Maintaining Our Focus: Why are we teaching?

While I know that educators go into our noble profession for many different reasons, in all the educators that I've had the privilege of meeting over the years, I think it all boils down to this one basic idea: 

Educators are in the business of changing children's lives.

That may look differently from classroom to classroom, school to school, or country to country. But, it's important that we always remember that every choice we make, we are the ones ultimately responsible for positively impacting their learning each and every day. If our choices aren't focused on that one goal, we really need to stop and ask ourselves (and those around us) why? Why are we devoting valuable hours to a new initiative or program if it isn't empowering our learners? Why are we placing more value on one practice or one piece of data than on the real needs of our unique learners?

So as we begin a new week, let's all remember why we are in classrooms every day...our students. They deserve the best that we can give them, every single day.

Wishing you a great student-centered week!

Using Tech to Meet Learning Challenges: Dyslexia

We all have students who present specific learning challenges. As teachers, we look for ways to remove the challenges impeding their learning...or at least find strategies that we can teach them to become successful on the learning continuum. In the last several years, I have had several students who have arrived with a diagnosis of Dyslexia. The thing about a diagnosis is there is a danger that we make assumptions that every child with the same diagnosis is the same...they need the same types of supports. This is simply not true. Each student is special and unique. They are much more than their diagnosis. They have interests, fears, strengths, and challenges like all of their peers. As teachers, we must look at each student as a unique case and compile a cadre of tools, strategies, and practices that will not only help meet the unique needs of each learner but also empower them beyond our classroom walls.

I wanted to take a few minutes to share some of the tools that I have found that work really well with students who may be faced with the challenge of Dyslexia. Some of these work very well to support the learning of struggling readers or those with limited language proficiency. The key is for us to find the tool that will best need the unique learning needs of each one of our learners.

• Audio books: I know that this may seem like a given to many, but I know personally, I overlooked this option for many years. Yes, we want our students to be able to read, analyze, and enjoy reading. However, when we want our students to apply content area standards like comparing and contrasting texts, identifying a theme, or supporting an argument with textual evidence, an inability to physically read the text, impedes a student mastering those standards. One thing that I discovered in my research is that the processing that takes place when one's eyeballs read a text and the processing that take place when one hears a text is very similar. With this tool, all students will have the opportunity to discuss and analyze a text with peers. (Digital audio books can generally be checked out from school or public libraries.) 
• Voice Typing: For students with Dyslexia, writing is a major challenge. One simple tool that we've discovered is "voice typing" in Google Drive. This allows a student to speak their writing into a document. They do have to tell it when to punctuate and when to go to a new paragraph. I've had students who it would normally take 30-45 minutes to type a couple of sentences, who could compose and entire narrative within 20 minutes using "voice typing." For the first time, I was able to see their creativity and ability to compose in different genres because "voice typing" removed an obstacle to their learning.
• Dyslexie font: Did you know that there is a special font that makes it easier for students with Dyslexia to read? It's called Dyslexie. With this font, students have an easier time reading things that are written. When creating printed material for students, my interns and I have started using this font for all of the students. For someone without Dyslexia, it simply looks like any other font. It's just simpler and easier to read.
• Google Chrome Extensions: There are several extensions that students can add to their Chromebook Google accounts. Speak It will read selected texts out loud. The Open Dyslexic extension overrides all fonts on web pages with the OpenDyslexic font, and formats pages to be more easily readable. It works at preventing the "funny things" that happen to letters for those with Dyslexia. Sometimes, we need our student to read a text in order to build background knowledge. With TLDR (too long didn't read) by tldrstuff.com, learners can get a summary of a web page without leaving the actual site. We've had various levels of success with each of these. It all comes down to the individual student. My middle schoolers are very conscious of being different. These extensions allow them to continue doing the same thing on the same sites as their peers but provide them the support that they need. 
• Video diaries, building, making: When it comes to assessing a student's level of mastery, there may be challenges for students with reading obstacles. However, their obstacles should not impede our ability to assess their level of mastery of content standards. All of my learners have the freedom to choose how they demonstrate mastery of standards. Often students with Dyslexia are very intelligent and creative and they have struggled to keep their heads above water at school. Many of them are exhausted by school. By providing them the opportunity to build, make, or create they are able to excel in spite of their specific challenges. 

When we can empower our students with tools, practices, or strategies, we see their passions and hear their voices...and so do their peers. They become an integral part of the learning environment. 

I'd love to hear some of the tools and strategies that you've found successful with your students. Please share them in a comment below.

Igniting the Love of Reading

Not too long ago, I got to participate in some fantastic conversations at ILA15. One of these conversations was how we can ignite the love of reading in even our most resistant students. As Lester Laminak said, " We want students to fall into a story and wallow in it because that is how one discovers a love of reading."

At an Edcamp later, I joined a conversation about sparking a love a reading in middle school readers. At the end of this dialogue, someone asked me if I had these ideas in one place. So here are a few of the ways that my learners and I have found to break down even the last resister to ignite that love of reading...

1- Each Friday, we dedicate time for silent, independent reading. Students can read ANY literature that interests them. We have a large library of comic books, picture books, novels, and nonfiction books. Also, my students can choose to read their classmates' blog posts or articles online. They can read about ANYthing that interests them.

We approach this day as an exciting event. It's true that if you are enthusiastic about something, the students will mirror that excitement. Many students have had that flame stomped out by reading logs, scripted programs, and mandatory AR points. So, we gradually build up their endurance. No pressure. We are reading because it is FUN. It's perfectly acceptable for students to read part of a book and decide not to finish it. Then we have informal book chats. Students take 90 seconds to sell their book to their audience. A peer's endorsement of a book results in a long waiting list for that book in our classroom library and the school library (To be totally transparent, a majority my favorite reads this year have been a direct result of these informal book chats.).

Consequently, our classroom became a place where book chats spontaneously sprouted and dialogues blossomed. When students finished a book, they would go to one another for recommendations. My students reaped so much from this simple practice and eagerly anticipated our time each week.

2- The weekly independent reading and book chats opened students up to conversations about reading and writing. Several of my students even formed their own book clubs during lunch. It quickly became a popular thing to join these student led book discussions. It wasn't long before these groups included students who didn't see themselves as readers.  Therefore, it was no surprise that these lunch time book clubs organically developed into student-run book clubs within our classroom. Students chose books, set group norms, timelines and facilitated their own discussions. (You can read more about that here: Once Upon a Time Student Run-Book Groups.) The students had an authenticity to their reading and their writing.  The results were amazing as students had the opportunity to connect with peers who were in different classes, gaining different perspectives, strengthening their literacy skills, and having...dare I say it...fun.

3- Since today's students crave immediate feedback from their audience (usually judged by how many likes they've received on Insta posts), each year, we usually engage in several synchronous book chats using a variety of digital tools. What we've discovered is that it really doesn't matter the tool; what matters is that they have the opportunity to talk, in real time, to others about the books that they are reading. They love forming connections with their global peers over their favorite books. Gaining that perspective often pushes them to think beyond themselves to see and gain a respect for others' opinions and ideas. It stretches them to see beyond themselves and their community, discovering their place within a global community of readers and learners. My students have used tools like Twitter, TodaysMeet, Skype, and Google Hangout.

The question that I often get is "How do you find these classes to connect with your learners?" Over the years, I've been able to find connections through various social media outlets. Many of these connections have been through our participation in the Global Read Aloud (You can read more about this program here: One Book to Connect the World.) As a teacher, there is an entire community of fellow educators who are interested in connecting their students through literature. Many of the connections that we've built through the Global Read Aloud become long term connections. My students love the opportunity to build relationships with their global peers in order to share their reading, writing, and ideas.

4- Another way my students connect with one another to share books is through a Book Tasting. Often students will find a book series or an author that they love and they will read every book in that series or by that author and they are stumped for what to read next. Even though we do the informal book chats every week, there are so many book recommendations that go unshared due to time. A book tasting is an activity where students bring in their favorite "unsung hero" book in any genre. They write a recipe teasing that book for their peers. During a book tasting, learners have a blank menu where they can select books that appeal them. Appetizers, for a little taste of something different. Entrees, for something meaty to dig into. Desserts, for a frivolous light-hearted read. 

Our classroom was decorated like a diner. Set on each table was a platter of books. Students would read the recipe, pieces of each book and discuss them with the "dining companions." As the diners were wrapping up their tasting, a new platter of books was delivered to their table. Learners filled their menus with books recommended from their peers. Even my most reticent readers enjoy themselves, finding great reads recommended by their classmates. (You can read about the details of this day here: It's Time for a Book Tasting and Build a Book Buffet.)

I hope that one of these ideas may spark some ideas for you and your readers. I'd love to know what you have found that works for your students. Please share any of the ideas you have found to be successful with your readers.

• Finding a Love of Reading Faster than a Speeding Bullet
• Reading: A Book in a Day
• Whose Voice is Heard?

PBL: Many Paths, One Destination

I have a responsibility to educate my students beyond the “now.” But in a world where we are often mandated to prepare students for looming high-stakes tests, how can we provide our students with the opportunity to learn crucial life skills like communication, problem solving, creativity, decision-making, time management, and organization? Is it possible to both guide students into mastering their grade level standards as well as empowering them with the life skills that they will need in the future?

For me the answer came in the form of project-based learning (PBL) more than four years ago where students use life skills to create a project that demonstrates mastery of content areas standards.  Along the way, my students and I have learned a few tips to make PBL manageable within the classroom environment while empowering students to have a voice and choice in how they learn, what they learn within a standard, and how they demonstrate mastery of their standards. Here are the things that we have found yield the greatest degree of success:

Exposure. My students come to me from two different elementary schools. Although they have had experience in doing projects, most of those projects are very teacher-directed with heavy assistance by parents. When I began PBL, my students were not accustomed to having to make choices, solve problems, or direct their own learning. I always hesitate to show an example of how a student could create a project to show mastery of standards because ultimately you get 85 almost identical projects. On the other hand, students also need to “see” their target.

As I contemplated that conflict, I realized I already had a large database of projects from previous students published on our class website, blog, and wiki. All I needed to do was expose my students to all of the possibilities. Instead of pointing them out to the class, I created an online scavenger hunt for my learners to explore digital resources and they spent a lot of time exploring and engaging in the projects of their predecessors. They have seen how one standard can be met in many different ways. They understand creativity and individuality are key components in making the learning theirs.

Gradual release. In our class, PBL means students are working toward demonstrating mastery of the same standard. Same goal. Different paths. When I speak with other educators, I can feel overwhelmed facing the idea of a large variety of projects going simultaneously.

Students can feel overwhelmed because they can no longer compare their learning against a peer’s as they are working on different projects. They can no longer depend upon parents to assist (or complete) their projects for them. In our classroom, as in many other PBL classrooms, a bulk of the work is completed at school. You can’t measure a student’s mastery if they had assistance from parents. You would have no idea where the student’s learning ended and the parent’s began.

To alleviate that pressure, we begin with small projects within one or two class periods. When we practiced using adverbs to paint more powerful images for our audience within our writing, students were tasked to demonstrate a mastery of adverbs. Some students opted to write a paragraph with and without adverbs demonstrating the difference descriptive language makes to a reader. Other students create Instagram videos where they acted out adverbs and asked their global peers to identify the adverbs. The digital dialogue gave those students the opportunity to defend their learning and add to the learning of peers.

These types of projects were not a list of suggestions I gave my students, but ideas they came up with on their own. This gave them the opportunity to look at what a content standard really meant beyond the classroom walls. It gave them insight into how to manage their own work with a clear deadline. They learned how to problem solve, apply knowledge, and articulate their own learning.

Confer, confer, confer. This has been the most important shift I have made when moving to PBL. When students are working on projects for longer durations of time, they need feedback often. No one wants to get derailed for three weeks only to discover his or her mistake. With my students, I aim to meet with each student at least twice a week. They bring their work, ideas, questions, obstacles, and goals for the next couple of days. These sessions keep students focused on the purpose of their project: to prove mastery of content standards. As the teacher, I know where they are and if I need to plan a small group lesson or a reteaching session to provide the support—or challenge—each student needs. With regular conferring, I can do that in a timely manner. If students are struggling with how to demonstrate mastery, I can ask them a series of probing questions to lead them in the right direction.

To manage all of the feedback and discussion, my students now handle all of their brainstorming, research, note taking, planning, and writing drafts in Google Drive. This enables us to have conversations about their writing, making the feedback visible where they can easily refer to it during their project. With Drive, students can also invite peers to provide insights and feedback adding another perspective to the publishing of their final project.

When it is time for a student to be assessed on their project, the grade is never a surprise because they have been discussing it with me and with their peers for days (or weeks).

Stay focused. Just like each one of our students are unique, so are their projects. It is easy to get wowed by a project with a lot of bells and whistles. Often these projects overshadow projects that appear simple. However, the appearance of the final project is not what this is about. Recently, a teacher asked how to compare a project where a student has created an intricate and professional-looking movie with a student who had drawn a comic strip. The answer is simple. You don’t. That’s not the point. The point is to compare each student to the standard. That’s the target for each student.

For one of our quarter assessments, my students took the six standards that we had been working on and each created a project to prove mastery of those standards. Some students created video games that required an audience to apply their learning to solve the problems. They built this gaming world with challenges, obstacles, and rewards. It took countless hours. And another student created a simple Power Point that had hand drawn illustrations. Although these projects were very different, they each had proven mastery of the six standards. Truth be told, the learner with the simple Power Point actually showed a much higher level of mastery with her project—something that is easy to overlook if we don’t stay focused on what matters most—students owning their learning.

Although PBL seems to be a trend right now, it isn’t anything new. Teachers have been doing this for decades because it empowers students to take ownership and apply their learning in authentic ways. It’s the best of what education can offer our students—the opportunity to master content standards, apply life skills, and learn how to take that content and apply it in authentic ways. It strengthens them as not just as learners, but as individuals who will shape the world of the future.

Setting the Stage for Successful Student Collaboration

In today’s digital world, our roles as educators have shifted. We are no longer the sole proprietor and expert in the classroom. Truth is that if Google can replace us, we are no longer doing our job. Our role in the classroom is to teach our students how to apply content knowledge to solve problems. We promote skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. However, those are not skills that come naturally to our students. 

We live in a time where boundaries of learning are being pushed. With the myriad of digital tools at their fingertips, our students have the ability to connect and collaborate with peers both locally and globally. Students have access to experts in any field. Because of the lives they lead, they crave feedback. Yet, their efforts at collaboration often lead anywhere from shutdowns to meltdowns.

We hear our colleagues extolling the virtues of connecting students for collaborative learning and it may cause us to wonder what is going wrong in our classroom. The truth is that everyone, no matter how well intentioned, enters with certain expectations and perceptions. Many of our students expect to walk into a group situation where everyone is working on the same goal doing the exact same thing as their fellow group members. That is simply cooperation or compliance. Often cooperation does not push students into authentic tasks that require higher level thinking and reasoning. True collaboration comes when each member in a collaborative group brings his/her strengths, ideas, experiences, and knowledge to share with the group. Everyone contributes towards the common goal using their unique talents for the good of the entire group.

As teachers, I’m confident that a great majority of us have probably experienced the same frustration as our students when trying to collaborate with our colleagues. I thought I would take an opportunity to share with you some of the practices that my students have learned through our years collaborating with peers both locally and globally.  By preparing them of these mindsets in advance, their likelihood of success is greatly improved.

Communicate expectations up front. The first step that my students do when forming a new collaboration partnership is to outline a list of the norms and expectations that they have for their upcoming project. They discuss timeline, deadlines, behaviors, work ethic, and accountability to the group. Through these conversations, they have the opportunity to share their goals and their concerns about their impending work together. This dialogue lets every member know before they begin the first step exactly where they are headed. It not only helps them create a relationship with one another where they feel safe to be transparent in their thinking, but also connect with one another as individuals on a deeper level. Although this may seem time consuming in an already jammed packed learning day, the group will make up the time in the long run as their project will not suffer from constant derailing due to miscommunications.

Remain flexible.  Things happen. People get sick. Schedules get rearranged. Parents set appointments.  As adults, we understand this is part of life, but sometimes students get frustrated when a deadline isn’t met by a teammate, one member seems to fail in following through with their part of a project, or they miss a time for real time communication. By guiding our students into becoming adept at adjusting plans, they are learning valuable life skills. Often when a student comes to me aggravated because something has disrupted their project, we can lean on the strong foundation that they set in the beginning. Once they open that dialogue, the learners discover a solution together that stronger than their initial plan. They learn to listen to one another, have patience, and pull their resources to reach towards their common goal.

Keep an open-mind. As adults we understand that not everyone is like us. However, many of our students in spite of being globally connected, often live under the false premise that everyone is like them. I’ve discovered over the last several years that this is often the most challenging part of collaboration for students. Students may feel that they are the expert, the smartest, the most organized, the most creative, or the most talented individual in the group. Those beliefs are why I believe that collaboration is an integral part of the learning process. Students need to have experience with students who in many ways may not be like them. No single person is who they are with the talents they have without the guidance and input of others. We become the best version of ourselves by working and learning with others.

By preparing our students in advance for the shifts they will need to make in order to successfully collaborate with the peers, both in the classroom and through digital means, we give them the tools to open a world of learning possibilities. Through collaboration, students find commonalities with a diverse community of learners and apply content knowledge and higher order thinking skills for an authentic audience while becoming the strongest version of themselves. Collaboration, although challenging at times, is well worth the investment for us, our students, and the future.

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Who Makes the Grade?

What do you want for your students? I'd like to share an email with you. This appeared in my inbox.

Hello Mrs. Ramsay, I am very concerned about my grade on the argumentative essay. I am confused on how I got some things wrong. I have worked very hard on trying to make my essay as best as possible. Looking at my essay, I noticed you had changed my font. I had capitalized everything in my essay, but I think the computer had changed it. I am wondering if you could look back and reconsider with that in mind. One other thing I noticed was the fact you had commented about having a lot of evidence, but I did not share with the reader on how the tree was strong. I really don't understand that and I worked very hard and I put a lot of evidence like connections from OFTM and how it could connect with my life. I was looking at all my comments from previous times and Mrs. Cabb had said that she really liked how I gave examples and really explained how the tree was strong. Leesil had given the same comment. I had followed the suggestions you wanted me to add to make my piece better. Another thing is about the transition words. I did not think that an argument would need transition words because we are proving a point and giving examples and evidence, usually in an argument you are not saying FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND LAST. I thought that we needed to prove a point instead of making it like a book report using transition words. Last, I was worried about not having a concluding sentence because I was sick that week and had no time to add that last bit. Sorry to bother you about this, I really am confused and I am worried because I worked so hard and I really want a good grade in your class and to understand what I was missing.
Thank you for your help,
  Nicole 

(Names were changed; the prompt was whether the Giving Tree was strong or weak which came about because of our participation in the Global Read Aloud and reading One for the Murphys.) 

The email above was sent from one of my sixth grade students. Yes, that's right...an eleven year old sent that email to me...without any prompting.

We had just sent home progress reports. It felt like a mad dash to complete assessments and provide meaningful feedback to my students.  For all of their projects, we confer at least twice a week either face-to-face or through Google Drive. We have multiple conversations about their progress. I ask many questions and I listen...a lot.  Many of our conversations relate to what grades mean (a communication of their level of mastery). My learners understand that grades aren't final. There is always room to grow, but often they are hesitant in asking for an opportunity to show further growth.

As teachers, we want for our students to take on ownership of their learning. We want them to drive the decision about their learning. However, there were some teachers who found this email very disrespectful. "How dare a student question her grade?" My response, "Well, it is HER grade." I was elated. Nicole took the initiative to question her grade. She cited evidence from the feedback on her argumentative piece. She relied on past learning to justify the choices that she had made...not to mention that she made a pretty strong argument in this email.

Instead of responding to the email, she and I set up a time to have a conversation looking at her argumentative piece. Nicole drove this conversation. As she spoke, I had her show me in her writing where she felt like she would have scored higher on the measurable, student-created rubric. What she discovered was that there was in fact room for growth. She hadn't taken the specifics in the rubric into consideration before submitting her final draft. She knew she could improve. Through our conversation, she outlined her plan for showing further mastery....which she did....far exceeding mastery of those standards.

Fast forward three weeks. My learners were putting their final touches on their semester benchmark projects. Nicole requested time to address her peers in class.  In those few minutes, she shared her experiences with her argumentative piece and how important it was to look back at their rubric to ensure success. Through this exchange, Nicole not only became an advocate for herself, but also a leader for her peers.

Should students question their grades? Should they request an opportunity to grow and retake assessments? Absolutely! Nicole explained to her peers (and anyone else who asks) that she learned so much more from her "failure" than she would have if she had just accepted her score the first time. And, that is a recipe for lifelong success.

How Transparent Are You? Creating Student Advocates

As people, we do not like being told "no" or ordered to do something without understanding the "why" behind it. In fact, one sure fire to kill any initiative, program, or procedure is to mandate it. When we are told we are required to do something, no matter what it is, we push back, drag our feet, become apathetic, complain, or throw up as many obstacles as possible to prevent success of the mandated practice.

As teachers, we know this about ourselves, yet so often we do this to our students. We assign a project, centers, or activities. We explain/demonstrate/model all of the instructions and then send students on their way. Our students exhibit different levels of engagement and motivation. Often behavior problems arise. We've designed amazing things for our students' learning. Why aren't students actively engaged and thrilled to be learning? Because we left out the most important element, we didn't share the "why." They need to understand why we make the choices that we make our classrooms. They need to understand the complexity that is involved in all of the choices that we make for them. Learners must understand that although a particular activity may not be their favorite, there is a legitimate reason why they are dedicating time in that endeavor.

Last year, I had an intern for the second semester. Having her join our learning community helped me to see our practices with new eyes. After a week in our classroom, my intern was having a conversation with one of her professors. As they talked during our prep time, I was working on providing students with feedback on some of their writing. My ears perked up when she told her professor that she was in amazement at the terminology that the students had when talking about their learning. She explained that my learners use terms like schema, cognition, mastery, standard, learning style, in addition to explaining how the brain learns. The professor commented that she had never thought of sharing the "why" behind all of the choices made in the classroom with the students, but she could see how powerful it was for them.

This result only happens when we become transparent for our students; sometimes it can even be scary. Being transparent makes you re-think every choice you make because you are going to have to justify it with your students. They come to expect it...which they should. If we can't justify or defend the choices we are making with our students, we probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Our learners need to see us critically analyze challenges, draw from our knowledge, reach out to others to deepen our understanding, and apply what we know/what we've learned to solve problems. Our example is more powerful than just our words.

The fact is that our students will not be with us forever. We will not always be there to advocate for them. Learners need this knowledge because they need to become their own advocates for their learning. They need the tools to successfully communicate with educators and other adults how they learn best. They need to be equipped with the terminology and research to argue for the types of learning experiences that they need to get the most out of their education. Are we only equipping for success in our classrooms, or for a lifetime of learning? Like the old proverb, if we give a child a fish, he will eat for a day, but if we teach him how to fish. he will eat for a lifetime. It's time to hand our students that fishing line send them out well-equipped for a lifetime.

photo credit: Avatarmin via photopin cc

Lead with the Learning

In the last month, I have met with legislators and policy makers in both D.C. and Montgomery, Alabama. I have spent much time in reflection on what we as educators can do to make a difference for our students (See Can One Person Make a Difference?) In all the (mostly) ups and (rather few) downs, I have emerged with one thought that was shared by State Superintendent, Dr. Tommy Bice: Always lead with the learning. He shared this in the context of speaking with non-educators, policy makers, and legislators, but I believe that this phrase has much greater ramifications on the mission and vision of an educator.

As educators, all decisions that we make must always be focused on positively impacting student learning whether we are discussing instructional practice, professional development, or logistical planning within a school or district. Everything needs to be focused on student learning.

It is human nature to become creatures of habit. We find a lesson, strategy, or management technique that works and we tend to stick with it for years even when it proves unproductive. Many times we want to make a square peg into an ever-shrinking round whole. What we really need to do is pause and evaluate if that practice is not only effective, but also supports students in their academic and personal goals. Are we leading with the learning?

My intern (who has been doing a fantastic job) often asked me how to adjust her management techniques to support certain students. I asked her to explain her rationale behind the choices she had been making. Once she reflected on it, she realized that she was simply imitating something she had observed rather than thinking about how her choices would impact student learning. I recommended she speak with the students to see what they suggested. What she discovered was that students knew what would help hold them accountable for making good choices and getting the most learning out of each of the opportunities that she provided. She began leading with the learning.

In our PLG meetings, are we making choices about our practice based on what's easiest for us or best for student learning? Taking the time to plan hands-on, cross-curricular activities or experiential learning experiences off campus or supporting student-created and driven learning activities all take time, planning, and resources. But, are we making decisions based on the learning or some less important factors. We must always lead with the learning at the forefront of all decision making processes.

In my aforementioned post, I wondered if I was accurately teaching my students that one voice can make a difference. To the best of my abilities, I try to lead by example. Following Dr. Bice's advice, I try to always lead with the learning when speaking with our policy makers and legislators. This week, I was fortunate to see a how leading with the learning intrigued legislators we spoke with last year. Several of these legislators had spent time seeking out the National Board Certified Teachers in their districts. They spoke with these teachers and visited their classrooms. They were able to see how accomplished teachers lead with the learning and the positive impact it truly has on each individual student's learning. These legislators have embraced the powerful learning that is possible and they have been actively seeking new ways to support it within their districts.

Lead with the learning is a mantra that educators can embrace in all aspects of their professions; one that can greatly impact not only the students directly in one's classroom, but have far reaching ramifications. So next time we each have a choice to make, whether big or small, let's take a moment to ask ourselves, are we leading with learning? If not, maybe it's time to stop forcing that square peg to fit that round hole and step out of our comfort zones and try something new.


photo credit: paul bica via photopin cc

Sitting on the Sidelines is Tough

This week has been...challenging. It seems like each day has started afresh only to be bombarded with more challenges and obstacles, seemingly coming from every direction. Being a classroom teacher, these days are not completely uncommon. However, these last couple of days have really gotten to me. As I was driving home yesterday contemplating why these days seemed worse than any other challenging day, I realized the biggest difference was that I wasn't spending my days teaching my fantastic students.

I have a full-time intern who has started her ten consecutive days of teaching. I have been sitting on the

Photo from http://goo.gl/hx5V4Q

sidelines at my now-empty-small-group table diligently staying out of her plans (as instructed by the university). She is doing a great job with my students, but I desperately miss the ongoing, engaging conversation I usually have with my students. I miss the dialogue. I miss participating in activities along side them. I miss the small group instruction and one-on-one time with each one of my learners. I miss those spontaneous book discussions or brainstorm ideas that changes the course of our learning. I miss the inside jokes and celebrating their small victories. Sitting on the sidelines stinks.

Then, I realized how many time students are stuck on the sidelines of their own learning. I couldn't imagine how someone could sit by, day-after-day, while someone else controls all the decisions in his/her learning journey. As a teacher, I realized how crucial it is for us to give our students the ability to actively make choices about their learning. Their hands and minds need to be active. They need to get to know one another (and their teacher). Learners need to learn about themselves as learners and set their own learning goals for their future. They need to be in the game, not on the sidelines.

So as I mark off the days until I get "my kids" back, let's not forget that our students need to get in the game. They need to be the player. They need to be the one calling the shots, with the support of you, their coach. Let's get our learners off the sidelines and let them create their playbook and headed for the BIG game known as life.

*Disclaimer: This post is in no way indicative of me not wanting to provide interns a space to learn and grow as our future generation of educators. I am passionate about "paying forward" learning and providing educational support, opportunities and experiences for others. My intern is doing a great job with my students. I am thrilled to have her in my classroom sharpening her teaching practice. She and my students have both grown by having her join our class.

Igniting the Learning Fire

I love teaching this time of year. Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, I love teaching throughout the school year for different reasons. However, at this particular time of the year, my learners know classroom procedures, they have found their voices, and they are really taking ownership of the learning choices that they are making. By this time of year, I feel like I really know my students well, both as individuals and as learners. We have developed a strong mutual respect for one another which paves the path to open and honest dialogue.

We work with our students and sometimes we may feel that we know each individual. We have seen individuals grow academically and personally. We've witnessed their confidence increase when sharing their voice. Still there may seem to be something holding them back that we can't quite pinpoint. I have a student, we'll call him Liam, who presented that challenge for me. Liam is well liked by his peers and he has shown growth this school year, but I had a feeling there was something that I was missing in lighting that fire for learning.

Then, when we returned from winter break, I introduced our Genius Hour projects to my learners. Genius Hour comes from the concept of providing individuals with time each week to explore their passions. It's the 20% time employed by companies such a Google and written about in Dan Pink's book, Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us. Genius Hour fosters creativity and an intrinsic motivation to learn and explore.

To make Genius Hour work in our classroom, it became a part of our Lit Center rotation. Students select a type of project and the topic and then begin researching, synthesizing, and planning their final product. My learners are creating proposals and sharing their research through Google Drive where we can have an ongoing conversation about their progress. It was in one of these documents where I saw Liam's fire ignite. He has chosen to become a game designer because he has a vision of creating a multiplayer game. As he was doing research on the principles of game design, I could hear his passion through his writing. He not only shared what he was learning and the links to his resources, but wrote an ongoing commentary of his "a-ha" moments including a plan of how he will include these in his design.

When we had our face-to-face conferring session, the passion and fire lit up his entire body. He was so excited to share his discovery that he radiated excitement and a clear understanding that game design is an involved project which will demand much attention. This did not bother him at all; on the contrary, it excited him. For the first time I felt like I was truly seeing Liam. He had been a happy student who did whatever he was asked, but that passion had been absent.

Witnessing this transformation reminded me of how important it is for us as educators to provide our students with an abundance of opportunities to tap into their interests, previously existing or newly discovered. Last April, I heard Rick Riordan say that it is the teacher's responsibility to find and put the right book in the hands of each child. The same holds true for learning opportunities. As teachers it is easy to fall into routines, but in order for us to ignite that spark of learning, we need to constantly be seeking out new ways to ignite learning for each student. Then all we need to do is fan the flame and watch that fire take on an exciting life if its own.

photo credit: paul bica via photopin cc

Back to School: Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

As a child, Alice was always one fo my favorite tales, not those "princess" ones. She was in search of an adventure. Even though she was unsure of what to do, she ultimately triumphs in the end, learning much about herself. I have to admit, for the last several weeks, I have found myself feeling a lot like Alice in Wonderland. I discovered "strange new ideas," overcome some challenges, and been given an open path to learn, grow, and foster my own creativity. Like Alice, I feel like I have found my "muchness" again (see You Can Handle the Truth). On the other hand, because I'm in a new school, sometimes I'm also, like Alice,  overwhelmed. Would I trade in my wonderland? Absolutely not. I have had wonderful individuals help me adjust to my new teaching reality.

However, as I reflect upon this, I can't help but think about our students who will be entering our versions of Wonderland. For many of our students, like Alice, they are a bit afraid and confused because everything is new and exciting....maybe a bit frightening. Many of our learners have never encountered opportunities to stretch their minds, think about learning in different ways, and nurture creativity. The wonderlands of our classrooms can be overwhelming without the right guidance.

As we begin on our new adventure, there are several types of guides we can be as our students' embark to Wonderland.

• The White Queen: She was kindness personified. She always looked out for those in her care. As teachers, we must remember the importance of kindness in our classroom. If students do not feel that we care about them, they will not care about anything that we do in the classroom to enhance their learning. It is crucial for us to remember that our students are first and foremost people. Harsh words can stick with them for a lifetime. We need to lead in a kingdom of kindness where everyone is treated with respect.
• The Cheshire Cat: He was known for his smile and pointing Alice in the right direction. As teachers, we need to remember that a smile can make a difference in someone's perception of a situation. Unfortunately, many of our students rarely have anyone smile at them in their lives outside of school (have you ever watched the interactions between parents and their children at the store?). Many times our students are lost. As teachers, we can be their guides to reaching great knew heights. However, we need to remember that this is their journey, not ours. We need to give them guidance, but let them have a voice and a choice in our classrooms.
• The Mad Hatter: We all need this person in our lives. This is the person who stands up for us, protects us, makes us laugh and dances the Futterwacken when it's time to celebrate. However, the Mad Hatter is also honest when he notices when we've lost our "muchness." We need to be that person in our students' lives. We need to bring out the best in them and help them realize how special and unique they are. Many of our learners may never make all A's or be the star athlete, but every child deserves to be celebrated every time they reach a goal.

So as our students enter our classrooms, let's be their guides in their adventures in Wonderland. We will be giving them so much more than the content that we teach. Their "muchness" is priceless and can make such a difference in a child's life.

I wish you all the best as you begin the new school year. Dust off your dancing shoes and get your Futterwacken on because your students won't be the only ones learning this year; you get to play a major role in their adventure and that's cause to celebrate.

 photo credit: Brandon Christopher Warren via photopin cc

Let them Assess

Assessment. That is a word that can send cold shivers down the backs of teachers and students alike. In our society, that word has been linked to a "gotcha" mentality where standardized testing scores have become punitive towards districts, schools, teachers...sometimes affecting entire communities. I have spent a lot of time contemplating, researching, and discussing this topic and I realized that I needed to reframe my ideas and ultimately my teaching practice in the area of assessment.

Like many of you, I am in a district where standardized tests scores pull much weight and drive many of the decisions made at the district level. Often as classroom teachers, we may feel disempowered. Is this where we throw up our hands in defeat? And the most important question: Is this what is best for our students? I think that any one who works with students know that the answer is a resounding "NO."

The question that I often hear is, "So what do we do about it?" I thought I would take a few minutes to share where I began in my journey of rethinking assessment. As I have continued to grow (and still do each day), my practice has adapted. In the interest of not overwhelming anyone, I'll share more of my journey in future posts, but I wanted to share where I began.

Those of you that follow me or have read my book, Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing?, know that several years ago, I made the shift from a teacher-led classroom to a student-directed one. In this amazing journey, my students led the way with many ideas. The idea to let the students take control of their assessment came from one of my fifth graders.

Now like many of you, I have used rubrics my entire teaching career. I'm sure we've all had the frustration of going over a rubric in detail at the front end of a project; then we observe our students trudging ahead with little (or no) regard to how they will be assessed at the end. The shift was that I wanted to make should address students' lack of connection with the purpose of a rubric as well as their idea to take control of their own assessment. I would not be presenting them with the rubric; they would be creating it for each learning project.

When you stop and think about it, if we are giving them control over selecting what they learn within a topic (or standard), how they are going to learn it, and in what manner they are going to create something that proves that learning, shouldn't they also have control over how they are assessed on that learning?

In order for us to make this shift, I relied on my students' previous knowledge. Since third grade, they had been trained to write towards our state writing test using a rubric. They understood what the specific difference was in earning a 4, 3, 2, or 1 in each category on a rubric because they had already been doing that for at least two years. When we began a new project or learning activity, I would guide my students in designing the criteria. Then I led them into determining the specifics assigned to the 4, 3, 2, or 1.

Yes, when you look at it, their copy is much simpler than most rubrics, but this is their rubric, not mine. The "master" list of the specifics would stay on our interactive whiteboard for reference, as needed, although most students took down notes (by choice) as a reminder of how to earn each score. As is our regular practice, my learners would meet together with one another for peer reviews and ideas, as well as, conferring with me throughout the project.

Once we reached the end of a project, they would assess one another's work based on their rubric as would I. My initial trepidation was that they would assign high scores to one another afraid to be honest. On the contrary, I discovered that my students held extremely high expectations for one another. When you think upon it, it makes sense. They design the projects and set the expectations. They talk about it with one another and me a LOT throughout the process. They know exactly what is expected to prove their learning.

This put an integral part of the learning process firmly into my learners' hands. Assessment plays a vital role in determining what our students know, what they need to know, and how much they have grown in each area. It informs and guides our instruction so that we can help each of our students meet their fullest potential. Having this knowledge is important not just for us, but for our students as well. If we want for them to take ownership of their learning, they need to be informed and see the goals that they have set in front of themselves.

This is only the beginning for me an my students and we sharpen our assessment practices. Stay tuned as I continue to grow and reflect upon how we can empower our students with relevant and authentic assessment practices.

Whose Voice is Heard?

At this time of year, we see many people sharing their beginning of the year activities and strategies. You see tweets, blogs, Pinterest pins, Facebook posts, articles, and Back to School Conferences. Many people asked me how we started our year, so I shared some of our activities in the post Our First Day(s) of School. In that post I also explained that I felt like it's not so much about what you do as it is about how you do the activities. Are you nurturing a learning community that communicates, collaborates, thinks deeply, and puts the learning into the hands of your students?

As I mentioned in that previous post, one of the activities that we begin the first week of school is blogging. My students set the criteria for themselves. They know what is expected of them when they blog because they set those standards.  Blogging is one of the most powerful ways for me to get to know my students, academically and personally. Through their writing, I get to know about their thoughts and expectations, their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and dreams. They reflect on their own learning, discuss the things they wonder about, and generate meaningful conversations on a wide variety of topics. 

I have written several posts about the drastic decline in my students' interest to read. When conducting a survey in math about favorite school subjects, reading has fallen at the bottom of the list every year for the last three years. So when a student posted the following comment in a blog last week, I saw an opportunity to facilitate a blog conversation with the class. He wrote,

I asked him to clarify what he meant and share his thoughts on those statements. He obviously understood the relevance that reading has in everyone's life when he replied with...

This was like throwing a match on extremely dry tinder. It ignited a heated discussion among my students who expressed their frustration in our prescriptive reading program and all of the different aspects of it. No one had ever asked them how they felt about it. They shared how much they wanted to be able to just read books, articles, blogs, comic books, and graphic novels for fun. I found it interesting that they began to formulate ideas of how to work around all of the required practices to include what they found meaningful. They weren't complaining, they were problem-solving. All of this dialogue was generated by one student who stuggles in reading because English is his second language and not spoken in the home.

This just reaffirmed what I already knew. Students need a voice....every student. This is their education. Let them discuss it, try new things, and find their own solutions. The learn to communicate effectively and critically analyze. It empowers them and sets them on a path of being a highly-motivated lifelong learner in spite of obstacles they may face.

When people ask me which tech tool I find most valuable, I find it difficult to come up with one tool because we use so many to support the diverse needs of my diverse students. However, with blogging, my students have an avenue to share, discuss, reflect, dream, plan, and debate. It has greatly enhanced the way I teach my students and the way that they learn. If I could only use one tool, blogging would be my choice. Because with blogging, my students each have a voice.

When the Shift Happens

As school is beginning, we hear many educators talking about their preparations.

"In my classroom..."

"My discipline plans is...."

"The classroom procedures I designed..."

"The lesson plans I created..."

I had the opportunity to speak to a conference of new teachers and those who were new to our system. One point that I made that elicited many confused looks was when I said that our classroom is not about us at all. 

Yes, we make preparations for our students; we learn stronger strategies for reaching all of our students; we design a learning environment that is conducive to learning and meets the needs of all the different learning modalities. We plan, read, reflect, and change our plans as necessary, but that classroom is not about us and what is best (or easiest) for us as educators.

We must be flexible enough to adapt our plans, find new resources, and allow our students to explore areas that interest them. We all have pacing guides and standards that the students need to explore and master, however our job is to facilitate that learning, putting the responsibility of learning and succeeding into our students hands.

One of the easiest shifts that we can make is to change I, me, my, and mine to we, us, and our. It lets our students know that although you are there and you are the professional in the classroom, we are all on this journey together. We are all learners and all teachers. That shift drastically changes our learners' perception of their role in the learning environment. Their motivation and drive to learn sky-rockets. They begin to crave learning and when it's time to leave our classrooms to go home, they beg to stay. (They may even be like mine and ask "Can we skip lunch and keep writing?")

So as we enter our classrooms, let's keep these simple ideas in mind. Let's become partners with our students in the learning because when this shift happens, amazing things happen in our classrooms.

Photo: Krissy.Venosdale's photostream

Our First Day(s) of School

Several people have asked me what I do with my students for the first few days of school. So, I thought I would take some time and share what we did to get this year off to a great start.

• We read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. This book always sets a great tone for the beginning of the school year. It has great life lessons about never giving up, always trying your best, overcoming misconceptions, and inspiring the uniqueness in others. After we read the book and had some amazing discussion, the students always ask if they can design their own unique dots to display. I love the creativity in each of these and how something so simple can have such a strong meaning for each learner.

• On the first day, I always take time to introduce myself. They notice that I have several photos in my classroom and I tell them that we need to put pieces of them in our classroom too. You'd be amazed at how excited they are about being included in our learning environment in such a  simple way. Each student creates his/her own self-portraits which we display on the wall that you see when you first enter the classroom. The stay up the entire school year reminding them that this is their classroom.
• So often I hear from parents something along the lines of..."He just hates math. I always hated math so we struggle through it each year." As a child who hated reading, I understand the dread and apprehension, but I don't want them to write off an entire subject because of previous experiences. To get a true feeling for where each student is in math and their perceptions of it, good or bad, I have my students write a Mathography...the story of their life with math. They write about how they feel about it, their experiences and how they see math in their lives. It is always an eye-opening experience for all of use. Usually, through their own reflections, they draw the conclusion of how important math is in our daily lives. It opens up the channel for some great class discussions.
• Spaghetti and Marshmallows...that's right. Since our class is so student-directed and they need to learn the crucial skills of communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking, I give each team of four students 20 pieces of raw spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string, and 1 marshmallow. Their goal is to build the highest tower that can hold the jumbo marshmallow at the top. Some teams need encouragement as they start to struggle and many want to give up, but by asking guiding questions, they get inspiration and set off on another idea. (Check out the photo album of this year's challenge.)

• Since we use many web tools, digital resources, and social media, it is imperative that my students develop good online habits. We use a resource called NetCetera to spark much conversation about cybersafety, netiquette, and cyberbullying. (I discuss this in further detail in my book.) On the first day, my students are introduced to Twitter and our class Twitter feed, @RamsaysClass. We talk about all of these good habits within the context of tweeting and the students set the guidelines. At the end of each day, each group writes one tweet on a sentence strip that we hang up in the hallway. This is a way that I can guide them into creating meaningful, powerful tweets for our class. Within three days, my students were ready to start conversing with the Twitterverse and all of the other students with whom we are connected.

• Beginning to tweet led into our lessons on beginning to blog. Karen McMillan has created series of lessons that teach students how to blog by starting them off on paper. Before we begin blogging (on paper first then digitally), I lead a discussion with my students about what expectations they have for their blogs. These lessons are a huge hit with my students. It gives them experience in writing high quality posts and comments before actually setting off to write their digital blogs on KidBlog. (Check out the post that I wrote about their first blogging experience.)

• Another activity in which my students engage is that they "build their wildselves." We want all of students to be safe when using digital tools, but we also want them to have some identity. BuiLD YouR WiLD SeLF is a site hosted by the New York Zoos and Aquarium. Students (and their teachers...because we all want one of these) visit the site and they create avatars that begin with kids and then you can add different animals parts like peacock feathers and octopus tentacles to the character. This is a great way for students to create an identity that's safe. My students use their wildselves in all of the different tools where an avatar can be used.

So that answers the question that so many people have been asking. To be honest, I don't think it's so  much about what you do as it's how you do the activities and lessons that you plan. For me, it's important that they start learning how to think, dig deeper, stretch their wings, be kind to one another, communicate well with others, and take responsibility for their own learning. The biggest shift for them is that they are put in charge of their learning...which is totally foreign to them when they enter my class. I hope that all of you have had as wonderful of a beginning of the school year as we have. I look forward to all of us learning together this school year...and beyond.

An Original Tale for Teachers...Nikki the Giraffe

On the first day of school, this original tale was sent to me to remind me of the importance of what we do for our students in spite of the many challenges that we face in the classroom. It was such an uplifting and inspirational story that I asked for permission to publish here for all of you to enjoy as well. Meet Nikki...

Nikki was an amazing giraffe. She spent her time working hard to help others and be better each day for those who counted on her.

She was great in all forms of her life, especially her job. She was a walking instructor. As many know, when baby giraffes are born they take a minute to get up and going. Their uneasiness of being able to walk on their new stilted legs is obvious and can be very frustrating for them. That's where Nikki comes in. Every year she is met with the new challenges of working to get those new giraffe calves up and moving so they don't become easy prey to their predators and so they can begin to learn more and eventually fend for themselves.

Nikki's job is pretty involved. She gives of her time and she focuses on each individual giraffe. Some come along quickly and some come along slowly, but it's Nikki's job to be sure they are up and moving in a speedy time frame.

There are others in Nikki's herd who claim to do the same thing. Many of the other walking instructors have been in the their game so long that they almost get frustrated when new calves just can't seem to "get it". They berate and push and cajole to get these new babies up and moving. Many times the little ones get so frustrated that they cry and some give up completely because they refuse to be pushed. The older calves just move on without them and get the ones that are more naturally talented and able to get moving and they leave the slower ones to fend for themselves.

Not Nikki. She looks at each calf as the new creature that they are. She gets them each up and going at a pace they are comfortable with and that makes them want to keep trying. One by one, the calves in her care get up and start to teeter, then walk, and eventually run. Those slower to stand see the others and become more encouraged by them than Nikki. Many times Nikki will ask an already walking calf to go and help the ones having trouble. It's been some time since she learned to walk that maybe the encouragement of a peer would be better suited. Nikki stands by and watches and answers questions when needed, but for the most part her job is that of encourager and advisor.

There is never a forcing nature or a mean demeanor in her presence. She exudes patience and knows that her calves will all succeed to the measure they are meant to. She does all this with the constant nagging and backbiting of the other walk instructors. "She takes too long with each one", "All her calves love her. She must just be the 'fun one", "Parents always ask for Nikki. What's she got that we don't have. I mean, we've been doing it longer than her and everything".

It was true, but the reality was that Nikki loved what she did and had not allowed the weight or monotony of her job to get the best of her. She knew how to encourage and direct and to give guidance when necessary but for the most part she also knew that each little giraffe in her care would have to get it on their own to really make it in their world. Pushing them could be more detrimental than good so she took the time needed to be sure they were comfortable where they were and not where someone else thought they should be.

"Thank you Ms. Nikki" was a common theme as both mommy and daddy giraffes approached her. Calves who had learned from her would constantly come back to see her and even worked with the new ones to help her.

Nikki did more than just instruct. She taught little giraffes how to be successful at becoming big giraffes and to stand on their own 4 feet.

How many of us can see ourselves in Nikki? For me, I see the endurance, patience and kindness that I hope to exhibit with all of my "young giraffes" this year as I guide them to walk on their own learning path.  All of our students deserve educators like Nikki. Will you be a Nikki this year?

~Special thanks to Gene Ramsay for writing 'Nikki the Giraffe.' A best first-day-of-school gift I've ever received.

photo credit: ucumari via photo pin cc

Questions and Answers

As I was presenting my sessions at SDE's National Conference on Differentiated Instruction, several questions arose that I feel like deserve more attention. One thing that I always try to remember is that my perspective is different than many other teachers. Many teachers that attend my presentations and workshops are great teachers, but some haven't made the shift from teacher-driven to student-directed learning. Others want to make that shift, but they don't know how to go about making that a reality; they aren't able to "see" what it looks like in a real honest to goodness classroom.

I know, from my own experience, that it can be a scary proposition to let go of that [illusion of] control; when we are in front of the classroom, we feel like master and commander of our classroom.But the question that I challenge everyone who spends a majority of their time in front of their students disseminating information is: How do you know what each student is grasping while you are leading the instruction?

Does a traditional test measure everything that a learner can learn in a certain subject? Does a right answer necessarily indicate understanding any more than a incorrect answer indicates a lack if understanding? It is crucial for us to each consider the answers to these questions about our own practice. Without taking the time to evaluate and reflect on our own practice, we become irrelevant for our students. We must do what is best for them and their needs and not what is best [or easiest] for us.

Here are some of the queries that were posed to me this week as teachers were trying to "see" how they could make student-directed learning work for them:


1. Are these collaborative projects graded? Yes, a majority of these projects are graded. In my classroom, when we engage in a writing/publishing project, my students brainstorm their ideas of what the final outcome will be. As they begin to formulate an idea, a discussion ensues about what should be included. They decide the purpose, the audience, the tone, the type of writing that will best support the project, the content should be included. As they are discussing this, I'm asking them probing questions, having them justify their choices. They need to understand that the decisions they make should be substantive. 

Learning is the ultimate goal. In these discussions, the learners are designing a basic rubric that will guide them and ultimately assess them. They designed it, not me. What do you notice is missing? There is not one mention of the tool that the students will use for their final product. Learners need to understand that the ultimate goal is learning. Technology is just the tool to get them to their ultimate goal. 


2. If students aren't assigned a specific tool to use, how do they know what tool will support their project? Most of my students come to me with very limited experience using digital tools. Their previous school experience is mostly "drill and kill" games. So, this is how I do it. The first week of school we do not have any of our "extras" classes. That gives me additional time in the school day to do some additional activities. 


One activity in which my students engage is an online scavenger hunt. They work in partners and search all of our class' digital resources and tools that they will find useful throughout the year. In additional to our class website, wikis, and blog, they also search the projects that previous students have published. They are searching for specific information while experiencing a host of different digital options. This gives them a general idea of the types of things that are possible. Do they necessarily know the names of all the tools? No, but they begin to get an idea of what is possible when it comes to publishing. 


3. How do you find the time to teach the different tech tools that your students are going to use to publish their work? Since the lack of time is usually our biggest challenge, my students have found several ways to squeeze in more learning time. Many of my students arrive via bus an hour before school begins. When I arrive at school, I invite my students to come to our classroom to work. During this time, I can pull a small group and show them the basics of how a tool works. This is usually a 10 minute or less lesson to several students who a now the class experts. 


Many of my students are so excited to begin publishing their work, they don't want to wait until the next morning so they begin exploring a tool on their own. They explore, troubleshoot and depend on their peers if they get stuck. They enjoy becoming independent and working together to problem solve. They depend upon one another. In reality,very little class time is actually spent on the tech tool side of the projects. The focus is always on the learning. 

Thanks to all of you for your participation, comments, questions, and challenges this week. I appreciate all if the hardworking that you put into becoming the best teacher that you can be for your students. If you have any more questions, you know how to reach me. I'm only a blog, tweet, Facebook post, or email away.