All Work, No Play, Makes a Teacher.....

Much is said about the fact that teachers (technically) have two months off!  Truth be told, most of us find some kind of summer job to keep a paycheck coming in.  Others take on the daunting task of full time parenthood.  As a mother of two active boys, I often tried to unionize the other mothers on the beach to fight for a 35 minute, duty-free lunch….but alas!

Hit the Refresh Button

Many of us do try to schedule a vacation “while we have the time”…and there is something to be said for traveling.  Getting away in a tent, motorhome, bed and breakfast or hotel, gives you time to refresh and sometime to build memories with your own children.  Often our destinations are selected to fuel our passions – for art, history, or the great out of doors

Teachers in the Real World

The fact is, you need life experiences to be a teacher.  How can you relate the reasons for learning something or offer authentic experiences if you don’t have any yourself?  Even going through a museum –the same museum you have been to many times with students- is a different experience when you are not spending the whole time counting heads!   Why, you can even read some of the signage!  There are so many opportunities that you use to connect your life experiences to the world to academics in the classroom.   

In addition, it is also good for your students to actually know you have a life.  How many times have you seen the look on a kids face when they “catch” you outside the building?  There is usually a look of shock, a whisper to their mom, “That’s Mrs. Wozniak,” followed by a big grin that they have somehow caught you in the act of living.   Of course, the encounter usually happens when you are buying toilet paper in Shoprite, having a beer at the bowling alleys or sunning yourself on the nude beach (just seeing if you are paying attention – I actually wear one of those 1920’s bathing suits with the pantaloons unless I have left the state, but I digress. )

The bottom line is that, teachers do have two months outside of the classroom, but it seems like we never stop thinking about it.  Once we have hit the refresh button, our minds go back to the many possibilities for connections in the classroom.  How does taking a break make YOU a better teacher?

Election Issues and Critical Thinking Resources

Can there be any other time when critical thinking is more needed than election time?  When we talk about critical thinking in schools, we are talking about getting kids to analyze their thoughts, to see and consider other perspectives.  You really need to look no further than the headlines to find great authentic topics for students to discuss, write persuasively, and learn their facts about!

Want a great unbiased resource for those hot topics?  Procon.org is a great place to start!  Procon.org has got a long list of “controversial” topics perfect for getting kids involved in real life research, reading and discussions!  Here are some examples of how critical thinking ties into your curriculum and can help your students to understand the importance of their vote!:

Social Studies

Procon.org has got a great section devoted to the elections.  Start with this great quiz, 2012 Presidential Quiz:  Find your Match, which asks students their opinions on issues and matches them to the candidates (including the Independents).  What a great way for students to see the issues!  You do not have to answer all the questions and you can see what candidate most closely aligns to your way of thinking.  It also points out how important it is to understand the issues before you vote!  There is another section which lists all the issues and where each candidate stands, in their own words.  There is even a “procon” on voting machines!   

Although social studies is the obvious place to start, there is not one subject area that we teach that does not tie into election issues.   What a great way to get students (and maybe even voters) to understand the relevance of what you teach!

Science

Take a look at the “procons” of the environmental issues that separate the candidates including the environment, energy, geneticially modified foods, etc.  A great answer as to “why do we have to know this?”   Have them discover how the laws and policies of our government depend on good science and impact your life.   There are “procons” for climate change, vaccines for kids, alternative energy vs fossil fuels, the safety of cell phones,and more. 

Health

Health care in general is always in the headlines.  Besides health care policies, there are “procons” on the drinking age, DARE, medical marijuana, obesity, and vaccines.  There are even some on sports – drug use, college football playoffs and whether golf is a sport. 

Math

Take a look at all the numbers in these facts on climate change!   Seems like there are tons of relevant math questions you could come up with based on those facts.  And think about it, they would be talking about real numbers, not just apples, oranges, and trains! 

Language arts:

There are some great topics for reading and writing:  Why not start with topics in education? They could not be any more relevant!  Check out the "procon" on “Are standardized tests improving education?”  Other hot topics include:  video games and violence, social networking, and immigration. They have some great Language Arts lessons plans that hit on the national standards.

The lesson plans they provide hit on national standards in a number of areas.  They even suggest using online discussion boards.  The SCAN online discussion tool at www.tregoed.org will not only allow students to discuss the issues, but it will guide them to clarify them, assess what’s important and come up with an action plan.  There are facts on over 43 controversial issues.  Looks like a SCAN session waiting to happen to me!  Now that’s critical thinking at its best!   Help your students understand the issues and understand the relevance of what they are learning in school.   After all “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts."
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and US Senator (D-NY)
(1927-2003)

Implementing BYOT: A Great Critical Thinking Activity

I love to visit classrooms this time of year. Both students and teachers are excited and hopeful about what they will be doing in the coming year. This year the Mt. Olive Middle School will be implementing a new BYOT program. Starting in November, students in grade 8 and 9 will be able to Bring in their Own Technology and use it in their core content area classrooms.

This of course brings up a number of issues from all kinds of perspectives. Melissa Blitzstein, teaching a new course called 8^th Grade Seminar (focusing on research and writing skills) and Cynthia Cassidy, Media Specialist (ultimately involved in the implementation) decided this was the perfect opportunity and high interest complex topic they were looking for to kick off student researching and writing! What a great way to involve students in authentic and relevant problem solving!

They recognized that successful implementation of a complex undertaking like BYOT, requires a true collaborative effort by parents, policy makers, IT personnel, curriculum specialists, teachers and administrators, each of which have different issues and concerns that need to be addressed. Although there is information about other districts' implementation, every district is different. Different demographics, budgets, staff members, etc. all play into the program’s success.

Why not let students take a crack at it?

Blistzstein and Cassidy developed a great activity based on these Key Points in English Language Arts from the Common Core Standards:

· The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest grades.

· Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in depth research —is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis and presentation of findings is so often critical.

Students began the project by researching BYOT programs and their successful implementation then selected a perspective to represent in the collaboration. Roles included 8^th grade student, parent, teacher, and US Department of Education. Cassidy and Blitzstein posted the problem and perspectives in the SCAN tool at TregoEd. When I walked into the classroom, the students were highly engaged in the discussion using the private online discussion tool which walks them through SCAN (See the issues, Clarify the issues, Ask, what’s most important, and Now, what should be done?). Of course, you do not need the tool to have students go through the process, but it is a powerful way to get ALL students in on the conversation!

Students at work!

They had written logical arguments based on their perspective and were using sound reasoning and relevant evidence to support their claims. Their issues ranged from cheating and possible theft of devices to bandwidth and teacher training! Their research had added depth to their understanding of the situation – giving true authenticity to “Research –short focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace)” as this was precisely the work that had to be done “in the workplace.”

Developing a plan

As I circulated around the room, many were working on the last step where they were creating some great suggestions for policies and actions that will address the concerns that their classmates had brought up. They were talking about insurance policies, collecting IP addresses, classroom rules and board policies. They understood that they now had valid input in the district discussion and would have an understanding of both the “what and the why” of district policies that would be put in place. They had a plan! (We can only hope that those who were tackling this problem in the district were using the same process. District leaders trained in TregoED’s Situation Appraisal would find the process would result in great decisions and a sure fire implementation plan)

High interest=high engagement

It was exciting to see how engaged kids were in the research and the writing when given a high interest problem that touched their lives. They took their roles seriously as they knew their input would be heard through Ms. Blitzstein.

How have your students been involved in the success of your BYOD or BYOT programs? Do your students take part in school problem solving?

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and into the Learning Zone

I worked with a colleague on an open-ended challenge this past spring….the MMS Mission.  She was a G&T teacher with a background in Language arts and the science content of the Magnetospheric MultiScale Mission and technology options were a bit out of her comfort zone.  Students were asked to determine why this mission, launching in 2014 is relevant to their lives and to find a way to share what they learned with the world.  I assured her that her students would rise to the challenge and learn the technology part on their own.  It was a stretch for both students and teacher, but the results were amazing!  (Check out some of their projects under the Student Sample Challenge Solutions tab)

The teacher’s assessment of the project:

“I do have to tell you that it was very exciting for me to do this project!   Way out of my comfort zone!   I learned so much about the magnetosphere and about learning!  As educators we are programmed to be the expert of the subject matter.  After a lifetime of teaching, I am thinking that it is stifling. 

Most of my students gained so much from this experience!  There were some who wanted the road map, the requirements, the RUBRIC etc., I get that.  But the curious and the "gifted" really loved the learning and the creating.”

The students' assessment of the Challenge:

“I like the way that our teams were able to collaborate.  Also, we had free reign over the project’s actions.  Finally, we had time and were encouraged to use social media in school.”

“I like that this challenge was actually a challenge.  It caused us to work harder and faster, challenging us to learn more.” 

“I liked how it was a project for the real world instead of just in the classroom.  I learned more ways to share my work and make it public.”

“I loved the flexibility and challenge of the challenge.  Because we had really no guidelines, my creativity was at its maximum.  That is why I’m very proud of my xtranormal animation video.”

“Throughout my journey with the MMS Challenge, I had learned about more than simply the magnetosphere.  For instance, I learned about commitment, teamwork, responsibility, listening, taking advantage of given tools, etc.  The livebinder provided my group and I with a handful of tools and features that we could learn how to use then use.  This gave me a sense of the unique possibilities that could easily be found and used for the largest or smallest of projects.  I was given the feel for the community connected by the internet and web.  …I learned about technology in the real world, the everyday life of a scientist working for NASA.  I had a taste of a dream”

Wow!  Is that powerful or what?  Imagine giving your students a “taste of a dream?”  Having them enjoy the “challenge” of being pushed? 

Here is what I learned:

1.     You do not have to wait to be comfortable with something.  Take the risk.  Teachers do not have to be experts in all content areas or perfect.  Resources abound! 

2.     Let them share!  One of the keys to the great enthusiasm, creativity and care taken in this project by students resulted from the knowledge that projects would be shared with the world (one of the criteria).  Want to see some of their projects?  Link to video.  Link to livebinder

3.     Let them choose.  Students loved being allowed to select the medium of their project.  They were encouraged to select a “career path” – artist, physicist, writer, or engineer to help spread the word about the mission.    

4.     You do not have to be a techno-geek.  Students were given a long list of 2.0 tools listed by function that they might use (web-site developing, video production, blogs, animation sites, etc.).  Not one student asked for directions!  They just get on and go (my get on and go is considerable slower than theirs, but I find that there is a video for everything!).

5.     Challenge yourself and your students.   Both teachers and students were excited to learn the challenging vocabulary involved with the MMS mission.  Push each other to learn a little more!

Keep on Teaching: Great EOY Activities

My first principal (I broke in quite a few over the years) had a few tenets that he swore by.  One of them was “DON’T STOP TEACHING” (this was before capital letters were considered offensive).  At the end of each year, he had a (typed) memo that he gave us with a list of 35 things that you had to do to get your last paycheck:  inventory your room, collect books, turn in summer address, turn in your technology (which consisted of an overhead and filmstrip projector) and a host of other things.  Tucked in amongst those items at item # 17 was “DON’T STOP TEACHING.”  It was good advice, students were bored with busy work or erasing the marks out of their books.  I found giving them meaningful collaborative tasks (besides erasing the blackboard/whiteboard/hard drive), kept them learning and kept me sane!

 Now is a great time to break out some simple technology infused activities to jazz up your final days.  Here are somethings I have tried:

Vocab Videos:  Borrowing the idea from the Vocab Video site that features great videos done by students to illustrate SAT vocabulary words, I had my students make a short video for any of the vocabulary words we used all year.  Using the videos from site as a model, my understood the basic format expected.  They came up with great, creative work, using webcams, cell phones or whatever video equipment and Windows Movie Maker.   We shared them in class and have saved them to share with future classes.  A great review for them, appropriate for any subject area, and you can even have students vote on them using www.polleverywhere to award Oscars.  Your students will be engaged until the last bell of the last day!

Want to keep kids writing?

There are more than 59 different engaging tools at readwritethink.org.  You can have students make comic strips, do “Eye on Idioms,” write poetry, generate trading cards for characters, etc.  These simple and engaging tools even come with lesson plans!  They do not require registration, just send them to the site and they are off!

You could have students write a newspaper article/press release  about all they accomplished this year and use the very simple “newsclipping generator”  to turn it into a newspaper clipping.

How about keeping them reading?

You’ll find lots of great articles geared for kids interests at tweentribune.  Students will find highly engaging articles in their area of interest:  fashion, food, movies, animals, school, science, health, sports, technology, US or World.  Articles, geared to kids, range from teachers eating bugs (who would not want to read about that?) or elephants playing harmonicas.   Have them find an article in their interest area and write a blog entry on it.

Looking for some Math activities? 

Have them watch some of these Mathsnacks or develop their own?

 

Looking for more low tech?

Check out these Top 12 Effective End of the Year Activities from Teachhub.  You’ll find a great list of ideas to chose from. 

Of course, students love using social media type tools like the SCAN discussion tool at TregoED or CollaborizeClassroom.  You can engage your students in guided online discussions on issues that concern them – like locker searches, bullying or cell phones in school as they read write and think critically.
New blog:  Check out "Engaging Activities for the Home Stretch" for a few more suggestions and take a look at these great sites to keep students engaged in the final hours!

The bottom line is that getting students involved in engaging tech infused activities can “keep them learning” until the last bell has rung.  What has worked for you?

Can you prepare kids for testing AND teach them to think?

A friend of mine was substituting in a classroom yesterday with students taking a practice NJASK test.  The students were writing in response to an article about changing Pluto’s status from a planet to a dwarf planet.   She was left speechless after reading the students' responses.  They wrote things that were totally off the topic, drew ridiculous conclusions, and most did not answer the question, etc.  She noticed that the students were using an acronym to help them with the mechanics of writing.  The mechanics did not seem to be the problem.  She was really shocked at the student’s inability to come up with reasonable content in their writing.

Community Reading Assignments
In discussing this with a colleague, it was mentioned that a neighboring school starts each week with an article that every student, teacher and administrator reads.   This seems like a pretty powerful practice to me, especially if teachers and students were using a critical thinking process that gave them a common vocabulary to discuss it.  What a great way to get kids reading, give adults connections, start conversations, develop critical thinking (and of course, raise those test scores)! 

SCANning Complex Situations
Having a set of common questions for all complex situations is a great way to get students in the habit of thinking and helping them develop content for their writing.   Who might have a point of view or opinion on the topic?  Who are the stakeholders?  What are some of the issues?  Which issues are most important?  What do you think should be done?  These higher order thinking questions are the basis for SCAN, the critical thinking strategy from TregoED.  (See the issues, Clarify the issues, Ask what’s important, and Now, what should be done?)  Getting kids reading informational text and SCANning is an excellent way to give kids practice for high stakes testing.  Giving them articles with relevance and of high interest is part of the equation.  Many of our students know how to write, they get the mechanics, but how do they learn “what to write?”  That takes some critical and creative thinking.

Technology Makes it Easy
How can teachers fit one more thing in the day?  Why not use social media and discussion platforms to deliver the articles and start the discussions?  Leveraging student enthusiasm for writing in social media platforms, complete with the ability to share and respond to others' writing is a great way to get students enthusiastically contributing.  The benefits are many – students are more engaged, writing for an audience of their peers is incentive for more careful writing, reading other students work gives them models to work from and it is great way to practice reading and writing short constructed responses

The SCAN Tool
Of course, using the SCAN tool at TregoED is the perfect way to get students practicing the steps of SCAN as the questions are built right into the discussion platform.  You just select a scenario (or attach an article), students pick a point of view and they enter the discussion with screen names and avatars.   Using a couple of SCAN sessions within your content area can give students a better understanding of the content area and familiarize them with the questions.    Each one of the steps progresses up the scale of higher order thinking and with student’s playing different roles they support their points of view with gusto!  SCAN has a library of lessons dealing with current events, social issues, history, and science.  These problem-based topics are perfect for getting students to look at other perspectives on hot issues while teaching them a critical thinking strategy. 

Collaborize Classroom
Collaborize Classroom also offers a discussion platform where it is easy to link and article and use the SCAN questions to start the conversation.  Bottom line, kids like to write in this kind of platform, share what they wrote and comment on each others' writing.  Practicing critical thinking with relevant informational text is a great way to get students prepared for those dreadful questions asked on high stakes testing without making them “practice taking the test!"  Technology can make it relatively painless!  A win-win!  

Keeping it Real

Terry was my mentor, my dept chair, my boss, my friend and my partner in crime (we did have a lot of fun!).  He was a master teacher.  He taught me everything I know about getting students engaged in learning.  I am not sure how he would have done up against today’s rubrics, with all the ubd’s, plc’s, and lmnop’s.  I do know that he made a difference in kid’s lives and they learned a lot from him.

Terry was all about keeping it real.  His classroom was outside.  He taught kids about all of the living things around them.  He had bee hives up on the roof of the school.  Children climbed a ladder, donned bee gear and tended those hives.  They laughed if someone got stung.  No one was sued; no one was hurt; kids were excited and amazed.  He had kids make museum collections out of the insects that died in light fixtures.  They mounted them on pins, classified them and displayed them.  He took the class fishing, “dissected” the fish, and cooked it over a fire for them.  He had students pick up rocks in the streams to find and identify the organisms that lived there.  He took them to the ocean with seining nets.   Every day was an adventure in his class.

So I have been thinking about my roots and wondering if technology had somehow led me away from my roots.  Is technology being used to replace real experiences?   Are we still rolling marbles down the ruler or are we watching simulations?  Is technology taking us away from “real science?”  I do believe some companies would love for that to happen.  I also believe that technology can be used to enrich and enhance these activities just as it does with “real” scientists.

Think of all the possibilities that technology can put in the palm of our student's hands (like the tablets now being used by the CSI on TV).    How cool is it that students can document their findings in the field with pictures?  Or record the work of the insects on video?  Or use the internet in the palm of their hands to identify species?  Even Terry Patterson would have liked to watch the blood flowing through the tail of a fish under the microscope up on the big screen!  And he probably would have been proud to have been blogged about!