Thursday, April 30, 2015

Week of April 30

Thursday Thoughts April 30

 
 
 


What an amazing time to be a kid!  No seriously, I know that we can all recall something about our childhood that kids miss out on these days, but I often marvel at everything that kids are encouraged to learn and do in the 21st century.  As a child, I was not encouraged to think outside of the box or explore my creative side.  Nothing against my parents or my school, but it was all about the 3 R's and the ultimate goal was to grow up and get a good job.  In fact, I have a cousin who is highly creative (she is a graphic arts designer now) and I can remember how she used to get in trouble for drawing in class.  I often felt sorry for her and couldn't understand why she wouldn't just "do her work" in school, so she could stay out of trouble at home.   I am so excited that we are teaching in a time where creativity is being encouraged and celebrated.   Students are able to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways and can be as creative as they'd like.  Tonight's Art Show was an amazing example of how our students are learning that everyone is creative and that their work is worthy to be displayed and celebrated.  The challenge for the adults is to tap into our creative side more often so that we can lead by example.


Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on English Avery.  English is not only a master at her craft; but she also has a unique way of bringing out the creativity in everyone.  It was amazing to see close to 700 pieces of student art on display tonight.  Many parents commented on the detail of the student work.  In fact, I marveled at how even the kindergarteners' artwork looked better than anything most adults could do.  Throughout the year, English worked with grade levels to enhance their various units.  She was also instrumental in designing the blue ribbon displays that have adorned our windows this year.    English has been at the forefront of using iPads in the classroom and is a champion for STEAM instead of STEM.  I appreciate English for the work that she does with our students and the way she reminds us that ART is a critical part of  the development of the whole child.



4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills  
 
 
 

Why Teaching Is Still The Best Job In The World


alexandersaprykin-why-teaching-is-the-best-job-in-the-world
 
7 Reasons Why Teaching Is Still The Best Job In The World
by Paul Moss   04/01/2015
 
 
Sometimes, good teachers quit. Teaching is an increasingly demanding job with divergent influences, dynamic sources of innovation, and aging dogma that makes it all a struggle. It can be emotionally draining, and at times, impossible.
But in lieu of that–and in an age where start-ups are glorified, entertainment is endlessly emphasized, and tech is kind, teaching continues to be the best job in the world. Or at least I think so anyway. Here are 7 reasons why.
7 Reasons Why Teaching Is The Best Job In The World
1. The potential to transform lives – ask any teacher who has helped a student in any number of ways, from academic to welfare and emotional learning, and they will tell you that life is not only good, but amazing.
2. It gives you the chance to be continuously creative – of course there are increasing levels of accountability in teaching, but teachers are allowed to be creative in every lesson. Even in observations, in fact most of all in observations, lessons are encouraged to be creative and interesting to engage the students. Teachers have so many opportunities to try new ideas, and indulge in iterative process to ensure the optimum learning environment is created.
3. It offers you a chance to continuously get better – teachers are not only encouraged to seek continuous professional development, but can ask for observation on a regular basis, to provide opportunities to grow and learn from masters or more experienced practitioners. In so few professions is there such support, and considering that as a minimum, contracts are for a year, teachers have so much time to demonstrate improvement. A growth mindset is part of the foundation of teaching.
4. It is a grounding, humbling profession – the amount of work teachers do compared to remuneration is shockingly disproportionate, in 2 senses: firstly, in terms of how many paid vs non paid hours of work they receive, and secondly, in relation to other similarly creative and important (and not so important) vocations in our society. But that is not why teachers teach. So few teachers go into the vocation for the salary – it’s a calling before anything else.
5. There is always satisfaction somewhere – teaching is a calling, and no one enters it without his or her inner voice telling him or her that. Of course there are always some imposters, but the massive majority have their hearts in the right place. How cool is that for the students?
Having said that, teaching can be and is incredibly demanding, and often we can lose sight of that calling, bogged down in aspects of the profession that don’t seem to be connected to it. But on closer inspection, most of the extra demands are actually central to the job itself: explaining to parents where you are coming from; being observed; collaborating with others; marking.
Take this last aspect, crucial to understanding whether students are learning what you believe you are teaching. Yes, it is very time consuming, but perhaps one of the most important and fundamental weapons in a teacher’s arsenal; any good school will understand this and the other cited demands, and create an environment where they become part of directed time.
It is when these aspects are not acknowledged in directed time that the conditions for burnout are rife.
6. It’s a chance to truly to lead the world in the 21st century – introducing students to new technologies and ways of presenting, curating, and collaborating with others with what they know is truly exciting and truly invigorating. Modern teachers are actually pioneering pedagogy, and can and will be able to hold their heads up high in the future when we look back and see how learning in this day and age took a radical but enormously beneficial turn for the better.
Engaging students in greater collaboration, and instilling initiative in curation and the promotion of information leads to truly independent learning, and setting up such learning environments is an opportunity that all teachers now have before them. There are few more gratifying feelings that being needed.
7. The children.
Conclusion
Of course, so much of the technological addition to teaching has all been achieved mostly through our own initiative, having to source and implement the enterprising learning strategies. But this only provides another string to our bow, and in the context of how important 21st century skills are, another example of why teaching is such an amazing thing to do. Sometimes teaching is exhausting, but friends, always come back to the core of what we are doing.
We are change makers, and that is something to be proud of.     Long live teaching, still the best job in the world!

 
 Technology Tidbits

 http://www2.stetson.edu/~efriedma/puzzle.html- Numerous online puzzles and games to strengthen students' critical thinking skills

 

News & Notes

Nothing new to share....I guess no news is good news!

 
 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Week of April 23

 

Thursday Thoughts April 23

 
 
My grandfather is 93 years old and has more energy than you can imagine.  In fact, he still drives his Nissan sports car around his small town of Palmetto, Fl (outside of Bradenton).  He is a legend in his own right, as he was a high school football coach in Palmetto for 34 years.  He is in the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame and on any given day, you will still find him in the high school locker room taping students' ankles, giving pep talks or even leading the pregame prayer.   He was instrumental in the desegregation of the schools in Palmetto and is a fixture in the town.  In fact, he even ran the Olympic Torch through the town in 1996.    I relish the opportunities to sit with him and listen to 93 years worth of history, wisdom and humor.  I also marvel at the way he is able to use technology (yes I'm finally getting to the point) at the age of 93.  The best way to reach him is via his cell phone and if he doesn't answer, just text him.  In fact, I am not so sure that he doesn't have a Facebook account.  To think of all that he has experienced in his lifetime is awe-inspiring.  To think about how the world and technology has changed in his lifetime is mind blowing.  What stories do you or will you tell your grandchildren about the ways things were or are now?  Can you imagine the world in which they will live and the lens through which they will view it?    The biggest thing I have learned from my grandfather is this: what you do matters, who you are when no one is looking matters and the way you adapt to change matters. 
Medlock Staff.....you make a difference, you matter!


Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Jennifer Coxen. Jennifer has been quite busy this year. She continues to serve as the school liaison for Kids Hope. We are still the only school in FCS to host this mentorship program. Her organization and communication are invaluable to the success of the program. Jennifer has really taken Genius Hour and run with it as she works with 5th grade. She works with the morning news crew and has added different features to enhance the broadcast. This year, Jennifer worked hard to ensure that all student TAG testing was completed in a timely manner. She is proud of the work that the Medlock TAG teachers are doing and she shares that work with the Fulton County TAG Department. Jennifer loves what she does and it shows. Jennifer, thank you for your contribution to Medlock and your passion for student learning.


4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills

10 Signs of a 21st Century Classroom




One of my early challenges in coordinating my school’s STEM efforts has been determining exactly what is meant by a STEM school. There are probably as many answers to this question as there are educators, but I have decided to focus on what goes on inside the classroom. Not just in a science or math class, but in all classrooms. There are some activities that have traditionally been done well by the STEM disciplines that can be cross applied to all subjects.
I have narrowed these down to a list of 10 signs of a 21st Century classroom. I have been slowly introducing these concepts to the faculty at my school through informal discussions and incremental training during in-service days.
A few notes:
  • I am sure that there are many similar lists in existence. This one is originally based on a reference I found in the article “Considerations for Teaching Integrated STEM Education”.
  • I have opted to drop the word “STEM” from this list because these ideas, while often associated with science and math fields, are applicable to and indeed seen in all disciplines.
  • Each of the following could fill an article or a book by itself, but I have provided just a few explanatory lines for clarification.
And, in no particular order:
  1. Technology Integration
Rather self-explanatory and covered very well in other sections of this site. It involves more than just use of technology, but students using technology to achieve goals in a different way than was possible before.
  1. Collaborative environment
Many students prefer to work alone. However, this is an option not often granted in careers. In addition, collaboration fosters the development of new ideas and exposes students to opposing viewpoints.
  1. Opportunities for creative expression
This is where many schools will add an ‘A’ to form STEAM. Creative expression not only yields surprising outbursts of understanding, but also builds student confidence.
  1. Inquiry based approach
Much could be shared here about the difference between guided inquiry vs. open inquiry. The core idea of students approaching a new topic in the context of answering a question is a cornerstone of the current teaching models.
  1. Justification for answers
The largest problem that I encounter in my students reasoning is an almost complete lack of it. Fostering an expectation of well-developed thoughts encourages students to approach a problem from a number of angles and discover what they truly believe.
  1. Writing for reflection
Journal writing is often considered a dying art. This is a shame because as self-reflection goes, so does strong metacognitive reinforcement of learning. If students use a blog for reflection, they may even be surprised to learn that others are interested in their thoughts.
  1. Use of a problem solving methodology
Problem solving goes well beyond engineering classrooms. Having a go-to method of approaching new difficulties can aid students through writing a short story or solving an economics challenge.
  1. Hands-on learning
Long a staple of science courses, labs provide a wonderful opportunity to provide students with another anchor for learning. But it doesn’t stop there. Any opportunity to connect to the outside world is a chance to enhance student achievement.
  1. Teacher as facilitator
Modern realization of best practice in education no longer supports the idea of the teacher as an authoritarian figure standing in the front of the room scrawling on a chalkboard. As educators, our role can be reshaped so that we work beside students providing support and encouragement for their personal journey.
  1. Transparent assessment
Students perform better and form stronger connections with material if they are able to understand what demonstration of knowledge will be expected of them. Portfolios, rubrics, and formative assessments can help meet this goal.
I'd be interested in hearing the ideas of others who have introduced an integrated STEM approach at their schools.

Technology Tidbits

http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/dozieripad/freeapps.htm- Hundreds of apps for you to peruse.

News & Notes


Please take time to review the Superintendent's Budget Recommendations to the Board (below).
In addition to an increase in pay, there are proposals in the budget such as:

Add 5 more working days for paraprofessionals, clinic aides and bilingual liaisons.
Provide a supplement to Pre K teachers and Pre K paraprofessionals

http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/fcss/Board.nsf/files/9VP6V3759F44/$file/FY2016%20Markup%202%20Superintendent%20Budget%20Recomendation%20April%202015%20Item%201.pdf

The school board votes on the proposed budget in June.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Week of April 16

Thursday Thoughts April 16




 
 
This week my heart was heavy as I watched the APS educators on trial.  I do not think it is my place to give an opinion of the verdict, sentencing or even the people on trial.  However it saddens me to think that the culture had become such that something like this could go on for years throughout the system.   I know for a fact that culture matters.  Todd Whitaker and Steve Gruenert have a book entitled, School Culture Rewired and one of the quotes that resonates with me is "....a school's culture influences everything that takes place under its roof."  I think this is so true and it is one of the things that makes Medlock a great place.  No we are not perfect but we do not have a "gotcha" culture.  We look to support each other and do not dwell on mistakes or missteps.  Although we hold ourselves and our students to very high standards, we take every opportunity to have fun and enjoy the journey.  We know that our actions and words are powerful especially in the eyes of our students.  Thank you for making a positive contribution to our school culture.  Today was a great first day of testing!  We are not afraid of failure.... we are excited for success! 
 
 
 
 Staff Spotlight  
This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Rachel Jackson and Liz Nguyen.  I had the pleasure of observing in Rachel's classroom this week and I can tell you that differentiation is her "thing".  I know that the Kindergarten team plans together, however her ability to have numerous centers and then differentiate within each center is amazing.  Her Kindergarten students were adding and subtracting like math whiz kids.  In addition, Rachel has some students this year who have given her a run for her money.  She shared the great gains that they are making both academically and behaviorally.  The gains are tremendous and are in large part due to the differentiated instruction that is taking place in the classroom.   Rachel and Liz, I appreciate your hard work to ensure that every student in your class learns to their optimal level. 



4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills

 
 
 

YouTube Is Releasing An App For Kids

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youtube-app-for-kidsYouTube Is Releasing An App For Kids
by TeachThought Staff

Both USA Today and The Verge are reporting that YouTube will be releasing a first-party app for kids at the Kidscreen Summit event on February 23.

And at least at the beginning, it’s spurning rival-iOS and going Android-only.
It’s not surprising that Google-owned YouTube is releasing an app designed for engagement by those still developing their decision-making skills and capacity for self-restraint. Among the features are removal of comments, safer search, a way to control viewing time, and even original content for children.
We’ve long held that YouTube is one of the best-kept secrets in teaching and learning–in lieu of its ample underbelly. There is so much stunning content on YouTube–channels like Tested, Periodic Videos, Veritasium. Numberphile, Minute Physics times a billion.
If we loved
Smarter Every Day, we’d explode.
In fact, there’s so much great content that it’s easy to miss, especially if you already have your mind made up about the “garbage” on YouTube. (Or more likely, your district blocks it.) Which is what made us so excited about Brainfeed, which we included in our 50 Apps That Clarify New Ways To Learn, and our Best Educational Apps For 2014. Brainfeed curates some of the better, edu-centered content into channels by content area or topic so you don’t have to bother, which makes it a perfect fit for self-directed learning, problem-based learning, and grab-and-go mini-lessons for your classroom.
The continued evolution of YouTube as an API (versus simple a website) is great to see, but about two years late. There is so much buzz around apps like Zaption and Seesaw that support flipped classrooms and allow teachers to create their own content, all the while neglecting the extraordinary (and often expert-sourced) content already there. YouTube hasn’t limited itself to an easy way to upload videos or embed video content on blogs.
Perhaps this is a sign that Google is finally realizing the extraordinary potential YouTube has above and beyond how it’s been used for the last decade.
We’d guess iOS users can expect a version later this summer.

 
 Technology Tidbits

Screen Chomp App

ScreenChomp is a free app for creating and sharing short tutorials or lessons on your iPad. ScreenChomp provides a whiteboard on which you can demonstrate things by drawing and talking people through your instructions. ScreenChomp records your voice as you go. When you finish your recording share it to ScreenChomp.com where a shortened URL will be provided for you to share with anyone you like.  This could be a good app to have students use to create and share short demonstrations of their understanding of a particular topic or concept.

News & Notes

I will contact the Superintendent's Office tomorrow to see if Dr. Avossa still plans to visit Medlock on Wednesday 4/22.