Let’s Stop Pretending and #makeschooldifferent

Fevereiro 2014

I have a wonder core Voxer PLN where I am able to share ideas, compare work stories and get the help I need to keep going each day.  These people give me a diverse perspective on things because we are all in different districts and have different titles.  I was challenged by Lisa DeLapo (@lisateachestech) - one of my core Voxer buddies to write a post on what educators need to stop pretending in order to #makeschooldifferent. I have seen many great posts from other wonderful educators...so here are my five:

Let’s stop pretending that talking about change but doing the same thing day after day is helping students. It is one thing to go to edcamps, conferences, Twitter chats or hear great ideas from other teacher and think about making a change - but it doesn't count until you make those changes in your classroom. Don't be afraid (see what is next) and make a change!

Let’s stop pretending that we allow our students to fail and learn from failure. I see many great graphics and retweets of "Fail Forward" or "F.A.I.L - First Attempt In Learning"...but when I talk to students they are still afraid to take a risk because they may not get an A on an assignment. We all fail, allow kids to feel safe doing it and you will get so much more out of them! Failure can be a good thing. (This is true for teachers too!)

While we are at it - let’s stop pretending that our grading procedures make sense. I have had many a conversation with teachers that refuse to give credit to a student for not turning in their HW. But this same student gets an A on every test. Was that HW necessary for the kid? Did it make a difference to anyone but you that he didn't do the work - he seemed to have learned the material. Rethink grades!

Let’s stop pretending that our students can't do it if we don't teach them how. I work in the edtech field and so many teachers won't allow students to do something on a computer because the teacher doesn't know how to do it. Let your students teach you and you will both benefit! Take a risk in front of your class! 

Let’s stop pretending that "we know what is best". We cannot possibly know everything about everything - so why act like we do? Get help from other teachers, share your learning with others, observe someone else, try a new technique in your classroom and open your doors for others to come in and observe you. Share what you are doing - via Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest or whatever platform you are comfortable with...you won't be sorry!

It took me longer to get to this challenge than I wanted to...so if you have already been challenged I apologize in advance. I challenge my friends Darren Massa (@darrenmass), Dan Bennett (@dabennett7), Dennis Grice (@dgrice), Moss Pike (@mosspike) and David Theriault (@davidedu) to give their opinion on how they would like to #makeschooldifferent

Instructional Technology

http://ets.berkeley.edu/

Technology in the classroom - all teachers have complained about it at one point or another.  It never feel as though we have what we want in our classroom in the area of technology.  You end up comparing your classroom to someone else's or something you read on Twitter, hear on Voxer or see at an edcamp.  Maybe your projector sits on a cart in the middle of your room with wires laying on the floor or you have to work out a plan 3 weeks in advance if you want to borrow the cart of computers from the teacher down the hall.  Or maybe what would make you happy is a simple document camera in your room!

These are some of the things I have been thinking about the last few weeks.  But I am looking at it with a different lens - not what I would want as a teacher, instead, what is best for the students in the classroom.  I want to move from putting technology in the hands of adults and putting it in the hands of our students.  We are very lucky in our district - a few years ago our community passed a bond that will fund many things - one of which is an upgrade to the instructional technology in our classrooms.  We are very fortunate now, but like many other districts we have some areas where we can improve.

So here I am again, comparing our classrooms to others - looking at short throw vs mounted in the ceiling projectors, interactive boards vs interactive projectors, doc cams, voice lift systems, panels on the wall to turn everything on/off and so much more.  As a teacher I use say to anyone who would listen, "Why can't they just mount my projector?  I'd do it myself if they would let me!"  Now that I am in the tech dept I understand why I was never able to just do it myself.  So many reasons - if you want to know...send me an email.

Anyway, now I am looking at the potential of using LCD screen (like the TV in your house) instead of an interactive short throw projector.  And possibly using a tablet instead of a doc cam in the classroom.  At #edcampLA last weekend I saw a great set up at Winward School in Los Angeles.  They had a 70" display at what must have been the front of the room (you couldn't tell other than the large display) and a 40" display with a whiteboard on the other three walls.  I imagined being a student in this room and I was excited!  It wouldn't matter where I sat in the class I would always be able to see the screen.  I thought about being the teacher and having students display their projects on the screens for others to see - there could be 4 mini-classes in my room all working and showing different things.  I thought I was in classroom A/V utopia!  It is difficult when you start comparing yourself to private schools that have a $35,000/year price tag!

http://explodingsink.com

Back to reality...  A few years ago I applied for a grant to buy an iPad to use in my classroom, both as a tablet and as a doc cam.  I had found some nice DIY stands that would sit on to my science demo table where I could slide the iPad in and use the camera as a doc cam.  I also asked for an Apple TV so I would be able to use AirPlay to put my images up on the screen.  I did not receive the grant - but I am looking at that option again for other teachers in our classrooms.  Why not have a tablet (it doesn't have to an iPad) as a doc cam so that you can also use it to be more mobile in the room and give you some of the interactive features of much more expensive boards or displays?  I have heard pros (mobility, apps) and cons (lighting, low megapixel camera) to this idea - but I feel the ability to use it for more than just a camera that points at the table all day long makes it a great instructional tool for teachers.

I'm not going to drone on and on about these things - but just start to think about these items in your own classroom.  If you could start over and redo your classroom AV, what is your utopia?  What do you want/need to allow students to be successful in your room?  I have talked to many others and there are many ideas.  We obviously can't put in everything everybody wants - we need to standardize  items so we can give teachers the training they need to use the equipment and so a tech can go in the room and repair the equipment if needed.  But put together a list and share it with your tech leader...it may just lead to some much needed changes in your classroom for your students!

#EdcampELA

I admit I have a problem.  I suffer from FOMO - the fear of missing out. Not really, but sometimes it feels like it!  I know I can’t be everywhere all the time and I have to find a balance between life and work - I know all of this.  But when I get on Twitter and I see people in my PLN doing awesome things and attending great events I just want to be there with them!  

Friday night while reading through my Twitter feed and I saw a post from @Glynn_ed saying that #EdcampELA in Poway was Saturday morning and not sold out!  Well Poway only about a 7 minute drive from me and I wanted to go.  I asked my wife if she was ok with taking both of our girls to dance class so I could attend another edcamp...not reminding her I am going to #EdcampOC in two weeks :)  She said yes - but asked why I wanted to go to an ELA edcamp when I teach science and am now a technology TOSA.  I didn’t really have an answer other than my FOMO condition!

So I registered on EventBright and I was ready to attend!  I arrived a little late Saturday morning - I was trying to get the kids ready for dance to make things easier for my wife.  I sat down and immediately recognized 5 other people from my Twitter PLN - one of which is the mom of a girl in my daughter’s dance class (we were both ditching dance for edcamp)!  We were asked to chat with the people at our table and I made quick friends with @SharmilaKraft and @EUSDLeighangela  We were talking so much none of us got to the session board to put up a session! I was hoping to put up a design thinking session, but it didn't happen.  But in perfect edcamp fashion it was filled by others:

Image from @JenRoberts1

The first session I attended as Leadership Supporting Teachers with CCSS.  I learned that admin are working hard to help teachers...and teachers are working hard to help students - but we are not all really sharing our ideas.  It was very interesting to hear from people from the classroom all the way to assistant superintendents - we are all trying to do the same thing, help students succeed.

@ktmartin4 and @EUSDLeighangela

taking a selfie between sessions!

My second session was Primary CCSS ELA.  I sat in on this session since I am a science and technology teacher.  I wanted to hear what people are doing for this monster in front of us - CCSS.  Most teachers felt they were behind because they are just not starting to get resources for Common Core, and they still need to go through them, modify them to fit their needs and teach the students!  I left this session with a great respect for all ELA teachers.

Session three was about Writing (I can’ remember the exact title).  I sat through it thinking that blogging would be a great tool for these teachers - but when I brought it up they let me know they don’t have the technology for the kids.  Most teachers in the room only had 1 or 2 iPads and maybe a few computers.  We talked about how they could do a class blog or try to do Google Docs to start - or even start with a paper blog.  @JenRoberts1 shared @lindayollis’s class blog and shared ideas on how they can do something similar.  Again, I left the session with a great respect for ELA teachers and how they are working hard to make students better writers!

Time for the last session of the day - Subtext (I know @HollyClarkEdu would be proud!), iPad and the Global Read Aloud.   We talked about several other great apps for students also - NewsELA, DOGO News and Tween Tribune.  Again, just another chance to meet with other teachers to hear how and why they use these tools in their classrooms.

At the end they had a modified “SLAM” session and gave away several books and prizes.  Everyone at my table won something!  But that was fine - I was there to meet people, hear what they had to say and get a better insight to the world of ELA.  A huge thank you to @Glynn_ed and @Dicarlo_edu who I know were two members of the organization team.  Overall it was a great day - and even though I had to do the dishes, make the bed and do laundry when I got home - it was worth it!  Another big thank you to Poway Unified and Midland Elementary for putting on this specialized edcamp!