Taylor Launter, is that you?!

Going to NYC this weekend... hope I don't run into THIS guy!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words...

I think it is extremely important to use visuals to support your instruction, as long as you plan and use them deliberately.   When you consider your students’ diverse needs and strengths, adding text and speech can make learning easier and more accessible for them.  Adding pictures, youtube videos or movie clips to engage students and target their interests is essential, especially for the success of our 21^st century learners. I came across a blog called “Assistive Technology: Access to Literacy” that used an awesome goanimate.com video to explain why it is important to use visuals to support your instruction.   In the video it recommends allowing students to create their own digital stories, which I think is an amazing idea.  Offering students this option, allows them to express their ideas and knowledge through creative thinking and problem solving;  as well as provides students with a very tangible product!

As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words…”

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EdReach Podcast

I recently watched episode #31 – “Schools Need Social Media Directors?!” on EdReach and although I found sections of the episode really interesting, overall I’m not sure I found it worth the hour plus I spent listening/watching.  At the beginning of the episode, the host, Dan Rezac, facilitated a really interesting conversation asking each participant if they had to choose one device for one-to-one technology what it would be.  The overall consensus was that it was not a “one size fits all” but rather depended on what was going to be done on it.   The educators also shared their favorite educational video clip, responses included a natgeotv.com documentary clip, a Bill Cosby commencement speech and the old “Prelude to War”, a well-known historical film used as propaganda during WWII.  Towards the end of the podcast, the participants demoed new technology they’ve come across that they have/are going to use in the classroom, which was cool. The last few minutes consisted of a RoundTable discussing the recent hiring of a Social Media Director in a California school district. 

I personally am not a huge fan of talk radio, so I’m not surprised this wasn’t my favorite activity.  I LOVE the idea of my students creating their own podcasts to share their knowledge, and I think it can be really beneficial for them to watch/listen to certain podcasts.  I wouldn’t disregard podcasts entirely as a source of professional learning in the future, but it probably wouldn’t be my first choice. 

Thoughts on Podcasts....

I definitely think that podcasts can enhance/support your classroom instruction.  I think that giving students the option to create their own podcast is a fun and unique way to show off what they’ve learned.  Once the students record, you could also post the podcasts on the class blog so parents and family can listen to find out what the students are covering in class.  Resources are probably the most obvious barrier though – in order to create a podcast you need a way to record the students, and depending on your school, this may not be an option.  Like anything new, the students will need detailed training and modeling in order to properly use the equipment, but I think the time spent in the beginning to go through the necessary training is well worth the excitement the results will yield. 

Students Thrive on Cooperation and Problem Solving!

“Good projects engage students on their own need to know in tackling complex problems and working in teams to generate solutions, products, and presentations.” – Bob Pearlman

This article provided me with a lot more insight as to what Project Based Learning is and how it works.  After initially hearing about PBL, I just assumed that it simply including more activities to spice things up, but really it is a whole new level, requiring students to think even deeper and engage in more rigorous and complex problem solving.  I loved the approach by the New Technology High School in Napa, CA:

·         To learn collaboration, work in teams.

·         To learn critical thinking, take on complex problems.

·         To learn oral communication, present.

·         To learn written communication, write.

·         To learn technology, use technology.

·         To develop citizenship, take on civic and global issues.

·         To learn about careers, do internships.

·         To learn content, research and do all of the above.

Breaking down the elements of PBL like this really makes it easier to comprehend and feel more attainable to the “average” educator.  Providing opportunities for fantastic projects and engaging collaboration isn’t enough though – students (like anyone else) need constant, real-time assessment and feedback.  As a teacher, if we expect students to be engaged and to direct/monitor their learning then we need to be willing and able to provide them with this type of feedback; it will also create more accurate assessments for us.  The article has a great point – “globalization is flattening the world” and our students are going to need a lot more than the traditional academic subjects to be successful in the long run.

TEDxPhilly - Chris Lehmann

“High school isn’t preparation for life, the lives you live matter now!” – Chris Lehmann

I thought Chris Lehmann on TEDxPhilly made some pretty good points – school should open students’ minds to critical thinking and ideas, teaching them how to live, not just how to work.  I loved his ideas on benchmark projects instead of benchmark testing to end each quarter, encouraging students to create something that matters in order to teach their teacher, class, etc is so much more meaningful and real.  With that being said, I think it increases the quality and thoughtfulness of their work if students know someone besides their teacher is going to see it.  This is why blogs and websites like school tube are so important, so students can share their work, as well as see the work of other students.  We constantly emphasize to our students that they matter, and what they say is important, and what better way to show that than to share their ideas with the world!

The NuTs and BoLtS of 21st Century Teaching

Reading this post gave me goose bumps… seriously! I wanted to jump up and down and shout, “YES!! THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO!!” 

The collaborative learning that Shelley describes is amazing and she brings up several strong points that aren’t given nearly enough thought on a day to day basis.  Discussing with students WHY they’re learning something, or even why they’re learning it a particular way is essential to keeping the information relevant and the students engaged.  I loved her constant use of class brainstorming, and utilizing post it notes is a great way to show how flexible and fluid brainstorming should be! 

I thought Shelley made a great observation regarding her students’ attitude while they were outlining their topics; by 10^th grade, they had become so accustomed to the idea that if they “wait long enough, they’ll be rescued” by the teacher or a classmate.  With the fast pace of the classroom, it can be difficult as a teacher to sit back and give your students time to process the information and come up with a solution.   I also thought it was interesting when Shelley commented that she had to facilitate conversations her students didn’t know how to have and model skills like decision making.  It reminds you that skills like these aren’t necessarily innate, but rather come with experience and practice.  I don’t think it is ever too early to provide this type of opportunity for students.

Finally, I loved Shelley’s closing remarks, “Collaborating. Communicating. Connecting.” Three simple words that represent a whole “culture” and way of teaching - I think it would actually be perfect for a class slogan!