6)
• Homework should:
• Foster good study habits
• foster positive attitude toward school
• There is no correlation between time spent on homework and student achievement
• For secondary students there are benefits to homework up to one to two hours a night, after that it diminishes greatly.
• It's not the time spent on homework but the proportion completed that impacts achievement
• Parent involvement with homework is positive when:
• There are clear roles
• Parents are not experts
• Parents can ask clarifying questions to help students summarize
• Give students practice, but make it focused, and meaningful

Action steps for your classroom:

1.  Let students find similarities and differences often (compare, classify, create metaphors, analogies)

2.  Help students identify errors in thinking (faulty logic, attacks, weak reference, misinformation)

3.  Practice, Practice, Practice.... Structure practice, gradual release, develop fluency)

4.  Use Cooperative groups with a focused intent

5.  Assign PURPOSEFUL homework

6.  Allow students time to make corrections in their notebooks/journals/blogposts/googledoc files.

Art and Science of Teaching: Chapter 2

This year our district is doing a book study on the Art and Science of teaching.  This book has been tremendously helpful in a number of areas.  First, I have used the research in it as an introduction and  foundation for all my work on standards-based grading.  Second, it has shaped my teaching and learning as a professional.


Chapter 2 focuses on how kids effectively interact with new knowledge.


Here are my take-aways from the chapter:

• Students need to be actively engaged in the processing of information and that the teaching and learning process involves interaction among the teacher, students and the content.
• Visual instruction involves helping students generate mental pictures for the information being taught
• Graphic organizers are key (See also KU strategies)
• Content needs to be placed into "digestible chunks" (sounds gross)
• Good Common Practices:
• Summarizing and Note taking
• nonlinguistic representations - draw, act, use symbols etc.
• questions - asking students to explain their thinking - Asking Why?
• reflection - recording areas of success and confusion
• cooperative learning (when done right) - viewing content form different perspectives
• Get your content for a unit
• Identify the Critical input experiences - could be a reading, a picture, a theme, a conversation, a field trip, a problem, a game, etc.
• Preview (set up) that critical input experience think KWL strategy
• Organize students into groups - have specific operating rules
• Present in small chunks, ask for descriptions, discussion and predictions
• Ask questions to have student elaborate - find key factors and misconceptions
• Write out conclusions or represent learning nonlinquistically
• Reflect!

How I've used this in my classroom:

Student Choice

I created the following sheet for each of my learning objectives or goals:

I give students the choice of how they best acquire new learning, practice their learning and demonstrate understanding.  With practice students are able to develop their own educational plan with my help and guidance that best sets them up for success.  Being able to run a "flipped classroom" was a huge piece of this puzzle since students could access direct instruction at their pace and readiness.

See my other posts on Personalized learning:
Personalized learning for every student
Stumpteacher rocked my world

Variety of input

As students progress through the year I opened up my "acquire" phase to many new ideas of learning and student engagement.  I attended a conference where I had the chance to meet and listen to Alfred Solis.  His model of Project/Problem based learning totally rocked my thinking.

His current work with PBLU.org is shaking up the process of how I think about engaging kids in new learning.  Too often we think about rewarding students with the field trip at the end of the learning.  Alfred challenges us to Flip that, and use the field trip as the starting off point, the problem statement, the hook that gets kids interested and engaged.  See his video below:

For more of his GREAT! stuff and his thinking around Problem/Project based learning check out:

New Ways to Solving Problems

Today I attended the Cathy Fosnot training for Math instruction.  Learning included: 

• Discovering new ways to solve problems
• 24 x 1.25 = (6x4) x 1.25 = 6x (4x1.25)
• 12x15 = 6x30=24x7.5= 

These conversations about solving problems differently is an OUTSTANDING way to think about problems differently.  How often through solving problems in science and social studies would we benefit from investigating HOW we solve problems and then finding new ways to think of solutions.

All these conversations made me think of William Ury's TED talk on the walk from NO to YES.  Watch the first few minutes of this video about the livestock to get an example....

I Pay My Students.

So what?  Who cares.  They do what they are suppose to do I pay them.  Just like my job, I do what I'm suppose to do and my bank account grows.  This is the same for my students.

I pay my students in the currency that matters for them.  Part of getting to know my students is determining what they value, what their "currency" is.  I seek to pay every kid in their currency.

For some students that's free time to play video games by letting them complete their practice in class.  For others it's one-on-one attention when they need it so their voice is heard.  Building a strong relationship with your students, knowing them as individuals allows me to pay them the way that matters to them.

As a part of our 2nd and 3rd year teacher professional development we are currently reading Robyn R. Jackson's book Never Work Harder Than Your Students.

As I am preparing for my meeting with them I though I would wrap up my top ideas from chapter 1.

Master Teacher Mindset:

• Having all the answers isn't as important as know what questions to ask
• Spend more time thinking about WHY the problem is occurring than trying to find solutions
• Effective teaching happens in a myriad of ways
• We all must be masters of our subject areas

Key Questions to consider:

• Do you have an image in your head of what a "good student" looks like?
• Are you able to see beyond the attitude and uncover their abilities?
• What classroom currencies are we accepting and what currencies are students spending?
• How are we teaching the language of the dominant culture, while also giving credit to the language of the students' culture?
• How can you establish a classroom culture where collectivism trumps individualism?

Concepts from the chapter:

• There is a currency in your classroom of intellectual and cultural proportion.
• Every student is navigating the waters of how to acquire, negotiate and trade currency in your classroom.
• If students ACT the way we expect or like, they are more likely to receive favorable treatment.
• Favorable treatment includes extra help, high expectations, and access to opportunities.
• Students that ACT the way we want them to are more likely to learn.
• Students have the currency to spend in the classroom but don't see the product as valuable.
• Students have different values than teachers that impact classroom behavior.
• Beliefs and values drive behavior.
• If you don't dress the part and talk the part, you lose street cred, regardless of the neighborhood you are in Southeast or Wall Street.
• Want to be rich in life? Speak the language of the dominant culture.
• Acquiring the language of the dominant culture allows students to become more "mobile."
• Teachers need to be master "code switchers" taking curriculum and adapting/translating it to students' lives.
• Students will not spend their own currencies if they do not believe that what they will get in return is valuable.
• If you want to reward students, do it in a way that they value.
• It's not the sticker that matters, it's the fact that you cared enough to give it to them and it's from you.

Dr. Sedlacek's eight non-cognitive characteristics that are predictive of academic success (in college):

1. Positive self-concept: The confidence that leads to the determination to succeed.
2. Realistic self-appraisal: The ability to accurately assess your own strengths and weaknesses and to use this assessment to further your own development.
3. Successful navigation of the system: Knowing how to access resources and how to use the system to help you achieve your goals.
4. Preference for long-term goals: Knowing how to set and achieve long-term goals, delay gratification, and persevere in spite of obstacles.
5. Availability of a strong support person: Finding someone to confer advice, particularly in times of crisis.
6. Leadership experience: Having the ability to organize and influence others.
7. Community involvement: Being involved in a community.
8. Knowledge acquired in and about a field: Having the explicit and implicit knowledge of a particular field of study.

Developing lessons throughout your year that works to build these 8 characteristics will benefit students past your grade level.

Conclusion

Every student looks at the agenda or learning goal and says:

1.  Is it important in my life to do well on this?

2.  Will it be fun/enjoyable to do well on it?

How are you paying your students?  Think about the currencies that students trade in your classroom and ask yourself, am I consistent with what the students value?

Whole chapter available here.

Simple Strategies for Student Engagement

That tilte is very alliterative.  I just needed thesaurus.com a new word for engagement that starts with the letter "S." I didn't like any of the options...

Our district is investigating The Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano (@robertjmarzano).  This is a review of Chapter 5.


As an aside.  I love this book.  I love it because it explains reasonings for doing each of the strategies below.  The science behind the strategy is sound but keep in mind that each piece of this puzzle has to work within your teaching personality and processes.  Doing every one of these strategies is not for everyone, in fact to some of us it just seems crazy to think about trying something like that.  Do what works for you, do what works for your kids, but NEVER be afraid to try some thing new!

From the "WELL-DUH" office:

• If you can increase student engagement, student learning and performance increases.

Simple Strategies for increasing student engagement:

• Take Brain Breaks! You can only focused for so long.  Sometimes just a change in elevation and surroundings elicit new responses and reactions.

• Increase the physical activity of the room.  If you are doing a worksheet and you are committed to doing a worksheet.  Have students move from station to station completing the worksheet one at a time.  Any increase in physical activity in your room will increase engagement.  My favorite activity I ever did was when a group of my 6th graders acted out a skit to music on the water cycle.  No words were used just music and gestures.  It was the most memorable and fun activity ever!

• Set a good pace.  Just like a race on the track setting a pace will allow you to meet your goals.  Pacing is key to the classroom.  A quick, urgent but not too fast pace keeps the room upbeat and lively.  Use music with a certain BPM can aid in keeping a solid pace.

• Use games and puzzles.  Sure you could change your entire curriculum into a game but you can also  just take your curriculum, your essential learning and turn it into a puzzle we in the class are trying to solve.  For example a science lesson may ask for students to be able to determine lights behavior when it strikes objects that are transparent, translucent and opaque.  I might change that to make it a puzzle by saying: Students will be able to determine __________ behavior when it ____________ objects that are _________, ___________, or _________.  Throughout the class we can begin filling in the blank and solving the puzzle.  By the way, actual games are fun too.  I once made a taboo and a pictionary game out of our vocabulary words and concepts from out chapter, I've never had so much fun in my life.  Everybody does Jeopardy, I wanted to be different...  I also centered my entire Force and Motion curriculum around the game Angry Birds.

• MILD Pressure is good.  Using games and activities in the classroom elicit students engagement because there is a deadline, a competition, a healthy rivalry.  Use these as motivating factors but NEVER put too much pressure that a student shuts down or becomes embarrassed.

• Wait time is key.  I watch a master teacher (my assessment of them) and when she would ask a question she would raise her arm.  While her arm was raised this was the time for students to think.  When her hand dropped she then would accept student responses or student raising their hand.  What I liked about this is it eliminated those slower to process the question and allowed every student the opportunity to think.  I am also a fan of the popsicle stick method with student names on them in a cup.  Making sure student never know when they will be called on ensures every student is engaged.

• Choral response is great for BIG ideas and main concepts.  I love asking everyone to repeat a word or phrase.  That allows every student to know this is a BIG idea.

• Controversy can be fun.  When you curriculum is centered around a BIG idea or Essential understanding what is exciting to see every student look at that concept from a different angle.  Host a friendly debate on the importance of various aspects of the BIG idea and encourage some dissonance around the issue.  This will encourage kids to debate and discuss and really investigate their personal beliefs and bias around an issue.  Everyone uses the example of global warming.  What about war in our social studies curriculum?

• Provide usual information about your concept.  When you have little tips, tricks and fun things it makes your curriculum memorable.  For example My light and sound unit I taught in 6th grade was relatively boring at first.  Every day at the end as part of my wrap up activity I left them with an optical illusion.  This was something that made the day memorable and got them thinking and talking about science.

(do you see the old or young lady?)

• Love and care about kids (not in the chapter I added it!).  I know it's odd to say Love but I'm not talking about romantic love, I mean that you arte compassionate, caring, open and honest with every student in your room.  They see you not only as their teacher but a real person that learns, makes mistakes, is fallible and true to them.  Caring and compassion are keys to a successful classroom engagement.