Week of September 24

Thursday Thoughts September 24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The highlight of my week was my visit to the Ron Clark Academy (RCA).  Yes it is a beautiful facility.  Yes the teaching staff is energetic and yes you leave there feeling like you can right all of the wrongs within the education system.  But when the dust settled and I reflected on everything that I observed, I realized that my biggest take away is understanding the impact that a caring adult can have in a child's life.  The students that attend the RCA are from all walks of life.  They are not all poor, they are not all black and they are not all low performers.  They are a mixture of children whose parents want the best education possible for them.  Like our Medlock students, they have a variety of different ability levels and the teachers are using every strategy imaginable when working with them.  It was evident that the teachers love and respect the students.  They believe that EVERY child will be successful and this is evident in their interactions with the students.  When Ron Clark was speaking, he emphasized that education is about passion, high expectations and relationships.  Before we can ask a child to believe in himself, we have to believe in him. 



Feel free to watch the 5 minute clip about RCA.  Yes I did slide down the blue slide!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5SBsk3rS6s&feature=player_embedded

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on our Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs)  Bri Necessary and Michelle Penn.  These ladies have been working hard to meet the needs of our students who receive speech services.  For years, we were staffed with at least two K-5 Speech teachers and one for Pre K.  This year, Bri and Michelle are serving all of our identified students.  I continually see these ladies in the classrooms working alongside the teachers.  In addition, there are students who are enrolled in private school and we are required to provide speech services to them as well.  In a school, it can sometimes be difficult to think of other areas or departments outside of our own.  We have a significant Special Education department at Medlock and the Speech-Language Program is an integral part of that department.  I am thankful for the work that these ladies are doing and I know that it often goes unrecognized.  Bri and Michelle, thank you for what you are doing for our students.




Personalized Learning

6 Strategies to Truly Personalize PBL

By Andrew Miller

 

Edutopia   September 22, 2015

Photo credit: U.S. Army RDECOM via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

 

 

In the past, I wrote about how, along with other teachers, I've ventured into truly personalized project-based learning. I discussed the challenges we face as well as what it looks like in the classroom. Many of us may be personalizing PBL without even knowing it.
Teachers have always had students pursue their own research projects on their own questions. Students around the globe are engaged in genius hour activities about their passions and are given voice and choice in how they show their learning. These are just some aspects of personalized PBL, and we can improve the model further still when we adopt more tenets of personalization into the already-existing PBL framework. In addition, many teachers are claiming that they're personalizing learning for students when in fact they are not. However, PBL and personalized learning make an excellent match that creates engagement for students through authentic, personal work on content and skills that they want and need. Here are six strategies that you can try.

1. Know the Whole Child

If you don't know your students, it will be impossible to personalize learning for them. Assessment (not grades) is key here. Pre-assessments and ongoing formative assessments can provide excellent information on how students are doing, what they need, and what we can do as educators to empower them in the learning process. Schools can use ASCD's School Improvement Tool to assess for the whole child and set goals for improvement.

2. Scaffold Questioning

Our students are naturally curious, but they may need further support to articulate those questions and ask even deeper and more targeted questions. As students start to identify their interests and passions, we should be giving them tools like question stems, models of asking great questions, examples of leveled questions, graphic organizers, and the like to help them ask about what they want and need to know. Protocols like the Question Formulation Technique or the 5 Whys can also be great tools for scaffolding questions. If we want students to learn, we should encourage all types of questioning that lead to deeper learning. The best part is that, through this scaffolding, students ultimately own the questions and can personalize their project from the answers. Students are the true creators of PBL driving questions. In this Teaching Channel video, a teacher helps students learned leveled questioning.

3. Know and Align the Standards or Outcomes

There may come a time when learning will be so open that students will be able to learn whatever they want. However, in this day and age, we are accountable to learning standards and outcomes. This doesn't mean that we can’t be flexible in how we help students reach these learning objectives. And personalized PBL can help us find that flexibility. As students generate their questions, project ideas, and products for learning, teachers must align their work to standards and outcomes, which means that teachers need to know their standards deeply in order to serve as translators of students' personalized projects to the standards. Teachers can create checklists of the standards, sub-standards, and outcomes to work through the "weeds" of hitting the standards through personalized projects, and they can use these checklists with students to co-create project ideas and assessments. See Edutopia's Building Rigorous Projects That Are Core to Learning for ideas.

4. Build the Infrastructure

Although there is more openness and flexibility in personalized PBL, we do need some processes, protocols, and procedures to make sure that students can self-manage and complete projects with reasonable timelines. Student planning forms such as calendars, task lists, and the like can help students create deadlines and benchmarks for peer feedback, teacher feedback, and reflections. Technology tools can also support an infrastructure in which students have control over the scope of the project. The Teaching Channel offers a video about group contracts for collaborative work.

5. Assess Often

Ongoing assessment is an additional part of a good infrastructure for personalized PBL. Teachers and students should assess the work often to align the resources and instruction needed for success. These ongoing formative assessments can allow students to set goals while allowing teachers to give students "just in time" instruction in a variety of ways. These assessments should not be graded, allowing students the opportunity and safety to improve toward a summative final product. Teachers in this Edutopia video on multifaceted assessment explain how they assess along the way.

6. Get Out of the Way

One major challenge for any PBL teacher, and especially with personalized PBL, is getting out of the way. Although a teacher needs to be present, he or she also needs to relinquish control to the students, allowing them to explore their passions in learning. However, through letting go, teachers can move strategically from student to student as they all engage in different personalized PBL projects. Aviation High School's Scott McComb not only lets his students pick their teams, he also has them set norms, make mistakes, and adjust goals accordingly.
I truly believe that we can make personalized PBL happen and would love to hear your stories about how it has worked with your students or how you plan to try it out. Since we all know that students are engaged when they receive the learning and instruction that they want and need, why shouldn't personalized PBL be that learning model?

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

We are excited to announce that the MBES Steele Drum Band has been invited to perform at the FCS Legacy of Excellence Awards Banquet (Teacher and Professional of the Year Banquet) on November 13th.  The students will be performing in front of an audience of approximately 1,200 people.  Congratulations Craig and the Steele Drum Band!








 

Week of September 17

Thursday Thoughts September 17

 



Perseverance is a character trait that we, as adults, are always striving to improve. Things get tough and we tend to give up or settle for mediocrity.   It is also hard to teach this trait to children.  I would argue that as parents, we sometimes find it easier to let our children "off the hook" rather than help them see something through to the best outcome possible.  Maybe we don't want to deal with the push back or maybe we just know which battles are worth fighting.  Either way, this is a constant struggle for many.   As teachers we can certainly foster an environment of perseverance within our classrooms.  

 

This evening, my son came home with an essay that I helped him edit a few weeks ago.  He made an 83 B.  In my estimation, this was a pretty good grade for his first essay in this 11th grade Honors Lit  class.  I congratulated him and told him that I was proud.  To my surprise he said, "Mom it gets better!"   "The teacher said if we revise it again, we could get up to ten additional points."  He was excited about this opportunity and thus I got excited.  As a parent, I was ready to have him settle for the 83.  It didn't even cross my mind to have him ask for another chance.   As an educator, I understand and am grateful that the teacher is giving him the chance to persevere and make improvements.  What second chances can you give students to encourage them to persevere?

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Dorian (Scheuch) Gower.  Dorian is not only the grade chair for 4th grade, but she has stepped up in a number of ways and is leading by example.  She now serves on the School Governance Council and volunteered to serve as the Vice Chair of the Council.  She is also increasing her knowledge of technology use by participating in the Nearpod Cohort.  Dorian is working closely with Mrs. Arango to help her navigate through the maze of  "must dos" here at Medlock.  The 4th grade team is working hard to support all students and I am thankful to have Dorian advocating for the students and her team.




Personalized Learning

Beyond Q+A: Six Strategies That Motivate ALL Students to Participate

Edutopia, February 25, 2013

 

Maddie Witter

         

 

Do you have students who rarely raise their hand when you ask a question? When I think back about kids in my classroom who didn't participate at first, I remember Jared and Maya (whose names I changed). Jared was polite, listened to his classmates, and did his homework. But when I asked questions or set up class discussions, Jared remained silent. Maya was really creative and an avid reader. She also didn't participate, frequently had her head down in class, and was reluctant to start work. Some of our students might sit quietly through each lesson or be visibly disengaged. Maybe they don't understand the lesson, are embarrassed, or hesitantly wait for another peer to share. Jared and Maya certainly aren't unique.
I often visit classrooms where I see teachers employ lots of Q+A. Asking questions and calling on raised hands is one way to check for understanding. But Q+A doesn't access 100% of our kids -- especially not kids like Jared or Maya.
How can we get our shiest students, or even our student with her head down in the back of our class, participating? While cold calling, randomizers or pulling a Popsicle stick will ensure students are equally called upon, some students find that approach frightening or annoying. Below are strategies you can try in your class tomorrow that will motivate your Jareds and Mayas to participate.

1. Three Seconds

According to researcher Mary Budd Rowe, the average teacher waits 1.5 seconds between asking a question and calling on a student. By increasing the wait time to a mere three seconds, the following occurs:

• Accuracy increases
• "I don’t know" decreases
• Student responses get longer
• Achievement on tests increases
• More students participate

I literally count at least three Mississippis in my head after asking each question.

2. Hand Out Questions in Advance

Pre-plan a few questions that you want to ask (Saphier and Haley, 1993), write them on slips, and hand each student one question at the beginning of class. Once it’s time to ask the question, reach out first to the kids who had the question, then to the rest of the class. Try dividing the class into the groups whose members had the same question so that they have a chance to chat first before sharing out.

3. Anonymous Questioning

Companies like Socrative and Infuse Learning have designed software to check for understanding that can be accessed via smartphone, tablet or laptop. You can incorporate all types of questions from multiple-choice to short answers, and responses can be anonymously represented via graph. You can then make informed decisions with rapid, real-time data. Kids love it because they get to use technology, feel safe and get immediate feedback.

4. Choice Questions

It's important to incorporate questions that have more than one right answer, but broad, open-ended questions can be debilitating. Try incorporating some choices or either/or questions.

• Instead of asking, "How are you going to solve today's equation?", try "Would you rather use the simplify or guess-and-check method for today's equation?"
• Instead of asking, "Which character exemplifies what it means to be a friend?", try "Would Charlotte or Wilbur make a better friend? Why?"

5. Snowball to Avalanche

In Reading Without Limits, I share a fun kinesthetic strategy:

Have a really debatable question? Start the discussion. When a student answers, they become a "snowflake." As students agree with the original student, they move their bodies closer to that student to "build on that snowflake,"’ making a snowball. If you choose a great question, there should be several snowballs throughout the room that eventually, if one side is more convincing, turn into an avalanche. Kids will love showing allegiance to their classmates' ideas. And they can definitely change their minds.

As kids show their allegiance, call on different kids to share out why they are taking that particular stand.

6. Estimation Line-Ups

Ask kids a question that has a numerical response based on a sliding scale (Kagan, 1994). Place a number line around your classroom walls. Students stand under their number/answer preparing to share why. Fold the line in half so the students who most strongly disagreed with each other now chat before sharing out to the whole class.

• "Our scientific hypothesis is that a plant will grow more near the window than in the closet. How many more inches do you think the plant near the window will grow compared to the one in the closet?"
• "On a scale of 1-5, 5 being 'strongly agree,' 1 being 'strongly disagree,' should Jack and the boys take Piggy's glasses?"

Traditional Q+A didn't help me access all of my learners. The above strategies increased participation in my classroom, giving me more opportunity to check and support understanding. Getting our Mayas and Jareds to develop the confidence and comfort to participate makes a classroom a true learning community that values all, not just some students' thoughts.

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

Georgia Department of Education offering increased flexibility in TKES implementation

MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, (404) 651-7358, mcardoza@gadoe.org -Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram September 11, 2015 – In response to the concerns of teachers and school leaders, the Georgia Department of Education is working to allow modified implementation of the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System, beginning with a pilot in selected districts this year. Information from the 2015-2016 pilot will assist the GaDOE moving forward to expand modified implementation to all districts. In plain language, modified implementation means that six observations will not be required for all teachers, allowing for a more personalized approach to evaluating teachers. Highly effective teachers are eligible to receive fewer observations, while new or ineffective teachers will receive the standard six.  “There has been a call from school-level leaders all over Georgia to reduce the administrative burden resulting from the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I could not agree more with their concerns. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work for our teachers, any more than it does for our students. A tiered observation system, which we will pilot in selected districts this year, will free up time for administrators to focus on improving the instruction of the school’s teachers that need the most attention.”   The following school districts will participate in the 2015-16 modified implementation pilot: Ben Hill County Cherokee County Clayton County Griffin-Spalding County Peach County White County These districts represent high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and charter schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout Georgia.​

Week of September 10

Thursday Thoughts September 10



 

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.  Although this is not a subject that we focus on in elementary school, it is one that we shouldn't ignore.  In middle and high schools throughout the country and right here in our community, young people are facing challenges and pressure to live up to certain expectations.  This can sometimes leave them with a sense of hopelessness. In fact, as adults, we too have to be mindful of how we deal with the stress of the job, family and life in general.  According to the IASP (International Association for Suicide Prevention), doing things such as showing care and concern and listening to others in a non-judgmental way can have a significant impact on others.  Fulton County High Schools are observing Suicide Prevention Week next week.  In fact, this weekend the 5th Annual Teen Music Festival, WILLSTOCK, will take place at Northview H.S.  This event is dedicated to increasing love, hope and the "Will to Live" of teens everywhere.  If you are not familiar with the Trautwein Family and the amazing work that they do to honor their son's memory and affect the lives of young people, please visit their website http://will-to-live.org/.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Poonam Bhavinani.   Many of you don't know that FCS has restructured the IT Department and our school techs are now district techs.  We are fortunate to have Poonam housed with us at Medlock where we can ask her to help us at the drop of a dime.  But this will no longer be the norm.  Poonam has been working double time to get our school technology up and running, assisting other schools with their technology needs and helping new techs figure out what they should be doing.  If you are like me, you would much rather ask Poonam to "fix it" without the need to submit a HEAT ticket.    She works hard to get other district IT personnel to come to our aide and even when they come out, she is generally the person that will have to keep working on the problem long after they leave.  As we prepare to roll out classroom devices, I know that we will face additional challenges so I am thankful that Poonam will be with us to hold our hands. 


Personalized Learning

15 Common Mistakes Teachers Make Teaching With Technology

08/29/2015,   by Terry Heick,                   

The role of technology in learning isn’t entirely clear–or rather, is subjective.
While it clearly is able to provide access to peers, audiences, resources, and data, it also can be awkward, problematic, distracting, performing more strongly as a barrier to understand than anything else. Why this happens also isn’t clear, but there are some common patterns and missteps to look for while designing or evaluating a learning process.

15 Common Mistakes Teachers Make Teaching With Technology
1. The teacher is choosing the technology.
It’s not always possible, but when you can, let the students choose, and see what happens. Not all of them will be able to. Some need help; so let other students help them.
2. The teacher is choosing the function.
This doesn’t mean you can’t choose the function, but if you students can’t control the technology the use nor its function, this can be problematic: the learning is passive from the beginning.
3. The teacher is determining the process.
To an extent you have to, but don’t overdo it.
4. The technology is distracting.
If the technology is more magical than the project, product, collaboration, process, or content itself, try to muffle the bells and whistles. Or use them to your advantage.
5. The technology isn’t necessary.
You wouldn’t use a ruler to teach expository writing, nor would you use a Wendell Berry essay to teach about the Water Cycle. No need for a Khan Academy account and a fully-personalized and potentially self-directed proficiency chart of mathematical concepts just to show a 3 minute video on the number line.
6. The process is too complex.
Keep it simple. Fewer moving parts = greater precision. And less to go wrong.
7. Students have access to too much.
What materials, models, peer groups, or related content do students actually need? See #6.
8. The teacher is the judge, jury, and executioner.
Get out of the way. You’re (probably) less interesting than the content, experts, and communities (if you’re doing it right).
9. They artificially limiting the scale.
Technology connects everything to everything. Use this to the advantage of the students!
10. They’re not limiting the scale.
However, giving students the keys to the universe with no framework, plan, boundaries or even vague goals is equally problematic.
11. Students access is limited to too little.
The opposite of too board a scale is too little–akin to taking students to the ocean to fish but squaring off a 5 square feet section in the middle of the Pacific to operate.
12. The transition between technology and non-technology is clumsy.
“Okay students, stop searching global databases to identify the most relevant and compelling digital media resources for your project-based learning artifact. Have a seat and let’s all do a KWL chart together so we have something to hang on the wall.”
13. They think forward, not backwards.
Begin with the end in mind. Where do you want to be at the end of the lesson or activity? What sort of evidence does it make sense to accept as proof students “get it”? Start here, and move step-by-step backwards through the learning process. You can choose tech-first, but you have to be careful.
14. Technology is functioning as an end, not a means.
This is similar to #5. Learning technology is flashy.
15. It’s not cloud-based but it needs to be.
Designing a project-based learning unit that could allow student access to peers, assignments, and content and then limiting it to a school server, offline folders, disparate flash drives, or even disconnected social media platforms (one assignment on Edmodo, another piece on G+ Communities, etc.) is the quickest way to turn a 4 week unit into an 8 week unit.

This post has been updated from a 2012 post; 15 Common Mistakes Teachers Make Teaching With Technology

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

Space Standards for Educational Facilities Community Dialogue

"To build the schools of tomorrow, we need you today"
Over the past several months, district staff has engaged teachers, principals, parents, and community members in an effort to revise the standards we use when designing new schools and renovating older schools. This effort is the first step in developing a 2017 – 2022 capital plan.

In mid-September, the Fulton County Schools will host several community dialogues to gather feedback on design options for education facilities.

• Monday, September 14, 6:45 pm - Sandtown MS (South)
• Monday, September 14, 7:00 pm – Milton HS (Northwest)
• Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 pm - Chattahoochee HS (Northeast)
• Tuesday, September 15, 6:30 pm – Paul D. West (Central)
• Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 pm – Roswell HS (Northwest)
• Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 pm – Dunwoody Springs ES (Central)

The purpose of these meetings are to gain the communities feedback on revisions to these standards as well as their thoughts about how to create facilities that support a personalized learning environment for the 21^st century.
All parents, teachers, students, business owners and community members are encouraged to participate. District staff will be in attendance. The sessions will be led by our consultants on this effort, DeJong-Richter.
For more information please contact Tiffany C. Martin (martintc@fultonschools.org) or Susan Simpson (simpsonsl@fultonschools.org).​

Week of September 3

Thursday Thoughts September 3

 



The past 19 days of school have been a whirlwind.  In fact, I have noticed that when I get home each evening, I am scarfing down my food and rushing to take a shower so that I can get back on my laptop to do more work (if I can even stay awake).  I know you can relate.  Well, enough is enough!  We have packed ALOT into the first few weeks of school and we need a break.  It is my hope that you are able to refresh and rejuvenate over the long weekend.  I can't promise that things will slow down when we return, but if we STOP for just a couple of days, we can muster up enough energy to get through September.  Enjoy the long weekend!!

 

 

 

 

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Kim Richards. Kim joined Medlock this year and has a very tall order to fill.  There is no official job description for her position and she truly has to create her own value within our school.  In just a few short weeks, Kim has jumped right in with each grade level to serve as a planner, guide, demonstrator and advocate for PBL.  The website that she is creating will house the grade level PBL units and serve as a resource for teachers, students and parents alike.   Kim, thank you for the work that you are doing for the teachers and students.  We are excited about this work and know that we will learn a lot this year!


Personalized Learning

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

 

Looking Ahead

Congratulations Medlock Personalized Learning Team!

Congratulations to Craig, Leigh and Tanis, our Personalized Learning Team, on a job well done.  Our comprehensive ten page PL instructional model (that they worked on all summer) was approved by our area superintendent yesterday with no adjustments necessary.  This is a huge victory in our quest toward acquiring devices.