Friday, January 19, 2018
Student-Created Blogs
I am excited about students creating blogs. We will initially use the blog to communicate with parents as a part of student-led conferences. Then, I will encourage students to use the blog to share their learning.
When the kids help us out...
So I went to the Computational Thinking seminar in Austin by CS for All. It was how to involve and engage students in coding and computational thinking, of course. It seemed challenging for me to do it all with 2nd graders, but I was up for it. I returned to class, and a student reminded me he had paid (tickets) to teach the class. He taught coding using Hopscotch! He made a game right before our eyes! I did nothing, except suggest it to him and offer it on a device. He later shared it was nerve wracking to teach the class, but I said it was magical. Afterwards, several girls asked to use Hopscotch as well. Yippee!
Fitting it all in...
This year I have really been struggling with fitting everything in which shouldn't be new. We don't have new TEKS, but this is the year where many new initiatives are being tried! Itslearning, Mastery Connect, Reading A-Z, MAP testing, conferencing with students one-on-one, etc.
This year I have moved my social studies lessons to Itslearning. I am thankful for the Curriculum Campouts so my teammate and I can collaborate and build content for the upcoming units. I have realized though what I plan has taken my students much longer to complete then I would like. It has taken me twice as long to cover units. The quality of the work I receive from students is not always their best effort. Students who struggle with completing work in a timely manner REALLY struggle when they are having to self-pace themselves in itslearning. This results in work not getting completed.
The students are slowly becoming more independent, however I still feel like they are still too teacher-dependent on me for their tech issues. I am trying an idea that was shared by Jennifer Roberts at Edcamp by creating a screencasting video with instructions. My hopes are that this will eliminate cries for help and I can focus on my small groups or conferencing with students.
As I drive home from work, I reflect on how the day went. How can I re-work/re-structure my time with students to meet with more of them! Monday I am going back to the station rotation model, so all of my students can get time to work on MAP Skills.
DLC 2018
So as if this week wasn't crazy enough with a holiday and two snow days I was out all day yesterday at the DLC Region 4 was hosting. I was tempted to cancel my plans to attend yesterday thankfully I went. This conference was like a mini ISTE and my brain is still on overload. I wanted to share a few snipits from the event including some apps, websites and people to check out!! We wrapped the day up by hearing from author and principal Todd Nesloney (follow him on twitter). He blew me away we also got a signed copy of his book Kids Deserve it which I have started reading and can't put down! He was so inspiring and I needed that this time of year when all I really want is coffee and sleep or just sleep that would be great. So here are my notes hopefully they will be useful!!
Morning Keynote: Leslie Fisher
Leslie presented a very though
provoking keynote on her journey as a struggling learner and how it lead her to
self-discover her learning style and the need for differentiated learning. She shared various websites, apps and gadgets
that really stood out to me which I wanted to share.
NEWSELA - is a data base of current events stories
tailor-made for classroom use. Indexed by broad theme (e.g. War and Peace,
Arts, Science, Health, Law, Money), stories are both student-friendly and can
be accessed in different formats by reading level. Use Newsela to differentiate nonfiction reading.
Open Dyslexic Font - OpenDyslexic
is a new open source font created to increase readability for readers with
dyslexia. The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic styles.
It is being updated continually and improved based on input from dyslexic
users. OpenDyslexic is free for Commercial and Personal use.
Seeing AI - Seeing AI is a free app that narrates the world around you.
Designed for the blind and low vision community, this ongoing research project
harnesses the power of AI to open up the visual world and describe nearby
people, text and objects.
Optimized for use with VoiceOver, the app enables you to recognize:
• Short Text - Speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera.
• Documents - Provides audio guidance to capture a printed page, and recognizes the text, along with its original formatting.
• Products - Scans barcodes, using audio beeps to guide you; hear the name, and package information when available. (Works with iPhone 6 and later)
• People - Saves people’s faces so you can recognize them, and get an estimate of their age, gender, and emotions.
• Scenes (early preview) - Hear an overall description of the scene captured.
• Currency - Recognizes currency notes. (Requires iOS 11)
• Color - Identifies color.
• Handwriting - Reads handwritten text like in greeting cards
• Light - Generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness in the surroundings.
• Images in other apps - Just tap “Share” and “Recognize with Seeing AI” to describe images from Mail, Photos, Twitter, and more.
Optimized for use with VoiceOver, the app enables you to recognize:
• Short Text - Speaks text as soon as it appears in front of the camera.
• Documents - Provides audio guidance to capture a printed page, and recognizes the text, along with its original formatting.
• Products - Scans barcodes, using audio beeps to guide you; hear the name, and package information when available. (Works with iPhone 6 and later)
• People - Saves people’s faces so you can recognize them, and get an estimate of their age, gender, and emotions.
• Scenes (early preview) - Hear an overall description of the scene captured.
• Currency - Recognizes currency notes. (Requires iOS 11)
• Color - Identifies color.
• Handwriting - Reads handwritten text like in greeting cards
• Light - Generates an audible tone corresponding to the brightness in the surroundings.
• Images in other apps - Just tap “Share” and “Recognize with Seeing AI” to describe images from Mail, Photos, Twitter, and more.
AR Flashcards - Welcome
to a new world of Flashcards. AR Flashcards make learning the Alphabet fun with
the technology of Augmented Reality! AR Flashcards are a new way to interact
and make Flashcards more entertaining for toddlers and preschoolers. With AR
Flashcards, learning the Alphabet will be fun! When you point your device at
the printed flashcard a beautifully rendered 3D animal will pop up on the
screen. Tap the animal to hear the letter and animal name.
Google
Translate - Another cool feature is the app's ability
to translate text in
an image via your mobile device's camera. First, choose the source and target
languages. Then tap on the camera icon. ... The source language is then translated into
the target language, viewable right on the screen of your mobile device.
Gadgets – A presentation on useful techie tools to
enhance your teaching and learning opportunities. https://lesliefisher.com/handouts/gadgets_fisher.pdf
What if
students felt important and empowered every time they walked into the building?
What if parents looked forward to calls from their children's teachers and
principals, instead of cringing when the school's number popped up on their
phones?
To Todd
Nesloney and Adam Welcome, those aren't far-fetched what ifs; they can (and
should) be a reality for every teacher, school, parent, and student.
In Kids Deserve It!, Todd and Adam encourage you to think big and make
learning fun and meaningful for students. While you're at it, you just might
rediscover why you became an educator in the first place.
Learn why you should be calling parents to praise
your students (and employees).
Discover ways to promote family interaction and
improve relationships for kids at school and at home.
Be
inspired to take risks, shake up the status quo, and be a champion for your
students.
#KidsDeserveIt
As educators we give our all for
our students. They become like our own children with whom our hearts break
alongside of, we laugh and eat together, we give up hours of our time to help,
and we lose sleep over often.
And I think just about every year
we all have “that” student. That one we work tirelessly to
reach. Either academically or emotionally we throw everything we have
at them. Every time honored and research based practice or tool and even
every skill we’ve learned ourselves along the way.
But sometimes no matter how hard
we try, it’s like we get no where. And in those moments, if you’re like me, you’ve probably blamed yourself. In those times I’ve thought, “what am I missing that I can’t reach this child?” or “do they not see how much I care or
how hard I’m working for them? Why won’t they meet me half-way”.
When I started in education I had
this unspoken belief that it was my job to save every student that was given to
me.
And if I didn’t “save” them (emotionally or academically) then I failed as a teacher.
And honestly, I felt like I failed as a caring, concerned, educated person in
general.
Then I remember listening to an
educator I respect and what he said has stuck with me for years. He said, “You can’t save every child that comes into
your classroom. And that’s not your job. Your job is to love them and educate
them to the best of your ability”.
That lifted such a weight off me
for some reason. Just to know that I wasn’t terrible just because I didn’t
“save” all my students. And I want to make something clear
though, I didn’t hear what he said as a reason to not try my hardest for every
student. I didn’t understand it as saying we shouldn’t give our everything no matter
what. Not at all.
I think of education like planting
a field. It may have been my job to till the soil. I may be the one planting the
seed.
I may be the person who is watering it daily. Or even better yet, I may be the
one watching it grow and harvesting the fruits of our labor. But I don’t have to be all of those people.
That’s a hard thing for those of
us who are elementary educators. So often, we are the ones tilling
the soil and planting the seed, but we don’t always see the growth. That was made even more clear to
me when a student from my first year of teaching (over 10 years ago) reached
out to me last summer for the first time since leaving my classroom, just to
tell me he was graduating and the impact I had left on him when he was in 4th
grade. A student I worked tirelessly for and never felt like I reached him.
We may not be able to save them
all.
Some of them may have pain too deep or educational gaps too large for just one
person to fill. But if all of us are giving everything we have to each child
who walks through our doors, one of us will reach them. And in the end, as long
as someone reached them, we did our job.
At this point in the year many
educators are exhausted. They’re worn out from the beginning of
the school year and the hard work that entails. And some of us may also be at
that point with “that” student where we just don’t know what to do anymore. Here’s what I say, when you’re at that point, just love them.
Show up every day, give them a clean slate, and love them unconditionally. And tell them. Don’t just show them.
And continue to try new ideas, new
tools, new resources. And lean on your colleagues.
We’re all in this together. Whether we plant the seed or
harvest the crop, our job is to educate and love these children. Even the ones
we might not be able to save while they’re in our classroom. ~ From Todd’s Blog
So I DON'T have to be there.....
As we visit, laugh, talk, have coffee and get re-energized with a new group of excited learners, I want to feel like my students NEED me to be there and their world won't continue until I get back.
Then I log in here....
Then I log in here....
and I see Period 6 is working on their molecule playlist.
I want to feel SO needed that I think I'll check Discovery Education....
Really????? Period 5 - working as if I was there and giving "the look".
One more attempt to capture my need back at school while I visit with two wonderful daughters, lots of old friends and many new friends (who have the same foot swirl that I do with a blue card in our hand).....
Period 4 - 😤 is anyone NOT working??? ......On three different playlists at the same time, no less.
Thank you Vanguard for this opportunity to empower my students and enjoy a day with colleagues, learn new stuff and get excited about moving into a new year with a great group.
The Messy Middle
This year I took on the challenge of being a part of a shift in education by helping launch the Endeavour program at our school. Half way through the year I feel like I am in the messy middle of our new program.
When you start something new you feel excited, nervous, happy, scared, excited again, and ready to get started. Then you start actually going through the process of planning this new adventure - what will the schedule look like, how are we going to get computers in their hands, what skills do they need to succeed beyond being a middle school student, how will I structure my lessons and room so they have flexibility in their learning path and pace, and the list of questions grows. As you start to develop some answers to those questions and set up systems you realize that some things are working and other things need to change. Then you get in the middle of the work as a teacher where you now have to manage students throughout the lesson process, grade work, communicate with parents, plan the next unit, reflect on the past unit, add more components to the process, and start planning on scaling for next year.
The messy middle is where I start to doubt myself. I feel like this year I have some of the best relationships with students through our use of community time. We are helping students collaborate with one another through team challenges, track their learning using data, giving them skills to succeed by being organized and responsible digital citizens, empathizing with one another and reflecting on their own experiences through circle conversations, and celebrating our successes along the way. I also feel like this is the year I am struggling with content. Perhaps it is teaching a new grade level, developing lessons with multiple levels and modalities, changing my typical lesson plan structure, having a room full of students doing different things all the time, or all of the above. This is where I have to look for the small victories to remind myself that even though this is work - it is important work I am doing. I am changing the way I teach and I am changing the way my students learn.
This morning I heard a quote from a mother as I was listening to Story Corps on NPR. Unfortunately I did not catch her name to credit her properly but her words really spoke to me about where I am in this journey - "It's not a fairy tale, it's not a failure, it's a process." This year is definitely a process, one that I am proud to be a part of and one that I know will make our education system better.
When you start something new you feel excited, nervous, happy, scared, excited again, and ready to get started. Then you start actually going through the process of planning this new adventure - what will the schedule look like, how are we going to get computers in their hands, what skills do they need to succeed beyond being a middle school student, how will I structure my lessons and room so they have flexibility in their learning path and pace, and the list of questions grows. As you start to develop some answers to those questions and set up systems you realize that some things are working and other things need to change. Then you get in the middle of the work as a teacher where you now have to manage students throughout the lesson process, grade work, communicate with parents, plan the next unit, reflect on the past unit, add more components to the process, and start planning on scaling for next year.
The messy middle is where I start to doubt myself. I feel like this year I have some of the best relationships with students through our use of community time. We are helping students collaborate with one another through team challenges, track their learning using data, giving them skills to succeed by being organized and responsible digital citizens, empathizing with one another and reflecting on their own experiences through circle conversations, and celebrating our successes along the way. I also feel like this is the year I am struggling with content. Perhaps it is teaching a new grade level, developing lessons with multiple levels and modalities, changing my typical lesson plan structure, having a room full of students doing different things all the time, or all of the above. This is where I have to look for the small victories to remind myself that even though this is work - it is important work I am doing. I am changing the way I teach and I am changing the way my students learn.
This morning I heard a quote from a mother as I was listening to Story Corps on NPR. Unfortunately I did not catch her name to credit her properly but her words really spoke to me about where I am in this journey - "It's not a fairy tale, it's not a failure, it's a process." This year is definitely a process, one that I am proud to be a part of and one that I know will make our education system better.
Soooo... Here we go. My first Blog!!!!
I am currently a teacher at a high school here in Houston and have been accepted into the Vanguard Family. What is Vanguard you ask... Well, I asked the exact same question. In my interview I was asked a stream of questions about technology... And, as any good teacher would think to him/herself, "What!?!?! More technology." You see, the education world is being infiltrated with technology on every side. Phones appear in your classroom like cockroaches, administrations wants to know what you have posted, when you posted, how you posted, and you can be expected to learn a new software program, app, LMS, etc to use about every 6 months. Como crazy!!!
Needless to say, I was nervous. What had I signed up for?
Umm... something wonderful.
This group consists of teachers and administrators from all campuses with the sole purpose of making better teachers and therefore better classrooms.
I have changed the way I think about education, my classroom, and my instruction in a way I did not see possible. They started with having us created a design journey. We had to find a problem in our class or campus and create a way to solve the issue. I have never been so stressed, stretched, and scared. I had insecurities creeping out of every place possible. Yet, due to the loving and consistent push from our leaders, I completed my project. We turned my room from lime green walls with purple chairs (charming, I know), and less than 2 feet of space for walking between chairs into a spacious scientific learning center. I am so pleased with the changes. I am not finished by any means and have about 3 more tasks to complete, but I have had about 20 students from last year come and ask, "Why didn't you change the room for us? This is so much better!" Oh yeah, huge complement from a 17 year old; or at least that's how I chose to take it. Oh yeah, with all the added space, I have room for my amazingly stellar wheelchair bound kiddo! No more pushing, fussing, to get to a desk. Whoop whoop.
Here's to a great start! Hope you all complete your task, no matter how long, how frightening, or how daunting it may seem. Cheers!
I am currently a teacher at a high school here in Houston and have been accepted into the Vanguard Family. What is Vanguard you ask... Well, I asked the exact same question. In my interview I was asked a stream of questions about technology... And, as any good teacher would think to him/herself, "What!?!?! More technology." You see, the education world is being infiltrated with technology on every side. Phones appear in your classroom like cockroaches, administrations wants to know what you have posted, when you posted, how you posted, and you can be expected to learn a new software program, app, LMS, etc to use about every 6 months. Como crazy!!!
Needless to say, I was nervous. What had I signed up for?
Umm... something wonderful.
This group consists of teachers and administrators from all campuses with the sole purpose of making better teachers and therefore better classrooms.
I have changed the way I think about education, my classroom, and my instruction in a way I did not see possible. They started with having us created a design journey. We had to find a problem in our class or campus and create a way to solve the issue. I have never been so stressed, stretched, and scared. I had insecurities creeping out of every place possible. Yet, due to the loving and consistent push from our leaders, I completed my project. We turned my room from lime green walls with purple chairs (charming, I know), and less than 2 feet of space for walking between chairs into a spacious scientific learning center. I am so pleased with the changes. I am not finished by any means and have about 3 more tasks to complete, but I have had about 20 students from last year come and ask, "Why didn't you change the room for us? This is so much better!" Oh yeah, huge complement from a 17 year old; or at least that's how I chose to take it. Oh yeah, with all the added space, I have room for my amazingly stellar wheelchair bound kiddo! No more pushing, fussing, to get to a desk. Whoop whoop.
Here's to a great start! Hope you all complete your task, no matter how long, how frightening, or how daunting it may seem. Cheers!
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