This post is in response to the recent Vote by the Teachers Federation Union to Ban Cell phones from the classroom. According to CBC, “The new rules state that mobile devices should be turned off and stored during school hours, unless special permission is given.” Ontario teachers’ union votes to ban cell phones in classrooms
The meeting minutes found here indicates hat Policy Statements, 73.0, Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices in the Classroom, be amended to read: LINKWHERE did the word BAN come from? please not use the world ‘BAN’ here? Could it give the wrong message? How about we advocate for ‘Safe Use’, or ‘Education/Training is needed’ or, ‘Helping students and teachers navigate online tools?
I use cell phones in the classroom. I also use as much social media, web 2.0 and chat tools with my students as much possible. I have two specific reasons: First, it is these tools that provide assistive technologies and needed accommodations to many students that would/could not otherwise succeed in a system that is meant for the mainstream of learners. Second, What I’ve come to realize, as both a parent and teacher is that unless these tools are explored, discussed, shared and scrutinized in the classroom by knowledgeable and informed educators – with kids – that THEY (our students) are going to have little opportunity to explicitly learn how to use them effectively, safely and appropriately in the real world.
We know that cell phones and similar tools are becoming (or will become) a way of communication in the future. It is for that reason, that Parents, Educators, Teachers, Instructors, Professors and of course Learners need to step back from the podium of teaching and find ways to integrate, moderate and balance the safe use of these tools instead of banning them. I wonder, would better training/education about these tools for the students, parents and teachers be more practical? What if the real problem (or reality) is that the way we are teaching students needs to change?
The Horizon Report K-12 also emphasized that such tools are also conduits for learning,
> Mobiles are a category that defies long-term definitions. With more than 1.2 billion new mobile devices produced each year, the pace of innovation in the mobile markets is unprecedented. Mobiles, especially smartphones and tablets, enable ubiquitous access to information, social networks, tools for learning and productivity, and hundreds of thousands of custom applications. Mobiles were listed in previous years because they could capture multimedia, access the Internet, or geolocate. Now they are effectively specialized computers for the palm of your hand,with a huge and growing collection of software tools that make use of their accelerometers, compasses, cameras, microphones, GPS, and other sensors. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf
In the winter of 2011, the Ontario Teacher Federation Publication, “Voice” also showcased and applauded use of cell phones and other devices in the classroom.http://etfovoice.ca/back-issues/2011/V14N2_WINTER_11.pdf“Opening the door to student-owned devices, means facing the challenge of dealing with a number of computing platforms in our classrooms”, writes David Curruthers, an Ontario classroom teacher.
– Smaller than tablets, smartphones are popular among students. “The kids have them in their pockets,” says Todd Wright, OCT, a curriculum administrator in information communications technology at the York Region DSB. “And some of the screens are bigger than they used to be, so they’re more useful.” But smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy S III and BlackBerry’s Z10 aren’t as powerful as tablets and laptops, which limits the software these hand-held devices can process. Still, users can access hundreds of thousands of apps on iTunes and Google Play. There aren’t as many for BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8 (yet). (source)
Allowing cell phones in my classroom was difficult, but how can I, as an educator put barriers on the very tools that students are using in the real world? Isn’t that my job as a teacher, to prepare them for the world they are living in now and the future? I had to spend many classroom hours developing trust with my students as well as inviting parents and community into my class often. This included teaching them social skills when using these tools, appropriate use and balance. In the end, it allowed me to step back from that need to ‘control’ the environment in every which way and facilitate a classroom where rich inquiry driven projects could be at the basis of teaching and learning.
A couple of simple ideas:
* Use of QR codes in the classroom
* Integrate Instram – Great opportunity to share and discuss social media practices (privacy issues)
* Interviewing people
* Quiz application
*Internet source (on rare occasions and always with parental permission)
Student: I am easily distracted from the work I have to do.Teacher: What are you distracted by?Student: Stuff like the latest article about the Redstone update in Minecraft <that allows you to use the concept of electricity, pistons, electrical flow, breakers) or by the book that is screaming my name, or distracted by the story that I’m co-writing with my friend <the one I want to publish>, or by the new world I’m creating in Minecraft that allows collaborators to co-build and discuss in real time or by the new mode that I’m creating and why the Java Script isn’t working…….Teacher thinking: How can the distractions become the learning focus? Would this then eliminate the distraction?
One student writes,
“I was shocked when I found out how much I was self directing my learning, about a voxel platform called Minecraft. I learned almost everything there is to know about Minecraft, and I was shocked to find out that I found it all out through <a concept called> self directed learning. I learned it all through tutorials, Wikis, and finding stuff out just by fooling around in game.” http://dwtim24.edublogs.org/
As a teacher of a special education classroom (Gifted Education), my prime directive is not to teach content, but to teach my students to recognize their own learning needs, to advocate and then to reflect on what works or doesn’t. It is to have them ask, ‘What do I need?” instead of “How can I meet your expectations”? It is my hope that these students can begin to see the difference between education and schooling and between teaching and learning. Ultimately, it is so that my students can drive their own learning and understand the structures that they need in place in order to be successful.
With the concepts and examples of Flipped Classrooms, Khan Academies’ (and the like), Massively Online Open Courses (MOOC), and variety of online courses such as Harvard Open Online Courses or MIT Open Courseware, the structures and tools are available for learners to access whatever content they need in order to solve the problem or complete the project they have in front of them. Therefor, my role as teacher is clearly redefined.
I showed my students the video, “If Students Designed their own Classrooms” and asked them to think about how this could relate to their own learning. I wondered how they conceptualized the concept of self-directed learning. Initially, they didn’t see a connection to themselves. Why would they?
Students at this age still need structure, guidance and ongoing support and feedback. These students have been faced with teacher directed lessons, schedules, and goals. The concept of Inquiry (in the classroom) is somewhat foreign and like any skill or knowledge based lesson the students need scaffolding and monitoring each step of the way.
A student of mine wrote the following piece. Alexander is a student that hasn’t had success (as he explains) with traditional teaching methods and has felt disengaged for much of his schooling. After watching the video he felt inspired (even optimistic) that, in some instances, our system can create learning environments that are based on choice, interest and passion and can be driven by the student. Alexander asked me to post his thoughts where others can hear his voice.
Kids go to school to learn, right? To expand what they know? Then why do teachers decide what the students learn? What if they already know it? What if they are ahead, or behind? The student will know that better than the teacher. They know what they know. They know how to most easily do it. The student knows how they learn. So let them learn that way. Let the student choose how to learn, and what to learn, because THEY KNOW. Each needs to learn their own thing, their own way. Each needs different work, and, sometimes, special attention. So let them learn. School is a learning environment, not a teaching one. How would an adult answer a tough question? Look it up. So let kids do that too if they want. Let them do projects, or paragraphs, or a diorama, or even a model in Minecraft! If they want to do it, then they probably do it better that way. If they say that they know that already, then teach them something new! A teacher’s role should be to help learning, not to tell kids to do something. I skipped science today because we had to do stuff on circuits that I knew in grade two!!! I came to school to learn, and I wasn’t learning anything except how to be bored, which I learned enough of in grades two to five (in grade one it was still mostly games). As I said, people come to school to learn. SO LET THEM.
What works for me?
RELATIONSHIP – In order to implement this approach of teaching there has to be a significant understanding of who the student is as a learner. We take a significant amount of time reflecting on how to communicate what we know, how to reflect on how we know it, and how to synthesize what is next.
BLENDED LEARNING – Each day, I provide individual tasks via Edmodo or Google Docs. Students will either choose a goal or be assigned one to work on. The Blended Learning structure allows students to access his/her individual plans and to communicate with teacher. It also allows for parents to be involved. Uploading plans and activities ahead of time has also been effective!
TOOLS – I try to provide time for students to explore and learn how to navigate the tools (ie: Khan Academy, Math apps) and let them pick out the activity or app that interests them to share with the class. The “Resources” section in the classroom is important.
TIME – Provide enough time to allow students to work on a given task. It often takes them 10 minutes to get going on a task. This time for “small chat” is important – like it is for adult learners.
FEEDBACK – Ensure students aren’t just ‘doing the work’ but that there is a purpose. Give feedback to each group, or individual. I find myself walking around the room, prompting, checking, and reassuring.
DIFFERENTIATION – Allow students to use the tools or apps they want rather than assigning. Some may use Educreations, while others are using the Livescribe. The marker and chart method works too, although the students always upload what they’ve done to Edmodo or Evernote.
INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS – I print out their IEP’s and allow them do fill it in or comment/edit what I have already done. This is significant in helping them recognize that they have a VOICE. We do this several times a year and then hang them up on clipboards.
“Salt and water combine to form salt water, which sinks below pure water. Heating up salt water causes it to split back into salt water and steam. Steam rises and condenses, eventually forming water droplets. Plants drink water and grow, but die if exposed to salt water. And that’s just three of the nineteen materials available for you to draw.” – World of Sand
What I’ve discovered most about my students in this Gifted program, is that they want challenge. Not just any challenge, but a challenge that doesn’t have just one answer, but a myriad of possibilities. They want a challenge that can be done, and re-done over and over, with different results or possibilities. They want to create the challenge, to ask the questions, and to discover solutions. The epitome of inquiry?
Today, one of the students finally got to implement HIS challenge. Details posted on his blog post – “World of Sand Challenge” (A comment on his post would result in a smile).
Using the REFLECTION app on the SMARTBOARD along with the iPad app World of Sand, he demonstrated how to combine the elements, tools and chemicals to create reactions. Once the students had a chance to practice, he set specific guidelines: Acid, Liquid Fire and Acid to be set as “automatic” – in that order. The problem? Combine the other elements so that these elements/chemicals do not touch bottom of screen.
Here is one student explaining their result. I feel humbled to be part of their learning journey.
The learning environment is what will help create community. Before anything, students need to feel safe. Not just physically safe, but safe to learn how they learn, safe to think “outside the box”, safe to ask questions, safe to make mistakes, safe to be who they are. I recently read a post by Jackie Gerstein, a friend and mentor who talks passionately about the importance of community in the classroom (It’s About Connections Not Content). Below, I talk about the learning spaces to honour all learners. It is my intention to help these students find their passions, their gifts, and their understanding of themselves.
The Circle
Each day, we start off in a large circle. We might play a game, talk about a current event or gather our ideas for upcoming lessons. The circle gives brings the class together as one team, a group of co-learners and a support structure that they will need.
Comfort and Escape
A few years ago, I taught in a brand new school with small classrooms. A quiet “comfy” space was not an option and was strictly forbidden by fire regulations. I yearned to provide my students with an area to go when they needed to unpack and reflect. As we know, this 7 hour day, surrounded by an assortment of individuals can be overwhelming and draining. This classroom (an older school) allows for this space. Students can use it to work collaboratively using the bulletin board or small table or even the floor as a workspace. Of course, reading a book, plugged into a good song is also pretty fantastic for any learner.
It only took about one hour before a student crawled into this “getaway”. A calming environment that is still in the same room is a true gift for any classroom.
Exercise – Meditative, focus~refocus, transition
I truly love to Hula-Hoop. Not only because it is great for the abdominal muscles, but the repetitive motion is soothing. After a long day, or a long think-session, there is nothing better then grabbing a hula-hoop, with a little music (or quiet is good too) and finding a place to gather thoughts and re-fuel for the next “thing” to come. Another true gift that this classroom offers – enough space.
Game
There has been much debate about the use of Gaming in the classroom and its integration into core subjects like math, social studies and language. The Kinect offers an incredibly fun way for students to work together in solving problems, debating stories and characters, and thinking through puzzles and math games. Allowing students to move around, challenge one another and discuss the creation and process of the game itself is incredible insightful and meets them in their world. We will be integrating Minecraft in our classroom this year, as a way to plan, think, and discuss through creation and collaborative building.
Apple TV, Reflection, Interaction.
So often, we use the projector and whiteboard to deliver instruction and content. But with the Reflection App or Apple TV, students can broadcast their work and designs on a larger surface. To show the students a quick video, or demonstrate an iPad tool, I can stand anywhere in the room and broadcast quickly and safely. Even better, students can broadcast their work. Only a few years ago, I found myself stumbling trying to improve my motor skills when using the Smart tablet.
Group Think-Tank and iPad Center
One of my students asked, “Too bad we can’t just write on this table!”. I wonder if “Idea Paint” would work here. To move away from their desk workspace to a group workspace is valuable. It is also valuable to have an option to go back to ones own individual space. With the use of the HWDSB iPad program and the School iPad purchases, I have about 10 iPads in the classroom. We will start of with interview videos. A favourite app used today was WORLD OF SAND. I highly recommend it. Highly.
Weekly Schedule, Handouts and TEA.
Posting a daily overview is important, but to see it in context within the entire week is essential. Like adults learners, our younger students want to know what is next and why, and especially how it relates to their learning. There is a definite accountability attached to this practice, but it is so worth it. At the end of the week, I brew tea and together we work on the next weekly schedule. It empowers them and gives them voice.
Choices and Voices
This image keeps changing. As students become more comfortable with me – and more confident, they start adding more ideas and information here. It is fascinating to see how many students ask to get away from the brick and mortar. They want field trips, walks, and to learn outside.
Online
Blended learning is not only going to provide more solid communication and on-going information for students and parents, but also more access to content and learning. While it might be surprising to some (ha, ha!), I am not the bearer of all knowledge and information. Neither is the Internet. A blended learning platform (where students can also learn online) such as EDMODO (something new I’m trying this year) will allow me to facilitate content that is rich and diverse to a group of students that vary greatly in learning needs. As well, each student will be given a personal blog, and will have access to my daily plans through Google Docs and our classroom blog (another huge accountability risk that is worth the immense outcome).
Community
My favourite learning space – The real world. This year, I’ve established a partnership with the Hamilton Farmers Market where students will get a chance to learn stories of the lives of real Hamiltonians. Students will learn to shop, cook and share resources. Most importantly, they will have an opportunity to socialize and interact with citizens and with each other in authentic ways. With some structure and guidance, they will have a chance to apply what they have learned at school to something real.
We have also arrange for several community walks. Our school location is surrounded by hundreds of acres of forests (Royal Botanical Gardens) and wooded trails. The colours, smells, sounds and wildlife are the inspiration I’ll need when teaching poetry and creative writing. Perfect for finding space and time to talk, share and develop a real sense of self.
Look at the “Seven Degrees of Connectedness” and think about how you nurture, support, and develop relationships on line, professionally and even personally. Do you have a close circle, a clique, a group of educators that you depend on – those in Stage 6 or 7? Do you have colleagues that work in your school, your district, your city – that you empower or that empower you? Do you have their back when they mess up, or need a pat on the shoulder, or need a word of praise here and there? Do you have the strength to DM them a concern? What would you do if you noticed they made an offensive remark? Are you prepared to have that “difficult conversation”? Do you do it in private? In public? Do you Unfollow them? DM them?
For many of us, Social Networking has changed the way we work, relate, share, create and learn. Just think, throughout history, innovators have created so many different avenues and channels to share and communicate and strengthen relationships at many levels – some very surface and others very intense and deep – even life changing. What about the printing press? The mail system? The phone, radio, television? In so many ways, the transparent nature of all of these tools makes us all so vulnerable, which is why we depend on our relationships and our trust in others to help us do the right thing and be the best we can be. We want to encourage risk taking so it will lead to new innovations, new thinking, new perspectives. But, with each of these channels comes a risk. Risk of error, risk of misinformation, risk of misinterpretation, risk of bias, risk of judgement. Even risk of friendship or something deeper.
Online tools, like Twitter or Facebook also pose a risk. We know this. Have you ever said something “in the heat of the moment?” that should have been kept private?Have you ever deleted a Tweet?
Sometimes we are just learning, and along the way, we make mistakes. When I first started on Twitter, about four years ago, I had no idea that I was “Tweeting” with location settings “ON” until @dougpete sent me a friendly DM suggesting that I take it off since he could see exactly where I live. Not a good idea. Another time I tweeted out comment that wasn’t all that appropriate during a live debate (political) and again, received a DM from an online colleague who simply reminded me “Zoe…you have a very public audience here”. Once, I even Tweeted out my home phone number in the public stream, instead of the intended DM. Again, an online colleague, one whose relationship and trust was built over time, sent me a little note, “Zoe, delete the last tweet”.
Whatever the channel or method, face-to-Face or online, the way we nurture and respond to relationships depends on the level of trust we have. Even in a public stream like twitter, there will always be a circle of colleagues and friends (STAGE 7) that will protect, support, guide, teach and nurture one another. So ask yourself,
Where do my colleagues fit in the framework?
Where do I fit in the framework?
How will I respond to a Tweet that offends me?
Do I DM an online colleague to help or offer advice?
Do I make public a concern or do I DM a concern?
Do I have people to count on, in the stream, like in the Face to Face world?
Due Diligence and Social Media, Gaming and 21st Century Learning. Will education Institutions be held accountable?
“What?, you’ve been banned from 8 different servers?” I shrieked at my 11 year old son.
“It’s part of the game – to build trust, act normal, get more responsibility from the server owner and then, destroy” he explained.
I gasped.
“In many servers, the point is to build and protect. If you are in a server shared by others, you always take the risk of having your things stolen and your creations destroyed…but for some players, hacking into a server and destroying is the main point”.
I gasped. “But it’s not nice…..” So he explains, “most teachers and adults aren’t even aware of what is going on in the background of the server and chats”. He grins and asks me, “Do you know that most of us can get the brute force server hosting password?” “Do you know how many servers don’t use ‘world guard or world bucket’ plugins to protect the word, protect the players?” Minecraft is Boring. The real fun and thrill comes from the design, the programming and the challenge. What we do in schools is just the “Basics”. Boring.
I gasped. “Where do you learn all this stuff then?”
“Online. Together. Youtube” Never school.
I gasped. “What about Ethics? Character? Kindness?”, I wonder. I continue to wonder (now with my TEACHER LENS), “I’ve never heard of a school based PD about Minecraft servers, or world bucket”. Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of a mandatory in-service, PD session about any social gaming , or media tool or strategy.
Step Up Districts and Schools. Parents can’t do this alone. Make Social Media and Blended Learning Strategies as much a priority as traditional literacies. Be accountable and insist that all teachers have a solid understanding of the tools, strategies, and pedagogies so that we can help kids navigate in these online social environments. I want my children and my students to be safe online to understand online risks, and to have a chance to practice good online citizenship under the direction, coaching and support of a knowledgeable teacher. Help our children understand the hard and soft skills associated with these environments – help their parents understand how to coach, monitor, guide.
When it comes to the use of social media, gaming, multimedia and multi-modal learning strategies, I wonder, how many educators are encouraged to teach with it, without fully understanding the tool itself, or grasping the research behind its use, or acknowledging the implications of its use (including safety). How many educators are encouraged to teach with it without being provided the tools (computer, systems) and aren’t given in-school time to practice and learn?
It isn’t about updating our skills (like other literacies) it is about learning the skill.
The problem is that with other literacies (like reading and writing) we already knew them before entering the profession – we don’t have to learn them. We have a solid grasp about grammar rules, reading strategies, sentence structure, writing process. But with new literacies, especially the use of online tools, we are having to spend more time and resources to learn them. I’m not sure if our resources (people, infrastructure, knowledge) fully support this reality.
With this, I ask – where does the responsibility lay on education organizations to guide kids in an environment (even facebook, youtube, twitter, gaming)where they are spending so much time? Why are we OK with them teaching each other?
Ask yourself, in your school, or organization – Do teachers , leaders and parents know how to properly moderate a student blog? How about protect gaming server? or properly cite resources? or manage content privately while also being transparent and open? or create effective comments on a blog? or understand ‘public audience’? or how to have a conversation in an online chat?
In going back to my own children’s online behaviour, the story I started with – I as a parent can’t do it alone. I need support from the school system to guide and support my child’s learning in these online environments.
George Zegarac, Ontario Deputy Minister of Education and Zoe Branigan-Pipe (Teacher, HWDSB)
The conference in Jerusalem, Israel that Van Leer hosts each year is intended to encourage professional dialogue among educators, academics, representatives of the Third Sector, and policymakers from diverse areas and places in Israel and abroad. This year, I was asked to attend as a Canadian Teacher Representative, along with Ontario Ministry Officer, Colette Ruduck and our Ontario Deputy Minister of Education, George Zegarac.
With the theme of “Trust and Regulation” at the center of our discussions, it did not take long to realize that my context, as a Canadian Educator, a parent, and a student – was one of privilege and opportunity.
In bringing my Canadian values of equality, diversity, safety and choice with me in these talks with Ministers, education officials, principals and teachers, I found myself acutely aware of the key differences that separate our profession, here in Ontario (and Canada) from the rest. In contrast to many of the other countries represented, our Canadian context was unique in that the regulations (organizations, federations, policies, curriculum) imposed actually tie in Trust and Relationship building and partnerships as key factors to increase capacity building with a wide range of stakeholders. Our regulations are meant to encourage equality and diversity, choice, opportunity, innovation – fundamental values in our society. Many other countries examined our systems of education and were fascinated that while we hold teachers and students strongly accountable and maintain a highly regulated profession, we also have a high degree of trust for teachers, administrators and district decision makers. It was clear however, that the relationships between Trust and Regulation are directly related to the values, customs, culture of a society. These conversations, coupled with the touring, informal and formal discussions gave me a new lens to look through.
I was incredibly humbled to be asked to speak at the closing ceremony of the conference. Here, I would be the voice of not just of Canadian teachers, but of teachers from across our Globe. Left unedited, here is what I said:
“I am a Teacher. My mom was a teacher, My grandma and my great-grandma were teachers. So the perspective and story that I am going to share today is from that lens – my teacher lens.
I am humbled and appreciative for this opportunity, not just representing my fellow colleagues in Ontario, Canada – but also to talk on behalf of some of the teachers that I’ve met at the Van Leer in Jerusalem, Israel.
Dead Sea -Lowest Place in the world - and vanishing fastYadvashem -Holocaust Museum
First, I would like to give you my sincere gratitude for welcoming me into Israel. This experience – in its entirety has been life changing in many ways. Your country is so full of history, and so many stories. I have cried- both tears of joy and tears of tremendous sorrow. I’ve toured your museums, your galleries, your shops, your places of worship and have had many authentic conversations with your citizens. I have learned how little I know and how much more I need and want to learn.
I think it is important to recognize that my reflection – our reflections together, are because we are breaking a routine, a norm, a place of comfort.
In the words of Canadian Education activist and academic – George Siemans, “Routines, the ones we personally engage in or that define our society – are the embodiment of values we’ve held and choices we made in the past. They support and reinforce the system in which they function – Sometimes, however, as he says, it is important to break the normalizing influence of routines so we can encounter new perspectives and new ideas, and this – sometimes takes a new location, or a new group of people. Times of change require new thinking.
This is what we have done here at Van Leer.
Teacher Voice being heard at VanLeer
I spent the day with 20 educators from around the world. We shared our stories and contexts and compared the realities that we all face as teachers and learners. We – the carriers of the curriculum, the subjects to theory and research, the caregivers of children- together, devised a series for recommendations. First and foremost, teacher voice needs to be heard and respected. That is what we all want, regardless of our country or context – to be heard.
We need our profession to be respected, which includes paying us well, treating us fairly, supporting us with resources, nurturing our learning and leadership opportunities. We need to feel safe to make mistakes because we too are learners, especially in a profession that is changing so drastically in the 21st Century. We need to feel trusted and with that, we want our skills, our education, our talents and our passions to be respected so we -together – can become the creators of our own pedagogies.
Teachers, District Managers, Ministry officials and researchers worked together where we emphasized and discussed in length the role of high-stakes or standardized testing. I was indeed inspired to learn that these passionate and experienced leaders agreed that such tests don’t work when used to rate, or punish teachers. I heard leaders and officials agree that such tests are not always authentic and can even sometimes do more harm then good. But I was particularly inspired also, to learn that systems of education can achieve and can be highly ranked without the use of formalized testing.
Together, educationalists from all different levels made ourselves accountable. We recognized that changed can come from all levels.
As researchers, we have a responsibility to translate these complex messages to the public. We need to think critically about the research and what it is telling us. We need to engage the social justice movement and include many stakeholders in forums and discussions around the issues of learning and teaching within our communities. We need to re-empower our teachers and principals to to rebuild capacity, because, as stated so well by author, Robin Alexander, CAPACITY BUILDING IS A PRE-condition FOR TRUST.
As principals, we need to empower our teachers and community. We need to continue this conversation with our colleagues, in our districts and also take risk to advocate for a fair and just system that puts student learning above all. I can tell you, that in my teacher group, the importance of the teacher/principal relationship came up over and over and over. I even wrote down some quotes on this, ” I don’t care about authority, but I get a good amount of Trust from my principal”, said one teacher. Another one said, “My principal will be the filter for the authority, for the leaders”; and yet another, “Trust – allows me to teach in my style, developing my own curriculum…Leadership is very important in my school.” One proudly voiced,”I am very dependent on my principal – he is a dynamic supportive leader”.
So I wonder if there is a correlation between that supportive, trusting principal and the fact that we have incredibly dynamic teachers here, at Van Leer from all over the globe? I am sure that it is no coincidence.
Lindy Amato (Director, Professional Affairs), Ben Levin (Professor and Canada Research Chair in Education Leadership and Policy), Colette Ruduck (Ministry Officer) Zoe Branigan-Pipe (HWDSB Teacher Leader) George Zegarac (Ontario Deputy Minister of Education)
As Director Generals and Deputy Ministers, we need to recognize the efforts of the grassroots. I had some great talks with my own Deputy Minister, George Zegarac about how important it is to never ever forget what it is like in the classroom. I believe strongly that if the leaders and officials here could stay in touch with the realities of teaching and student learning, change could happen and teacher voice would be heard. I hope you
all find time, after this conference to go visit some of your teachers and tell them how proud you are. As a teacher, I can tell you – it really does mean a lot.
As Teachers – it is possible for us to make change. We too need to think different because change can start with us. We need to make our voices heard by be socially active. By sharing and reflecting our learning openly and even by sometimes being vulnerable and asking for help and challenging the status quo. As teachers, we need to recognize that our learning environments are changing and are very different from how we were once trained and educated. We need to remind our leaders that we are not just teachers of academics but we teach the whole person. This is something we discussed in length in our teacher group.
Many of us struggle, without supports – to help impoverished families, students with mental health disabilities, learning disabilities, students that speak a different language, large class sizes, violence, inequalities. This is common to all of us. This morning I resonated strongly with Michael Bilton on the panel who spoke about his own experience as a student and the importance of a caring teacher that fed him, nurtured him and made him feel safe.
While many of us are charged with teaching a standard driven regulated curriculum, we know, as teachers, that we are dealing with so much more. And I would bet that there isn’t a single teacher in here that would sacrifice a students safety or health for the sake of a single test. I challenge the teachers and leaders in this room to use both face to face and online social networks in order to stay current, motivated, and strong. Tools of the 21st Century
(and even 20th Century) have given us the gift to extend our learning and communication beyond our own environments as we see here with all these international delegates. Many of us here, in despite of some difficult times, are leaving feeling refueled because we know that with a bit of risk taking and determination, our
voice does matter and in the end, we know that every single person here, really has the same end goal – to help children succeed in our world.
I end with a thought that we discussed in our teacher group which is how very much teacher voice, teacher talent needs to be trusted and valued and that our policies and structures need and can reflect and support that. To quote John Lennon – “they expect you to pick a career, When you can’t really function, you’re so full of fear, A working class hero is something to be, a working class hero is something to be”, – I think being seen as a working class hero is often how our governments justify taking away from our profession “for the greater good”. This is, perhaps the greatest dichotomy we are faced with, since our children really are OUR greatest resource.
Again, I thank you for this incredibly humbling opportunity. I also thank my own schol district, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and the Ontario Ministry of education for supporting my own growth as a teacher and learner and giving me the opportunity to be here with you today.
I challenge you now, to think of one thing – one doable action that you will make happen after this conference. Will you write about it? Will you join a blog and start advocating? Will you keep your connections created here alive? Will you change how you treat teachers and students? Will you empower your colleagues? For me – I promise that I will take responsibility for not only what is happening in my world of education, but also for yours. I will continue to use Twitter, my blog and other avenues to learn about your classrooms and I will give all of my students a wide perspective of what is happening in places around the world.
How are formal, organized and appointed leadership models in schools adapting to teacher leadership initiatives that are self-organized, community oriented, and both deliberate and organic in nature?
From teacher training programs, to experienced teachers, to online learning communities – teacher leadership is becoming the driving force behind some of the most authentic, current and innovative projects and evolving pedagogies in education. Information is more available and accessible then ever before. Networks are connecting beyond schools, districts and Ministries. Educators are forming learning groups, communities of practice and support mechanisms even beyond the formal direction or moderation from a supervisor or evaluator directly in their organization. Almost every night of the week educators around the world are learning and supporting each other through online chats, e-learning environments, ed-camps,unplugd retreats, collaborative blogs, and shared video resources.
As a teacher-leader, I am inspired and excited by the efforts and partnerships between the Ministry of Education and the Ontario Teachers Federation for nurturing, supporting and empowering teachers to take on leadership initiatives at the Ministry Level through programs such as the TLLP (Teacher-Leadership-Learning-Program). I applaud Faculties of education such as Brock University for empowering new teachers through a blend of leadership and technology courses. It is thrilling and exciting to see Directors of Education (ie: John Malloy – Director of HWDSB or Chris Spence, Director of TDSB) at local districts not only using and modeling social media tools to expand vision and build capacity within the community but to also encourage and show support to staff. Myself – I am honoured and proud to be part of a community of learners (of practice) through the online network at the grassroots level with educators, teachers and leaders at all levels in education.
There are so many supports and structures in place that empower teachers! However, I wonder if there is one a missing piece in the development and support of Teacher-Leaders:
How are formal leaders (Principals, Vice-Principals, Superintendents) in our organizations – the formal, appointed leaders – being trained or prepared to adapt to a changing landscape of leadership within their schools and organizations? How are they using teacher-leaders in their schools to empower the rest of their staff? How willing are they to participate in a distributed and shared leadership model within their schools? Is our Principal training programs and our Ministry of Education training and supporting principals to adapt to a 21st Century Model of leadership? Are they modeling the same skills that many of their teachers are practicing themselves?
How much of our Teacher Professional Development and Training continues to revolve around what the Principal-Leader directs? And, is it an irony that often, this Principal-Leader is not participant in the e-learning professional networks along with his/her staff (or beyond?)
Ann Lieberman, Professor and Author from Stanford University explains to a group of teachers at the Teacher Leadership and Learning Program earlier this week the importance of nurturing teacher leadership programs as a way to enhance school programs and student learning:
“Research tells us that people learn on the job, which presents some dichotomy for the academic world between the theory, research and practice. The “dailyness” of work is different that the kinds of questions that are asked in research. The TLLP, for example, helps form a community of like minded people who are willing and open to better their practice. When given the support and structure to implement an action research and have built a community of practice, Lieberman emphases that , teachers in leadership programs use their “fist full of strategies” to transfer and apply their learning and reflection with their own students.
Children are using social media. Who is teaching them?
As a parent, I see my own children (9,11) communicating online with anonymous friends during their Mindcraft episodes, Wii and Kinect games, Mathelectics and online forums. Often, I observe the server chats trying to picture who is on the other end, wondering if they are aware of networking safety, wondering if their parent, or teacher talks to them about network safety, about how to talk online vs. in private.
While I am thrilled that we are having these discussions online and within our PLN, it continues to concern me greatly that our districts and public education policies continue to put very little emphasis on the teaching of social media as part of a literacy program. While it is discussed and modeled in various capacities around the districts, it continues to be done as extra or optional, rather then as a required aspect of our children’s learning, like we do with reading, writing and math. And yet- it is the only literacy medium that can have serious personal safety consequences if it is used inappropriately.
I ask – how is it possible that educators and leaders are addressing the skills associated with social media with students authentically, when so many of them are not trained to use it themselves? Why is Social Media NOT a required PD in most schools (experienced teachers and leaders) and why is it not mandatory (rather then optional) in many Pre-Service training colleges?
As part of a media literacy presentation social media in primary classroom pdf that I am facilitating this week, I am discussing a few simple classroom strategies/lessons that address at least some of the skills associated with social media and communication. My intention is to demonstrate that we do not need to be tech experts, nor do we need to have high end equipment. In fact, some of the examples demonstrate that we can teach the skill (communication, audience, perspective, online participation, discussion, commenting, blogging, reacting) without the equipment. Let’s help our colleagues, our leaders, our students (and parents) understand the impact of their digital footprints.
Paper Tweets to teach Social Media: This post describes ways to engage students in various topics using tags through paper tweets. The intent is to model, encourage and practice using appropriate dialogue, addressing audience, voice and appropriate vocabulary in simple, clear sentences.
Paper Blogging -Thanks to Rodd Lucier for his discussion on the use of Paper blogging. I think this strategy could be done in any school classroom or hallway, and especially to encourage Parents and community to contribute. Take it even further and integrate VOICE notes on the bulletin board using Livescribe
Interactive bulletin board – Social Media is about communication. Why not ask for input on classroom bulletin boards? Make your room talk! Incorporate QR codes and have your boards change and adapt as you change the links.
Creation of a Faceboard – At home, students create a poster of themselves, including information that they would be comfortable sharing publicly. My son had this for an assignment during his Third Grade. Interestingly, several parents complained, flagging the assignment as “inappropriate”.
Audience is Everything – Have students write down a comment about a particular topic (ie: the movie they saw, something fun at recess……) and then have them change how they would state/phrase their comment depending on who can see the comment and who it is intended for (parent, friend, teacher, public…). This strategy could work for students in all grades (even adults).
Storytelling (My Favourite example that I first learned from @dougpete and @mrspal) “A walk down Memory Lane” Students and parent go online to GOOGLE maps. Parent tells the child a story about his/her childhood by looking at the map. Child can retell the story to classmates. This could be tiered to different levels. Giving student/parent information on how to make a tiny url, students can mark down the URL, bring to school, and teacher prints off the place. Student writes down the story he/she was told from family member as if it were a blog post.
Skype @msolomonteacher suggests using Skype to help students learn social media skills. If internet is available, use Skype to meet another class, connect with other students across the country or the world. Why not have students practice skype calls, oral language skills and presentation skills (online video conferencing can be intimidating!)
BACK-CHANNELING @susan_watt suggests using todaysmeet.com chat. Have the children make one comment (to start) about a read-aloud or a video. Part 2 – take the words from the chat and make a Wordle from them! http://www.wordle.net
@susan_watt suggests TypewithMe – another great way to use social media and practice communication in a moderated, supervised environment (http://typewith.me) pad. Create a creative thinking brainstorming challenge (e.g. What are all the things you could do with an empty pop can? – or something like that) and ask the students to add their ideas.
WEB 2.O TOOLS:Bitstrips , Glogster, Voicethread are all examples of Web 2.0 tools that encourage interaction. All of these programs are interactive allowing students and parents to comment and discuss within the program (social media) – and its moderated and supervised.
Have an Author’s Night at school. Students read their “published” work aloud to all parents. Then, have parents write comments on the last page of each student’s “book”. Thanks @kathycassidy for the suggestion!
@kathycassidy notes that students can also comment on the work of their classmates in #11. What a great way for authentic communication in the online environment with a well trained educator to assist!
RECORD IT! Another great idea from @kathycassidy – Record students reading or reading their writing or describing some other type of learning. Also record comments of classmates.
ANYMORE SUGGESTIONS? Consider adding to this collaborative document: Here
VOICETHREAD IS A UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED TOOL ALLOWING EVERYONE TO CONTRIBUTE.
STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY CAN USE ANY MEDIUM TO SHARE, DISCUSS, POST, REFLECT AND PRESENT. OPEN DOORS TO OUR LEARNERS!!
A couple reminders that might ease your mind about using this OPEN and FREE tool…..
* Voicethread provides tutorials, ideas, and examples. Give yourself some time to explore and PLAY
* Voicethread comments can be moderated by the owner
* Voicethreads can be public or private and can be shared with one or many people
* Voicethread tool is free and is accessible on computers, iPods and iPads
*Voicethread can be uploaded to a website or blog using an EMBED code.
* Voicethread has been around for about three years and there are MANY MANY resources out there
#1 – Parental/Community communication (My PERSONAL favourite)
Bring parent voice into the classroom: Add a Voicethread to your Classroom blog or website asking for parent ideas and thoughts about the topic you are studying. For example: Upload a map, ask parents to talk about historical story of their family using the map (Ie: immigration, jobs, travel, climate, war, environment).
Parent input and perspective: Add Voicethread to District website asking for community input about a specific topic (ie: building of a new building, closure of schools, announcements of upcoming board meetings.
Community input on Board Meeting minutes: Upload the minutes on voicethread allowing parents to use the voice, or video to make comments and express concerns, thoughts, ideas.
Parent-teacher communication: Use the voice thread to communicate with the teacher about student work. Make the Voicethread only public to you and the parent. The voice and video option creates a less intimidating situation as the parent can see you, hear you and understand the communication.
#2 – Assessment (Also my PERSONAL favourite)
Before a lesson or activity:
Diagnostic: Ask students to share what they already know about the topic using a prepared Voicethread. This might help the teacher in the planning stage of the unit/theme and to identify student strengths and weaknesses.
Learning Goals and Criteria: Use the Voicethread to upload the learning criteria. The comment section will allow students to discuss the criteria and add, modify or change the criteria if needed. The use of the audio and video functions will help provide a more detailed example and rational behind the criteria that was developed.
During a lesson:
Ask Questions: Use the Voicethrad as a station in the room. This could be done with a stand-alone computer or portable device (iPad, iPod). Students go to the Voicethread and ask questions (or listen to other questions) during work time. Put up “sample” comments to help students know how to respond appropriately in audio.
Review/Test prep: Use the Voicethread to post questions that review the course content. Allow students to comment, respond and ask questions throughout the course. This would be helpful to students and parents during exam preparation.
After lesson, completed project, or assignment:
Reflection and Meta-cognition: Have students post their reflection, discussion and overall thoughts about the assignment or project that they handed in. Allow them to make self-assessments about their strengths, weaknesses and next steps.
After a lesson: Exit Card? Homework? Feedback?
Exit Card: Have a voicethread ready to go on the computer, portable device, or interactive whiteboard with a focused question relating to the goal of the lesson.
Research – gather data, information
Research Tool: This could be meant for a small focus group or a larger group as a way to gather information about your topic. Use the Voicethread to build on the questions each week.
Shared Leadership in department: Use the Voicethread to gather knowledge and skills from a variety of educators and leaders in the department.
Crowd Source: This tool can be made public. Use the tool to crowd source your question and gather information from a larger network.
Feedback
Teacher – Student Feedback. DESCRIPTIVE, AUDIO FEEDBACK: Use the Voicethread to provide detailed descriptive feedback to the student. Upload a picture of the student work, use the pen/drawing function along with your Voice and add comments to the work for improvement.
#3 Collaboration Tool
Classroom-to-Classroom: Use this tool to form a classroom partnership and focus student learning on a specific topic. Students can use the Threads to comment on each other’s ideas.
Examples: Upload art from a variety of classrooms or schools; Create joint stories about a topic, stories from a neighbourhood, a community.
Student-to-student: Peer mentorship. Students can partner on a Voicethread based on a book or an activity that they have been working on. Like a blog, they easily post pictures, video’s, and text . What if you had class partners from different places in the world?
School-to-school: District schools that partner on themes and activities (i.e.: sports, drama, music festivals, art) can use the Voicethreads to communicate information, seek information and advertise the events.
Division or Department Planning: Use the Voicethread in partnership with a blog, wiki, or website to plan, discuss and develop collaborative ideas. Take it further and use Voicethread to collaborate with OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS.
CHECK OUT THIS VOICETHREAD…A Couple of years old, but still going strong. Why are you using a PLN to support your learning? How has twitter impacted your professional development?
#4 Newsletters
Classroom News: Each week, copy/paste your newsletter to a classroom Voicethread. This allows the teacher to make comments and reminders directly on the VT as well as having students and parents comment when needed.
School News: Post news, questions and ideas with a Voicethread to the community.
English Language Learners: Use the Voicethread to extend written and spoken words to students and families that speak other languages. Make use of student, parent or district translators when needed.
Interactive: Make the newsletter interactive and accessible through the use of audio, video and text together.
#5 School Announcements
Whole school announcements: Have students record their voice, text, or video of a school announcement. The announcement could be relayed during the morning announcements
Class announcements: Use a VT to announce upcoming events in the classroom.
#6 Instruction
Post-Instruction: Add a video of yourself (use the smart recorder, or video camera) teaching the lesson and post it on the Voicethread for students to review if needed. The collaborative nature of the voicethread allows students to ask questions and make comments based on the lesson that was posted.
Pre-Instruction: Add a video, text, image or audio that focuses on follow-up lessons. This will help students move ahead as needed. Integrate this with a Flipped Classroom lesson.
Review of Content: Use the Voicethread to post the notes from each lesson. At the end of the unit, the Voicethread will include notes from every lesson. This will help student with review for test, exam or culminating activity.
#7 Student Work/ Student products
Student Work: Allow student to hand in their assignment using a voicethread. Use the audio comment tool for student to give a reflection and summary about their work.
Differentiated Instruction: Use the audio feature to allow students to SPEAK their answers rather then requiring written work. This allows students to be more confident when explaining their work, images or uploaded videos.
#8 English Language Learners:
Use the Voicethread to post audio and video of a lesson, activity or classroom/school information in a variety of languages and formats.
#9 Differentiate Instruction:
Product: Allow student to use their Voice or Video to demonstrate their learning instead of the traditional “text based” response.
Process: Use the Voicethread to provide a varied instruction using your voice and video. Information about upcoming assignments, tests, and events can be made in a variety of mediums. DECREASE PAPER that you are sending home.
#10 Student Leadership
Student-Created – Student – driven Voicethreads: Students from a lower (or higher) grade, division or school to present information about a topic. Students from another class or division are to respond and give feedback.
I use cell phones in the classroom. I also use as much social media, web 2.0 and chat tools with my students as much possible. I have two specific reasons: First, it is these tools that provide assistive technologies and needed accommodations to many students that would/could not otherwise succeed in a system that is meant for the mainstream of learners. Second, What I’ve come to realize, as both a parent and teacher is that unless these tools are explored, discussed, shared and scrutinized in the classroom by knowledgeable and informed educators – with kids – that THEY (our students) are going to have little opportunity to explicitly learn how to use them effectively, safely and appropriately in the real world.
In the winter of 2011, the Ontario Teacher Federation Publication, “Voice” also showcased and applauded use of cell phones and other devices in the classroom.http://etfovoice.ca/back-issues/2011/V14N2_WINTER_11.pdf “Opening the door to student-owned devices, means facing the challenge of dealing with a number of computing platforms in our classrooms”, writes David Curruthers, an Ontario classroom teacher.
