Learning On The Job

As part of our Tablet Rollout to Middle School students, all students in grades 6, 7 and 8 have spent a session with our librarian discussing a range of things. Grade 7 and 8 students talked about the need to reference their work, how to create a Works Cited page, and how to use Noodle Tools to create an MLA-approved citation.

I agree whole-heartedly with the skills and ethics involved with referencing:

• Creating a citation requires students to verify the authenticity and veracity of the source they are using.
• Including citations is a way of acknowledging the work of others.
• Citations allow the reader to verify the information that the author is presenting.

When I was in junior high school (we didn’t have no stinkin’ middle schools back then!), my bibliography was my proof to the teacher that I did the research for my essay (which I typed out on a typewriter). Did she go to the library, find the book that I put on my bibliography and check my work? I doubt it. (Actually, I know quite a few students who ‘padded’ their bibliographies to make themselves look smarter!)

Now that we’re 1:1 throughout the Middle School/High School and all the students are paperless (no printing privileges on campus for any student!), don’t hyperlinks make more sense? Yes, we still need to explicitly teach students how to verify the validity of their sources. But aren’t hyperlinks actually a better way of acknowledging the work of others? When used in online writing such as blogs and wikis, the authors of the sites being linked to will be notified that they are being acknowledged. And aren’t hyperlinks a more useful way for the reader to check the information the author is using? A single click and she can see for herself where I got my information from.

Is MLA dead? As I said in an earlier tweet which inspired this post, is MLA  an anachronism whose time has come?

Image Credit: ‘Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition (1911)‘ by Stewart (CC BY)

After a relaxing summer, it’s been right back into the thick of things at the start of this school year!

As of 3 days ago, our entire Middle School and High School is 1:1! We rolled out tablets to the last two grade levels (grades 6 and 7) on the first day of school and there is no looking back!

A quick recap:

• In August 2007, about half of the teachers received tablets.
• In August 2008, all teachers and students in grades 10 and 11 received tablets.
• In August 2009 all teachers and students in grades 8 – 12 (three new grade levels) received tablets.
• In August 2010 all teachers and all students in the Middle and High School received tablets. (In additions, students in grade 5 will be receiving tablets as well but that is not my area of responsibility.)

This is a process that has been a long time in the making and I am very excited about it! It’s also kept me quite busy, both to end the year in June and to begin this year.

One of the things that we decided we could improve as a school is giving more support and training to students from the get go. We’ve always done a basic training session and then let the students go straight to class. While this maximizes class time, I also found that many teachers were spending a lot of time teaching the same tech skills in their classes. That’s not a bad thing, mind you, but it was getting in the way of the learning.

So I came up with a plan. All students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 have been on a modified intensive technology curriculum for the first three days of school. Instead of math, science, english or humanities, they have been learning how to use their tablets, learning how to use OneNote 2010, having lessons on cyberbullying and cybersafety (thanks to the CyberSmart.org curriculum!) and having lessons on using NoodleTools and MLA referencing.

It was a bit of a nightmare trying to coordinate the schedules for 9 homerooms (3 at each grade level) but the middle school teachers have been great. I’ve been alternating between helping to deliver lessons, lending support as other teachers deliver lessons and just watching. By all accounts, the students are doing a great job of adapting. Of course, we always knew they would.

Now comes the harder part: getting the teachers to adapt to and implement a new learning environment!

click for full size

Some of our grade 6 students have been a bit naughty recently…

First, some background:

Last week I was tasked with writing a new AUP for our school. (I’m still waiting for feedback from Admin, but if/when it undergoes any changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.)

One of the issues I was toying with was what to do if somebody violates the AUP. If we believe that “access to technology and information is no longer a privilege but a necessity” how can we use the threat of denying access? Wouldn’t that also mean denying students the tools necessary to learn?

After a quick tweet out to my PLN, I got a couple of great responses:

and

Back to our naughty grade 6s:

Before this AUP even made it out to the school community, I was faced with a situation: some students were having a good time sending chain emails to the entire Grade 6 class. It was then compounded, when either people would reply to the chain email or would complain about the email by hitting “Reply All”.

After hearing about it, I dropped by each of the Grade 6 homerooms and had a “discussion” (it was more like a monologue) about chain emails and how they were disrespectful and irresponsible. We decided to let bygones be bygones and start fresh, knowing that we would no longer pass along chain emails.

Less than 24 hours later (24 hours!) they were at it again. I got a tip from a disgruntled student. I met with the three offenders and gave them a research project:

1. Research two or three potential dangers of email chain letters and spam.

2. Come up with a plan for dealing with email chain letters and spam in his inbox.

3. Write a 3 or 4 paragraph summary (in English, Vietnamese, Korean, or another language of his choice) describing what he has learned. It is important that he include links to the websites that he found when doing his research in steps 1 and 2.

I will post his findings anonymously on my school blog to help further educate other students about the dangers and precautions related to email chain letters and spam.

Was I too harsh? What would you have done?

I’ve been reading a lot about Jordon Romero, the 13 year old from Big Bear, California who just became the youngest person to ever summit Mt. Everest. He is one peak away from indisputable conquering the highest peak on each of the seven continents, also called the Seven Summits. He was inspired to attempt the Seven Summits, it is reported, by a painting in the hallway of his school showing the peaks.

In almost every article I have read, there have been doubts raised as to whether or not he should have been allowed to climb. Some commenters even go so far as to suggest negligence or even abuse on behalf of the parents!

I say this: The boy has a dream and he has done everything possible to realize that dream. His parents have done whatever they can to support that dream and to mitigate (but not eliminate) potential dangers.

As teachers, we should be celebrating the achievements of this tremendously motivated young man (and also Jessica Watson, the 16 year old Australian who just finished a solo circumnavigation!). It is this sort of passion that we hope to see and cultivate in our students.

I wonder what Jordan’s and Jessica’s teachers think? Does it matter that they missed that math test? Does what they missed in class even compare to what they’ve learned outside of it?

Image: ‘Everest/Chomolungma and Nuptse‘ by apurdam (Andrew) (CC BY NC ND)

I appreciate the cool stop-motion animation. I mean, it’s really cool, right? But…

Does SMART Technologies really think a Magical Classroom looks like this?

Straight rows, hands up, wait to be called on, one person talking at a time. That’s not magic; that’s a step backwards! Where is the collaboration? Where is the group dynamic? Where is the problem solving? Where are the messy bits? We don’t have any IWBs at our school so I want to know: Is this how you use them in your school?

(To be fair, sometimes I feel like we’re using our tablets in a similar way, at times: new tools, same pedagogy. Where’s the magic in that?)

Okay, so it’s not an AUP, it’s an RUP (Responsible Use Policy). And it’s not really mine. It is heavily borrowed from Andrew Churches and Tod Baker under CC licenses. But it’s a starting point. Let’s see what the Big Cheeses have to say about it.

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I’m not normally an internet meme kinda guy. But I like the idea of spreading a little love and knowledge…

Thanks to Maggie at Tech Transformations for the recommendation as a blog to keep an eye on. Actually, I believe the term she used is “Vale a pena ficar de olho nesse blog,” an initiative to highlight, well, blogs to keep an eye on!

Learning on the Job is an attempt by me to document my thoughts and experiences as I work my way through my new position. It is becoming my de facto portfolio, one that I would happily point any prospective employer towards as it is equal parts reflective and celebratory. It also serves as a sounding board for my thoughts and ideas; just taking the time to write them down help clarify things for me.

Of course, I don’t work or live in a vacuum and I am constantly inspired, motivated and encouraged by my blogging colleagues around the world. Here are 10 of them, presented without commentary:

Keri-Lee at Tip of the Iceberg.

Jabiz at Intrepid Teacher.

Kim at always learning.

Jackie B at Continuities.

David at Questions?.

Dina at The Line.

Adrienne at create. connect. question. (not hugely busy ATM since she is in the middle of her Master’s Degree) and her MYP Language A blog for Triple A learning.

Maria at Teaching College Math.

All the folks at 1 to 1 Schools.

The good folks at Boing Boing.

If you haven’t had a chance to read some of the blogs above, please do check them out. And if you are one of the bloggers listed above and you choose to play along, here are the rules: Copy the picture, link back to here, and recommend 10 blogs of your own for people to keep an on!

This week we will be holding an information evening for parents of students who will be receiving tablets for the first time next year. That’s a total of four grade levels: next year’s Grade 5, 6, 7 and 8 will all be getting their hands on the magic next year! This is the third time we’ve run one of these sessions in the Middle School/High School — our rollout has been pretty gradual: grades 10 and 11 the first year, then grades 8, 9 and 10 (plus 11 and 12 from the previous year) and now the entire MSHS.

For this group of parents, I have been tasked with talking about some of the specifics of the 1:1 program and how it will affect their children and themselves. Along with some of the usual big themes – How are we going to support the students?; How are we going to support the parents? – I thought I would use the IB Learner Profile to put the rationale into perspective. As stated by the IBO, “The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century.” Our move to a 1:1 program is an extension of what we have always been doing!

The following images and descriptions are in draft mode. I would appreciate any feedback (positive or negative!) or suggestions to improve them in the comments below. All images are taken from Flickr under a Creative Commons license except where noted.

Inquirers - Students will have the ability to access meaningful, up-to-date and relevant information whenever they need it. Learning environments can be set up to encourage inquiry and discovery.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/broterham/37039048/

Knowledgeable - Students will have the ability to reference facts, skills and resources like never before. Their notes will be searchable and easily organized. Gives an opportunity to show their knowledge in different and authentic ways.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginnerobot/2549674296/

Thinkers - Critical thinking skills become increasingly important, due to the flood of information available. Students need to analyze and evaluate information.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62229127@N00/99510423/

Communicators - Allows our students to communicate and collaborate with others, either in our school or across the world.

Two to choose from! Which do you prefer?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/2427415538/

or

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28402582@N07/3117592199/

Principled - Students and teachers must examine what it means to be a principled member of society in a technology-rich world. This is not something we can bury our heads in the sand about. If we (schools and parents) do not teach them, who will?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69805768@N00/3292899689/

Open Minded - Nothing yet… Suggestions?

Caring - Increasingly, interaction is taking place between individuals or groups online. It is important for students to understand the consequences of cyberbullying as well as how to be an effective member of digital communities.

I’m not sure how I feel about this image. It seems to show the opposite of caring…

Note: This image is from the University of Alabama and used based on the permission given there.

Risk Takers - Students, teachers and parents at UNIS are at the leading edge of technological adoption. In a recent survey conducted by Triple A Learning of MYP schools worldwide, less than 1 in 8 schools identified themselves as 1:1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rishon-lezion/21868932/

Balanced - A balanced education is one that takes into account all appropriate learning opportunities. By adopting a 1:1 program, we are not abandoning non-technological modes of learning. We are, however, giving our students that ability to experience learning in a way that is more representative to how students today and tomorrow will live their lives. I’m trying to figure out how to encapsulate Will Richardson’s sentiment…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaibara/2811540730/

Reflective - A 1:1 program gives students a wide range of tools that can be used to reflect upon their learning and thus improve the metacognitive abilities of those students. Because of their archive of work, it will allow students to compare their learning from year to year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34605419@N07/3898110129/

Again, your thoughts and feedback are encouraged!

As a classroom teacher, I hated to be observed. Heck, I hated to teach in a room where another teacher was working, even if they weren’t even paying attention to me? I never could figure out why I felt that way…

Now that I have begun to live my life online — open and transparent, as much as possible — I realize how debilitating that prior mindset was to my teaching. Of course I learn a lot fromthe other great souls who are teaching and living out in the open. But my openness is forcing me to be more introspective and reflective: Why am I doing what I’m doing, and what can I do to make it better? Opening the door to my online persona has caused me to be more introspective and reflective. It has helped me to grow professionally and personally, even if nobody ever reads a word that I write.

I firmly believe that the average teacher’s, well, openness to openness is directly proportional to that of the school’s in which she works. It is a learned behavior that is nurtured by the institution. If a school were to implement a healthy open-door and/or walkthrough policy — with the goal of observation and not appraisal – it would be an easy step for those teachers to begin to share their professional practice to a wider audience.

So why are schools in general and teachers in particular so reticent to openning their doors, either to their parents or their colleagues or to the world? What are they afraid that others will see? Maybe more accurately, what are they afraid they themselves will see?

Image: ‘open door‘ licensed under CC BY NC

I just finished Karl Fisch’s post about approaching homework differently. It is a much more detailed and cogent explanation to what I was saying here.

My plan is to deliver the traditional lecture portion of an Algebra class as the homework, thus freeing up class time to explore the mathematics and pursue some interesting problems, as well as provide time for guided practice and collaborative work.

Since Algebra is very much skill based, my hope is to provide short (less than 10 minutes), targeted instructional videos that students can watch (and rewatch if necessary) that focus solely on the skills, one skill at a time. Now I want to be clear that these videos typically will come after inquiry and exploration in class.

As I said in the comment of Karl’s post, I think this is a brilliant idea. I can’t think of one downside to this plan, other than it will challenge people’s existing beliefs of what education looks like. (That by itself is not a bad thing; the fallout of that challenge might cause some headaches though.)

Watching Karl’s ‘Proof of Concept‘ video, it’s pretty obvious that this is going to be a time-consuming effort. As is mentioned, there are tons of online resources already but they tend to have been created by individuals for their own use. I could use them in my classroom but they aren’t always at the right level or don’t always have enough practice or aren’t the right length.

So here’s my question: Is it possible for us, as  a community, to create an online open-source Algebra 1 skills-based video textbook? What would we need to do so? Here are some initial thoughts:

• We would need to come up with an agreed-upon structure for each video. (I like Karl’s Five Part Plan: Learning Goal, Explanation/Examples, Guided Practice, Self-Check, and Closing.)
• We would need to come up with a generic list of skills that are applicable to all, regardless of state or national standards.
• We would need people to volunteer to create a video for each skill on our list. If two or three people create a video for the same skill, that’s not a bad thing: more choice for our students.
• We would need to come up with a structure for displaying or publishing our textbook. I’m thinking create a YouTube channel and use a wiki as some sort of Table of Contents.

Can we work together to share the time-consuming aspects of this idea so that we all spend more time focused on the ‘heavy lifting’ aspect: supporting our students effectively with our time?

Anybody interested in trying?

Image: ‘soccer practice‘