Thursday, February 18, 2016

Week of February 18

Thursday Thoughts February 18

On this eve before our iPads are to arrive, I want to reassure you that I wholeheartedly believe that technology is a tool. It does not replace solid, instructional teaching practices and strategies. It enhances them. We will use the increased technology to give students more choice and voice, additional practice on specific skills and as a means to communicate and collaborate in ways that we could not before. We officially agreed to become a Group 1 Personalized Learning school in December of 2014. While that seems like a long time ago, I can honestly say that we have used this 14 month preparation period to expose ourselves and our students to the possibilities of what can be accomplished with technology. And yes, there is so much more out there for our students (who knew Augmented Reality was at our fingertips) but we can't forget to reflect on how far we have come. Moving forward, it is my goal to do everything I can to support you in this work and share what you are doing with the County and even the State. Thank you for taking a leap of faith and trusting that this is the right time to do the right work for the right reasons.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Carolyn Taylor. Carolyn is technically a new teacher but you would never know it. From the time she accepted the 5th grade position during second semester of last year until the present, She has put her heart and soul into her work. Carolyn teaches math, science and social studies and her classroom is always buzzing with students creating and collaborating. In fact, at any given time when walking down the hall, you will find some of her students working on a project or finalizing a presentation. Carolyn fosters technology use among her students and makes student "choice and voice" a priority in her classroom. Carolyn, like many of you, spends countless hours at work after the school day ends. She is committed to making sure her 5th grade students are well prepared for middle school. Carolyn we appreciate your hard work and commitment to students.

Personalized Learning

Scholastic’s Best Kept Secrets: 15 Free Resources to Use Now!

By Genia Connell on January 20, 2016

www.scholastic.com

A red graphic image has the words, 15 FREE Scholasti Resources to Use Now across

Honestly, I've always liked to think of myself as a super-user of Scholastic's website. I've been using it a long time — think waiting for the screeching America Online dial-up long time. That's why, two years ago when I was sitting in an auditorium at Scholastic's New York headquarters listening to my friend give a presentation to new teachers on all eScholastic has to offer, I felt a little embarrassed. I didn't know some of the resources she was talking about!

I started scribbling down notes on resource after resource. Some I had used but forgotten about, while others were brand new to me. I began thinking that if I didn't know about many of the resources (and I'm on the site nearly every day), there were probably others who would benefit from hearing about them for the first time, or perhaps being reminded of all Scholastic.com has to offer.

The resources below are perfect to put into your lesson plans right away and are guaranteed to save you planning time when you insert them into your sub plans. So this week I'm happy to share with you a post that was conceived two years ago in that auditorium. I hope you will be as excited about some of the resources as I am!

1. Character Scrapbook

This reading response resource can easily be used to teach character traits or help a student delve deeper into any character — human or animal — from a fiction or nonfiction book. The scrapbook page can be saved and printed. These are also whiteboard-ready and can be done with the whole group. I've had students add their scrapbook pages to their reading response binders.

Additional Resources:

2. StudyJams! Interactive Math and Science Activities

I have no good reason for forgetting to use Study Jams! with my students — I wrote the scripts for 14 of the lessons! But still, I often forget to add them to my plans when I'm introducing new language and concepts, and only seem to remember them when I need a sure-fire way to make a challenging concept clearer. Use these short, engaging, interactive videos to help make difficult ideas in math and science easier for your students to understand.

Additional Resources:

3. Flashlight Readers

Flashlight Readers is an interactive literacy experience. Regardless of whether your students are reading any of the many popular titles, the activities are fun and compelling, inviting students to, "Go inside your favorite books." These are also great to add to a class website because if your students are like mine, they will want to use these activities much longer than class time allows!

Books Featured in Flashlight Readers

*Because of Winn-Dixie* by Kate DiCamillo	*Hoot* by Carl Hiaasen
*Charlotte's Web* by E. B. White	*Esperanza Rising* by Pam Muñoz Ryan
*A Dog's Life* by Ann M. Martin	*Inkheart* by Cornelia Funke
*Holes* by Louis Sachar	*The Underland Chronicles* by Suzanne Collins
*The Invention of Hugo Cabret* by Brian Selznick	Author Blue Balliett

Additional Resources:

4. Word Workshop

If you are looking for a go-to resource for making word walls, name tags, labels for book boxes and containers, or just about anything else that you want printed with an attractive border and font, thenWord Workshop is for you! You can print cards in different sizes including half-page, whole page, and Avery-sized labels. I was at the Scholastic booths at ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) and was surprised that with all the high-tech things out there, it was the Word Workshop that was getting all the love! Once you visit the site, bookmark it! This is one of those resources I sometimes forget about after the start of the school year when the greatest amount of labeling happens in my room. Try it, you'll like it!

Additional Resources:

5. Planning Calendar

Scholastic offers a full month of linked, timely resources for every month of the year. This calendar is great for planning ahead or to find special events to share with students such as historical dates and author birthdays. You can even print each month to keep this resource at your fingertips.

Scholastic's Free Printable Planning Calendar

6. Story Starters

Banish writer's block forever with this fun tool that offers up hundreds of different scenarios for students to write about. It's easy to use, whiteboard ready, and available on iPads. Choose your grade level and the genre you would like, pull the lever, and wait for your writing prompt to appear.

Kids love when prompts like, Write an email to a forgetful sorcerer whose bracelet has magic powersappear. These can be done by individual students or on a whiteboard with a whole class writing to the same prompt.

Additional Resources

Story Starters Teacher's Guide

7. Poetry Idea Engine

Poetry Idea Engine is a part of the Writing with Writers series, but it deserves a special shout-out of its own. The Poetry Engine guides students through writing four different styles of poetry: haikus, cinquain, limericks, and free verse. Clear, line-by-line directions and fill-in-the-blank examples with this interactivepoem builder will quickly help your students become experts at each style.

8. Virtual Field Trips

With Scholastic's Virtual Field Trips teachers can take their students to learn about faraway places and get a firsthand look at history all from the comfort of their classroom. While Scholastic's First Thanksgiving virtual field trip isn't a well-kept secret (it's one of the most trafficked areas of the site), you may not know that there are other virtual field trips your class can take part in:

Additional Resources:

9. Free Printables

While I love my all-access subscription to Printables and think it's worth every penny, I realize the budget or the situation doesn't always allow for extras. Kudos to Scholastic for offering a very generous number of their printables for free. Look for each month's free p

rintables in your Scholastic newsletter emailed to your inbox each month and be sure to try the dozens of free printables linked in the resource list below.

Free Printable Resources:

If you like the Scholastic Teachers Facebook page, you'll also find all sorts of free reproducibles delivered right to your newsfeed nearly every day.

Freebies on Scholastic's Teacher Facebook page

My favorite find on the Facebook newsfeed last week was the link to the set of 40 quotes free to print and hang in the classroom. Thanks, Scholastic!

40 Free Printable Quotes for Your Classroom

10. Writing With Writers Free Writing Workshops

Created with upper-elementary students in mind, this set of lessons includes writing tutorials from expert authors. Students can learn how to write myths with Jane Yolen, poetry with Jack Prelutsky, andmysteries with Joan Lowery Nixon just to name a few.

Workshops covered:

Writing Workshop on Poetry with Jack Prelutsky

11. Everything You Need — Resources

Think of any topic you want your students to learn more about and Scholastic has probably put everything you need all in one spot for you. There are nearly 100 topics covered. In the Everything You Need collection, you'll find lesson plans, crafts, articles, book lists, and more. You can see them all here and check out just a few below:

Everything You Need Resources for dozens of topics

12. Computer Lab Favorites

Scholastic's Computer Lab Favorites is an area of their site where you will find more than 50 no-prep needed activities for student enrichment in language arts, math, science, social studies, and Spanish. Many are also compatible with interactive whiteboards.

12.5 Interactive Whiteboard Activities

Scholastic has taken some of their best activities and formatted them to work on your interactive whiteboard. Activities are designed for SMART, Promethean, Mimio, and other brands of boards.

13. Daily Starters

This is another one of those things that I used regularly a few years ago, then stopped for no real reason. I've started using Daily Starters again this year, and I've found many more uses for them than just morning work! See my post "Daily Starters to the Rescue" which includes ideas and links to teacher guides for all grade levels.

14. Professional Development Videos and Podcasts

With budgets being slashed, it's often not easy to have access to quality professional development, that's why I was thrilled to discover that Scholastic offers professional development from many experts in education. Watch videos and listen to podcasts from authors such as Pam Allyn, Ruth Culham, Laura Robb, and Jeff Wilhelm. Our district has even provided professional development hours for taking part in Scholastic's podcasts.

Scholastic Free Professional Development

15. Freebie Corner

The name alone, Freebie Corner, is enough to appeal to me. Here, you'll find student contests, sweepstakes, free resources, and lesson plans for all grades.

Freebie Corner Free Resources for Teachers

Hopefully this post will have helped you discover a new resource you can use in your classroom or even remind you of a forgotten favorite. I know there are still more parts of the website that deserve to be recognized. If you have a favorite, free Scholastic resource, please share it in the comment section below!

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

The team will be here tomorrow to deliver and begin the set up of our iPads. They will be operating out of the Media Center. The process will take a couple of days to get them in the classrooms but our time has come. Hip hip hooray!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Week of February 11

Thursday Thoughts February 11

I know that I have shared this before, but I wanted to loop back around to the topic of patience. Those of you who work closely with me, know that I am challenged in this area. I want what I want when I want it. It is so hard to be put on hold or be told that something can't be done within a reasonable amount of time. Like a child, I want to tantrum or pitch a fit when I can't get my way. Actually, I am ashamed to say that I do sometimes throw a tantrum like a child. The difference is that nobody cares and it doesn't change anything. So with that being said, I want to thank you, my Medlock Family, for being an example for me. Your patience in this device roll out process has helped me keep my sanity. You continue to make the best out of the technology that we have. You continue to have groups of students sharing one device. You have not lost faith in the work that we are doing. I am happy to say that our iPads should make it to the building at some point next week. It has been a year long process and I have thrown several tantrums that have been ignored. But in the end, I am reminded that patience is a virtue and it is one that I will keep striving to attain. I will have an update on our devices for you next week.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Ana Moreno. Ana continues to lead the way at Medlock in technology. This year she is a Vanguard member and was a presenter at the GAETC Conference in November. She stepped up along with Dorian Gower to spearhead the MBES Technology Competition which ultimately resulted in two of our students taking 1st place in the 5th/6th grade division of Internet Applications. Ana is willing to try anything and gets excited when she is introduced to new technology or apps to use with her students. Be sure to ask Ana how to create a Symbaloo for the homepage of your website. It is an excellent resource that her students and parents use. In March she will be presenting at the Fulton County Redefining Learning Conference. Ana we applaud your passion for technology and your willingness to infuse it in your classroom and teach your colleagues.

Personalized Learning

Voice and Choice: It’s More Than Just "What"

Andrew Miller- Edutopia JANUARY 25, 2016

As a PBL advocate, I know how important it is to have voice and choice in the learning environment. When I work with teachers, we always collaborate to design projects with the appropriate level of voice and choice for students, which depends on factors such as time of the year, age level, content, and many others.

There is never a one-size-fits-all method to voice and choice. It's always contextualized to teacher and student lives and experiences. However, many times we oversimplify voice and choice to what students create in their project, or we simply forget that there are many possibilities. While having students express voice and choice in their products is one great option, let's consider more opportunities to create engagement and student-centered learning.

More "What"

While product is the vehicle for showing content and learning, perhaps we can offer more choice in the content? This may not work in all cases, but it can certainly work when we have standards broad enough to allow students to select specific sub-content within the standard or learning outcome. Maybe we'd allow students to choose topics related to the skill. I know a teacher that let students analyze a variety of cell phone plans of their choice, but still demanded that they show the same skills in linear equations. This choice works well with skill-based learning outcomes and standards, but it's not limited to those things. I know this isn't a new idea, just a reminder that we might have more flexibility than we think in the content that students learn.

"Who"

Students can and should choose who they work with. However, take time with them to reflect on various prompts such as:

Who do you need to help?
Who can help you?
What are my strengths?
What are my areas of growth?

Prompts like these can help students make intentional decisions in the learning partners they choose and give them a powerful range of incentives. In addition, many times students create work for a variety of audiences. While we might choose that for them, we can also ask them to whom they want to present their work or with whom they will share their work.

"Why" and Purpose

Students always want to know why they're learning material, and we often go to great lengths to make the learning relevant through the task itself or by trying to explain connections. Instead, we could partner with students in deciding the "why." Ask them why they want to learn this material, or help them brainstorm ideas and then let them decide why they want to learn something. Students can become the driving force in the purpose of their learning: "I will learn this in order to _______" is a great sentence starter to give them more of a voice in the "why" of learning.

"Where"

Why do students always have to learn in the same place? Why at desks? Why not on the floor? Why not in the hallway? Why not at home? Why not on a field trip? Why not in the library? Why not in another classroom? More and more schools and experimenting with flexible spaces and learning environments -- quiet corners, sitting and standing desks, conference-style areas, makerspaces, and more. We can offer more voice and choice to students by allowing them to decide where they want to learn. This can meet their social-emotional needs, foster engagement in learning, and create a space where learning is physically dynamic.

"When"

If we are personalizing learning, we need to be flexible about when students are creating work, when they are learning certain concepts, and even when they might turn work in. While this might be uncomfortable to consider, it's a great area to stretch yourself as a teacher in giving up control and allowing students to take more of that control. Teachers can coach students to pick appropriate tasks for learning material, coach them to relearn material in a way that students want, and help them plan effective deadlines for work. Allowing students control over when they learn can create an environment where time is no longer the most important variable, and instead learning becomes the driving force.

Not only can voice and choice create more engagement in learning, but giving students agency can also empower them to become self-directed learners. Voice and choice can allow students to explore their passions and feel honored for their ideas and opinions. We should all be providing more voice and choice, not creating walls to stifle these things.

How do you or will you provide more voice and choice to your students?

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

We had an excellent parent coffee on Wednesday that focused on Math. It was well attended and generated quite the discussion. We will upload it to the parent tab of our school website and you can find it attached to the email (for some reason I can't link it to this blog). Please upload it to your class websites as a parent resource.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Week of February 4

Thursday Thoughts February 4

The quote above makes me laugh, probably because it speaks to my role as a principal. I often find myself in situations where I realize....oh yeah I have to make the final decision. Some decisions are easy and won't cause major damage or disruption if I make the wrong call. Other decisions are pretty lofty and require much contemplation. There are also those rare occasions where I have to make split decisions and just pray that everything works out (remember Snowpocalypse 2014). In all of my decisions, I try to keep the main thing the main thing....the best interest of the students. One of the things that makes me so proud of you as a staff is that you also keep the students at the forefront of your decision making. Our work is not easy (we are reminded of this daily), but it is worthwhile. One of the most important things that we can do for kids, as adults, is make good decisions. I believe that at Medlock we are making the best decisions we can for ALL students and we are the adults who will make a difference in their lives.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Karen Gilbert. You will always see Karen with a smile on her face and a trail of students in front or behind her. From the moment she arrives, Karen is working with small groups and individual ESOL students to help accelerate their acquisition of language skills. She is using her Orton Gillingham training to provide specialized instruction to those students who need it most. In the absence of one or both of the ESOL teachers, Karen makes sure that students are still able to attend class. Recently we adjusted Karen's schedule to better accommodate ESOL students in their general education classrooms. She was understanding and jumped right into the classrooms to provide assistance. Karen has been a steady constant to an ever changing ESOL program at Medlock. We are thankful for her dedication to the program and appreciate her contribution to our school.

Personalized Learning

7 Pros & Cons Of Teaching With Genius Hour

by TeachThought Staff 01/05/2016

Genius hour is trending in education, and for good reason. It is an attempt to restore the personalization, creativity, and authenticity that has been designed out of many schools and classrooms in the modern testing era of ed reform.

We’ve offered a definition for genius hour in the past, and discussed the principles of genius hour before. Below we’ve listed 7 strengths and challenges of teaching with/through genius hour (we’ve used the simpler but slightly less accurate terms “pros” and “cons”).

7 Pros of Genius Hour

Student-centered & open-ended
Encourages students to design meaningful and authentic work
Easily supports tech-centered and tech-limited classrooms
Students are able to practice navigating “unfiltered” and non-academic content with a focus on inquiry and research
Promotes learning beyond the classroom
Can be successful for the student that struggles in traditional settings
Students that “play” with ideas tend to think laterally, critically, and creatively since they’re not seeking to play guess-what-the-teacher’s-thinking

7 Cons of Genius Hour

Though genius hour seeks to be “passion-based” and curiosity-centered, in most public schools and formal learning environments it is still essentially a mandatory and compulsory model of learning. Students aren’t learning “because they want to,” but rather because they’re told to–they just have freedom in what they’re learning and how.
Students accustomed to being told what to do, when, and how can feel uneasy without “assignments.”
Learning resources necessary are “different”
In genius hour, models (examples of what students can do/build/design/create) and connectivity (working with different people for different reasons) become paramount. Without them, this open approach to learning can do more harm than good.
Teacher role and planning has “new rules” in genius hour; teachers must adjust their planning–and role–accordingly
Grading requires rethinking, and parents and students must understand the idea and purpose and expectations of this new idea.
Some students, whether from having their curiosity suppressed for years, a lack of confidence, or some other missing element, may feel anxiety in a genius hour setting. They also may not respond at all; while you’re expecting them to take this change and unleash their inner Picasso, Thomas Merton, or Steve Jobs, they may just sort of ‘sit there’, unwilling or unable to do anything without being told.

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

The School Governance Council is gearing up for another election council. We will have both elected and appointed staff position openings for the next school year. Please see current members if you want to learn more about the council and/or the commitment. Current staff council members are Poonam, Traci, Andrea and Dorian. This is a great opportunity to be a part of the decision making body of our school.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Week of January 28

Thursday Thoughts January 28

I am not sure if there is any research on the correlation of a full moon and student behavior. But if I ever have to write a dissertation, that just might be my topic. We have all earned our paychecks this week. Thank you for your hard work and patience this week. While we had a rotating door of students in the office, I am certain that there were quite a few more that should have made their way up to the office. As adults, we must make sure that we nurture our students, reprimand in love and forgive quickly. Every day should be a fresh start for kids and a day that they are encouraged to be better than the day before. The next full moon will occur on February 22nd. It will not catch us off guard!

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Lisa Pizzurro. Lisa has fully embraced Genius Hour and is one of its strongest supporters. Not only have two of her students successfully completed a school wide shoe drive project, but her students will now have a class pet funded by a grant from Pets in the Classroom. They definitely had to pitch this idea to me a couple of times before getting the green light. Another one of Lisa's students has already met with me to discuss starting a student newspaper. Lisa takes pride in making sure students connect to their learning. Lisa cultivates an environment that promotes creativity and student engagement. This is evident in her ELA classroom and is now evident during Genius Hour. Lisa thank you for lighting a spark in your students that has turned into a flame.

Personalized Learning

22 Powerful Closure Activities

Edutopia December 15, 2015

Todd Finley

Blogger and Assistant Editor (Contractor)

Too many university supervisors and administrators criticize the absence of lesson closure, a dubious assessment practice likely caused by the improper use of Madeline Hunter’s lesson plan model (PDF) as a de facto checklist of eight mandatory teaching practices -- anticipatory set, objective and purpose, input, modeling, checking for understanding, guided practice, independent practice, and closure -- a custom that Hunter decried in 1985 (PDF). Although it offers multiple benefits, please don't view closure as a professional must-do.

What Is Closure?

Closure is the activity that ends a lesson and creates a lasting impression, a phenomenon that Colorado State University professor Rod Lucero calls the recency effect.
Teachers use closure to:

Check for understanding and inform subsequent instruction
Emphasize key information
Tie up loose ends
Correct misunderstandings

Students find closure helpful for:

Summarizing, reviewing, and demonstrating their understanding of major points
Consolidating and internalizing key information
Linking lesson ideas to a conceptual framework and/or previously-learned knowledge
Transferring ideas to new situations

Like contracting your bicep at the top of a dumbbell curl, closure squeezes an extra oomph into a lesson. See my favorite closure strategies below!

Creative Closure Activities

1. Snowstorm

Students write down what they learned on a piece of scratch paper and wad it up. Given a signal, they throw their paper snowballs in the air. Then each learner picks up a nearby response and reads it aloud.

2. High-Five Hustle

Ask students to stand up, raise their hands and high-five a peer -- their short-term hustle buddy. When there are no hands left, ask a question for them to discuss. Solicit answers. Then play "Do the Hustle" as a signal for them to raise their hands and high-five a different partner for the next question. (Source: Gretchen Bridgers)

3. Parent Hotline

Give students an interesting question about the lesson without further discussion. Email their guardians the answer so that the topic can be discussed over dinner.

4. Two-Dollar Summary

Kids write a two-dollar (or more) summary of the lesson. Each word is worth ten cents. For extra scaffolding, ask students to include specific words in their statement. (Source (PDF): Ann Lewis and Aleta Thompson)

5. Paper Slide

On paper, small groups sketch and write what they learned. Then team representatives line up and, one and a time, slide their work under a video camera while quickly summarizing what was learned. The camera doesn't stop recording until each representative has completed his or her summary.

6. DJ Summary

Learners write what they learned in the form of a favorite song. Offer extra praise if they sing.

7. Gallery Walk

On chart paper, small groups of students write and draw what they learned. After the completed works are attached to the classroom walls, others students affix Stickies to the posters to extend on the ideas, add questions, or offer praise.

8. Sequence It

Students can quickly create timelines with Timetoast to represent the sequence of a plot or historical events.

9. Low-Stakes Quizzes

Give a short quiz using technologies like Socrative, BubbleSheet, GoSoapBox, or Google Forms. Alternatively, have students write down three quiz questions (to ask at the beginning of the next class).

10. Cover It

Have kids sketch a book cover. The title is the class topic. The author is the student. A short celebrity endorsement or blurb should summarize and articulate the lesson's benefits.

11. Question Stems

Have students write questions about the lesson on cards, using question stems framed around Bloom's Taxonomy. Have students exchange cards and answer the question they have acquired.

12. So What?

Kids answer the following prompts:

What takeaways from the lesson will be important to know three years from now?
Why?

13. Dramatize It

Have students dramatize a real-life application of a skill.

14. Beat the Clock

Ask a question. Give students ten seconds to confer with peers before you call on a random student to answer. Repeat.

15. Find a First-Grade Student

Have kids orally describe a concept, procedure, or skill in terms so simple that a child in first grade would get it.

16. Review It

Direct kids to raise their hands if they can answer your questions. Classmates agree (thumbs up) or disagree (thumbs down) with the response.

17. CliffsNotes, Jr.

Have kids create a cheat sheet of information that would be useful for a quiz on the day's topic. (Source (PDF): Ann Sipe, "40 Ways to Leave a Lesson")

18. Students I Learned From the Most

Kids write notes to peers describing what they learned from them during class discussions.

19. Elevator Pitch

Ask students to summarize the main idea in under 60 seconds to another student acting as a well-known personality who works in your discipline. After summarizing, students should identify why the famous person might find the idea significant.

20. Simile Me

Have students complete the following sentence: "The [concept, skill, word] is like _______ because _______."

21. Exit Ticket Folder

Ask students to write their name, what they learned, and any lingering questions on a blank card or "ticket." Before they leave class, direct them to deposit their exit tickets in a folder or bin labeled either "Got It," "More Practice, Please," or "I Need Some Help!" -- whichever label best represents their relationship to the day's content. (Source: Erika Savage)

22. Out-the-Door Activity

After writing down the learning outcome, ask students to take a card, circle one of the following options, and return the card to you before they leave:

Stop (I'm totally confused.)
Go (I'm ready to move on.)
Proceed with caution (I could use some clarification on . . .)

Download the PDF cards for this exercise. (Source: Eduscapes)
These 22 strategies can be effectively altered or blended. And they are great opportunities to correct, clarify, and celebrate.

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

Nothing new since the faculty meeting.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Week of January 21

Thursday Thoughts January 21

The phrase above was spoken directly to me today. It is thought provoking. In education, I think we spend so much time trying to make sure that everything is perfect that we don't acknowledge the small progress that we make on a daily basis. We definitely miss some of the small accomplishments of our students because we are focused on the major "milestones" that we expect them to make. Over the past few years, we have made tremendous progress (especially in technology use). But actually, you don't have to look back over the years to see the progress. You can take a look at a student's writing product from August to January, a STAR report/BAS score or even a Genius Hour project that lights a spark for a student. As we move into the longest stretch of the school year, please don't ignore the small progress being made. It adds up and it is the fuel we need to keep doing what we need to do for kids.

Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Leigh Pope. Leigh is new to Medlock this year and she has jumped right in to assist in any way necessary. Throughout the course of the day, Leigh is in at least four different classrooms supporting special education students and teachers. Leigh pitches in and does whatever is asked of her. She is a team player and her efforts do not go unnoticed. We appreciate Leigh and her dedication to our students.

Personalized Learning

10 Signs of a 21st Century Classroom

Patrick Goertz , Science Teacher, STEM Coordinator

Edutopia Posted 02/27/2015

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 21^st 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.

Habitudes- (Growth Mindset)

Looking Ahead

Please be reminded that we have a Faculty Meeting on next Tuesday 1/26 and all staff members are expected to attend. At that meeting, I will share the scope of the EXTENSIVE construction that will take place at Medlock this summer. Heads up.....no one (not even me) will be able to enter the building after the post planning day. The last day of school this year is on a Thursday (5/26) and there is only one post planning day which is the next day, Friday (5/27).