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This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By MaryLu Hutchins When approaching a text, one may adopt a closed lens by an expectation of affirming one’s prior world view, a mixed lens which is similar to the ‘condensed version’ in that it doesn’t always actually inspire deep thought, or develop an open lens which is often scary and challenging. Having recently received the attached eight lens format (thanks to Crystal of Central High School, Louisville, KY), I wanted to analyze aloud how this tool can help me grow. I am currently on my fourth read of Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Reimagining the Canon for Racial Justice, a scholarly article by Mario Worlds and Henry “Cody” Miller, published in NCTE Journal 108.4 (2019) pp. 43-50, situated in the University of Florida. The book, Miles Morales: Spider-Man, authored by Jason Reynolds was published in 2017. Miles Morales is Spider-Man, he also happens to be of mixed race, Black and Latinx. While he fights on the streets to save his fellow humans, he also fights for justice inside the four supposedly safe structures of educational institutions. The Reader Response lens has historically been my often-chosen tool. Building an alternative view in which the anti-hero is portrayed by the teacher definitely challenges all of my history. I have pushed myself to be a true listener to the writing of Jason Reynolds rather that starting to refute the interpretation as a potential dishonor to my/our profession. Looking through a Socio-Economic lens, I am piecing together perspectives of thought leaders on social and economic justice such as, but not limited to, H. Richard Milner, Zaretta Hammond, Mica Pollock, Jacqueline Woodson, Ta-Nehsi Coates, Ijeoma Olou, Robin DiAngelo, and Colson Whitehead. These authors, among many other learned scholars, write works that affirm humanity while simultaneously challenging ideologies submerged in historically accepted dialogues that do not. Worlds and Cody make these distinctions explicit. The Historical lens is deeply connected to the Socio-Economic lens in this article as Worlds and Cody address the historical context of racism in wider society that are manifested in educational policy and practices. For me, I am wondering how I can participate in re-imaging the literary canon to address the misconceptions about the human experience. If we deem important literary works as an integral portion of the PK-16 plus educational experience, how do we represent the truth rather than the narrowed perspectives of those who were historically privileged to be the ‘storytellers?’ In considering the Gender lens, I am departing from the views of Worlds and Cody to press on the Marvel dynasty and Reynolds conceptions. I consider all females to be super-heroes, strong, and mighty. So as educators, are we willing to examine how the system of schooling de-humanizes ourselves as learners and how in turn, this impacts our teaching practices? In the interests of continuing the conversation, I’ll continue to work my way through the four remaining perspectives of Spiritual, New Criticism, Psychological, and Race, as I continue reading and pushing myself to consider situating myself in this conversation about (as Michelle King potentially defines as) a kinder, gentler world. ----- Excerpts from Eight Critical Lenses through Which Readers Can View Texts Consider shifting your perspective or viewpoint. What lenses might offer you more insight into the text? Reader Response Lens Definition: Reading a text for personal meaning In what ways is the text different than your life? How has the text changed your worldview? Socio-Economic Lens Definition: Reading a text for its socio-economic issues What world view does the text represent? Historical Lens Definition: Reading a text for its contextual significance. This would include information about the author, his or her historical moment, or the systems of meaning available at the time of writing. Upon reading the text, how has your view on the given historical event changed? Gender Lens Definition: Reading a text for its gender related issues or attitudes towards gender. The assumption here is that men and women are different: they write differently, read differently, and write about their reading differently. These differences should be valued. Observe how gender stereotypes might be reinforced or undermined. Try to see how the text reflects or distorts the place men or women have in society. Race Lens Definition: Reading a text for it issues of race, heritage, and ethnicity. Analyze the text for how it deals with cultural conflicts, particularly between majority and minority groups. Psychological Lens Definition: Reading a text for patterns in human behavior. While everyone’s formative history is different in particulars, there are basic recurrent patterns of development for most people. Think about the broader social issues the text attempts to address. New Criticism Lens Definition: Reading a text for the unity and complexity of its form. The focus should be on the text itself. What is the great strength -- or most noticeable weakness – of the text? Spiritual Lens Definition: Reading a text for its spiritual issues What does the text say about Grace? Love? Forgiveness? Hope? MaryLu Hutchins, Ed. D., NBCT, served most of her career as a public school teacher and is a graduate of West Liberty University and West Virginia University. She served as WV Teacher of the Year, was honored by the Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science, was a member of the WV Jobs Cabinet, and served on the WV Ethics Commission. Hutchins is lead member of the Data and Technology Project (not a project) Team and collaborates with Cohorts 1, 2, 3, and 4. She is a WV Education Alliance Board Member. Most importantly, Hutchins teams with the WVDE and outstanding educators in facilitating the professional learning of classroom educators seeking National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.
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This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Autumn Troullos and Rachel Miller We have been on a shared journey of discovery that was kicked off by observing the needs of our students. We were fortunate to share students within a team environment with a common plan devoted identifying and addressing student needs. Although we teach different content areas (math for Autumn and ELA for Rachel) we were part of a cross curricular team that was devoted to teaching the whole child. Through deliberate conversations with our students and their families and regular meetings with our cross-curricular team, we realized how many factors outside of the school’s control negatively impacted student performance. Being lifelong learners, we set out on a mission to help our students. Because we were only with each child within a class for 45 minutes out of a school day, we needed to find strategies that were easy to teach our students, would have a large impact within a short time frame, and could lead to a self-sustaining and lifelong practice. Taking in these constraints, our research led us to mindfulness. Mindfulness has many benefits including decreasing stress and anxiety, improving self-esteem and self-regulation, and increasing calm. Now that we had a starting point, we looked for any resources which would help us to learn healthy coping techniques that we could pass on to our students. Specifically, we were looking for techniques that students could employ independently and in any situation. We both underwent online training through an organization dedicated to bringing mindfulness to public schools. Although we started at very different points (Rachel describes Autumn as a woo-woo hippie and Autumn states Rachel is the epitome of practical), through our trainings, we discovered that mindfulness practices were very beneficial to both of us! As we discovered the personal benefits, we were even more excited about sharing these practices with our students. Armed with strategies and filled with enthusiasm, we began gradually introducing the practices to our students. Our students were equally excited. They immediately began reporting back to us that they were using the strategies outside of school. They began to beg for short, calming guided meditations before class began to soothe their nerves. We found that a few moments dedicated to mindfulness insured that students were more relaxed and subsequently more engaged during the delivery of our academic content. We observed such a dramatic impact that we proposed a mindfulness elective course for the following year. Students were given the option to sign up for the class if they felt it would be beneficial. It was designed as a one semester course, and very quickly there was a waiting list for the second semester once students heard about what was happening in class. Students were introduced to strategies such as meditation, breathing exercises, journaling, and mindful movement. Through class discussions and simulations, students were exposed to the concept that they often have power to control their reactions in difficult situations. It doesn’t have to be just “fight or flight.” Mindfulness gives them the option to pause and consider their reaction. How often each day do you stop to notice what you notice? Mindfulness is simply being fully and intentionally present in the moment. Our work within the Fluency Project has touched upon mindfulness with the deliberate noticing exercise we have done. The book “How to Be an Explorer of the World” also challenges the reader to examine the ordinary. This poem by William Stafford also addresses awareness: Starting here, what do you want to remember? How sunlight creeps along a shining floor? What scent of old wood hovers, what softened sound from outside fills the air? Will you ever bring a better gift for the world than the breathing respect that you carry wherever you go right now? Are you waiting for time to show you some better thoughts? When you turn around, starting here, lift this new glimpse that you found; carry into evening all that you want from this day. This interval you spent reading or hearing this, keep it for life-- What can anyone give you greater than now, starting here, right in this room, when you turn around? With the craziness of the holiday season, closing out one semester, and beginning a new one, take time to reflect on the here and now. Autumn Troullos graduated from Ohio University’s Eastern campus in 2002 with a major in Middle Childhood Education (concentration in Math and Social Studies) and a minor in Mathematics. Her Master’s degree in Instructional Communication was earned at WVU. She earned National Board Certification in 2013. Autumn began her career as a teacher at St. Mary Central. From there she taught at Warwood School and Bridge Street Middle School in Ohio County. Currently she is teaching 8th grade Math and Mindfulness at St. Clairsville Middle School. Autumn has been engaged in researching mindfulness and its benefits and incorporating mindfulness into the classroom. She has joined a National Board cohort as a mentor Autumn currently is a member of Cohort 4 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). Her special interests include yoga, reading, plants, learning and her family. Rachel Miller graduated from Bethany College with a degree in communications. After working in public relations and nonprofit management for 13 years, she finally followed her heart and earned her teaching certification from Wheeling Jesuit University. She has gone on to earn a master’s degree from Marshall University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She taught at Bridge Street Middle School for 10 years and currently teaches 9th grade ELA at John Marshall High School. She enjoys planning travel adventures with her husband and two teenage sons, reading and talking about great books, and taking way too many photos of her dogs. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By T-L Rogers My focus so far this school year has been on collecting narrative data. The method I chose for my primary data collection is through a weekly check-in created in Microsoft Forms and distributed to students via Microsoft Teams on Monday mornings. The survey (discussed in my blog post from last year) asks students to complete 4 statements each week:
These statements are then followed by an optional request for a midweek check-in with a teacher of their choice. After reading their responses, I try to determine jobs students can have in the classroom (paper passer, etc. based on how they feel they can be most helpful). I also create a table of responses of those students who have requested midweek check-ins and distribute them to their respective teachers so they know what to ask about. Here are some of the many take-aways I have gathered from conducting this type of data collection:
By collecting this data on Mondays, I am trying to gauge what kind of week we may be able to expect. Some students have disclosed tensions at home that have distracted their focus while others have shared their excitement for an upcoming birthday or family event that have made them more hyper or talkative in class. While it is not an exact science, their responses give me some insight. In one particular case, a student’s response changed my entire rapport and future interactions with him. One Monday, a young man who rarely talked to me and often rolled his eyes any time I corrected anything he did responded to his check-in that he may be distracted by his dog. After reading his answer during the very same period he submitted it, I approached him casually during some downtime and inquired further. Was it a particular situation he was concerned about or was he just going to be thinking about or missing his dog? It turns out his chihuahua had hurt his back and he was really worried about him. From one seemingly insignificant statement, I learned many things: this student had 3 dogs total, the breeds of each, their names, their ages, their current circumstances, and most importantly, that I was speaking with a sensitive and caring young man. We had a little heart-to-heart about pets and how we often worry about them like family, and then we somewhat bonded over our shared love of animals. The next day, I asked how his doggo was doing, and his face lit up while he told me he was doing better. I think more than anything, he was surprised that I took the time to approach him and ask about his dog. That I remembered. That I cared. Since that day, he has been much easier to talk to and more compliant with my directions in the classroom. On the occasions I have had to discipline him, he has not shown the same type of attitude as he originally did. I feel like I need to add a little *results not typical disclaimer like a promising weight loss program as I understand that not every simple question asked and answered will lead to the same breakthrough. However, if it happens even once, isn’t it worth that one simple question? I still have some logistical details to figure out moving forward, but eventually I am hoping to compare these weekly survey responses against red marks in agendas (how we track discipline issues) each week to see if any correlations exist. The other aspect of this data collection process that I really love is the weekly check-in requests with teachers. A few of our middle school teachers have developed a little bit of a fan group of the same students who request a check-in each week (about 2-4 students per teacher). Their responses to the other questions may be dynamic, but they typically want to see the same teacher each week. It is also interesting to see a new student request pop up and inspires me to analyze their other answers more thoroughly to see what might be going on that prompted the request. While I got a late start on conducting these weekly check-ins this school year due to the late rollout of the 5th grade iPads, I am thankful we finally do have the opportunity to use data collection measures such as this as often as we desire. When the schedule gets crazy or we have professional days on Mondays, the students are always quick to remind me that they need to do their check-in for the week. I believe it is something that many of them look forward to as a way to communicate with teachers that they might not otherwise have the time, opportunity, or motivation to do on their own. T-L Rogers graduated from Arizona State University in 2008 with a B.A. in English. She pursued a career in education through an alternative pathway via the Phoenix Teaching Fellows in 2010, assuming her first teaching position as a K-3 Special Education teacher at Percy L. Julian School in Phoenix, AZ. T-L completed her M.Ed. in Special Education in 2013 from Arizona State University and has since begun coursework toward an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership in Special Education through Grand Canyon University. T-L currently is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). T-L’s special interests include dancing (a previous career) and various animal rescue efforts such as volunteering, fundraising, donating hand-made blankets and other supplies to local rescue groups, community education, and adoption. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Jason Hanson Entering the second year of the Fluency Project I could not help but be excited by the prospect of teaching an Innovation and Entrepreneurship class at Bridgeport High School. My principal approached me earlier this Spring and asked if I would be willing to try it out. After all, we saw the work of Don Wettrick and all the cool things that his students were doing. We Skyped with Mr. Wettrick during an after-school leadership class. He even came to speak with members of the Fluency Project. How could I refuse such an opportunity? After confirming that I would, in fact, be teaching an Entrepreneurship and Innovation class for the 2019-20 school year I immediately went on Amazon and purchased the paper-back version of “Pure Genius” by Don Wettrick (already had it in digital). I went a step further and purchased the book “Empower” by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani. All summer I sat on the porch reading all the great ideas contained on the pages of these authors. Soon it was time to create a curriculum map for the school year. I searched the internet for examples of how other teachers around the country structured similar classes. Borrowing from various teachers who were inspired by Wettrick’s work, I cranked out a curriculum that I felt comfortable implementing. There is an adage that says, “Man plans, God laughs”. Well the joke was on me. I received my class roster. Having previously taught all the students on my roster who “signed up” (or needed something 9th period), I felt discouraged. Several of them struggled in my American History class as freshmen. Instead of complaining I looked at this as a new start. This was an opportunity to get to know these students in another way. Perhaps American History was not their thing. Throwing caution to the wind I was prepared to begin my first Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. Understandably students had no idea what they were in for on the first day of school. Heck, neither did I. That was the cool part of the whole process. I made it clear to them that I did not know what I was doing or where we were heading. In other words, we were all in a car together moving forward, but not really knowing where the destination would be. As the syllabus was handed out, I let them know that each quarter they would focus on one project individually. Taking some advice from Wettrick and Juliani, I made the first 9-week project something school based and then the following quarter would be a passion project. Quarters 3 and 4 would be either refining past projects or starting new ones. Students submitted proposals, they had a weekly blog and they presented their progress. I was underwhelmed after the first several weeks. Where were the great innovations? No interviews with Bill Gates or Warren Buffett? No attempts to curb world hunger or clean the oceans? What I got instead was one student who wanted to do a photo essay of his town. One student wanted to create a better morning routine for students. Another sought to create a digital archive of the alumni room and another student wanted to promote the theater department. I soon realized that my expectations were just that...MINE. These other issues were important to my students. Who was I to come in and minimize them? One day as a class we went over to the alumni room and by pure coincidence one of the most active and knowledgeable members of the alumni association (class of ‘61) was just finishing a meeting at the administrative building. He gave us a very intimate tour of the alumni room. Students got to hold a class ring from 1902, they viewed old report cards from the 1930s. They saw old play bills from past BHS productions. This was a powerful moment of old teaching new. Following that encounter, one of my shy students (the one whose every morning was “awful”) asked how she could help the other student with their alumni room project. The student who wanted to promote theater now wanted to incorporate the school’s rich history into his recruiting campaign and the student who wanted to do a photo essay now shifted his focus into finding ways to tell the story of past graduates by creating a virtual “Wall of Fame”. Looking back at this experience thus far, I feel foolish that I didn’t appreciate the small things that occur in education. My best laid plans have meandered into a learning labyrinth. As we enter Christmas Break, I realize that my students have learned to communicate with people outside of the school. They have interviewed people from earlier generations. They researched the culture of our school. They have archived, they collected data from students, they interviewed their peers and created signs and logos. Finally, they came to appreciate the talents that each one has. I have come to the realization that I have not lowered my expectations of my students, instead I have simply changed them to ones that give them their voice and not mine. The little things are truly the big things. However, an interview with Bill Gates would be amazing. Spencer, John, and A. J. Juliani. Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning. IMpress, 2017. Wettrick, Don. Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the next Level. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc., 2014. Jason Hanson graduated from The Ohio State University in 2000 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Geography. He earned his Master’s in Social Studies Education from Ohio State in 2001. Jason began a career as a high school Social Studies teacher at Bishop Donahue High School in McMechen, WV. He began his fifth year of teaching at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, OH where he is still currently teaching in his 18th year. Jason has coached numerous sports including baseball, football and girls’ basketball. Jason currently is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). Jason’s special interests include drawing and reading. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Lori Dougherty & Jordan Robinson After all of our work on the Fluency Project, and after attending Don Wettrick’s presentation, we started thinking about how we could incorporate some of these ideas into our classrooms. Therefore, we chose to combine our third period rotation classes and do some innovative work with the students. Since we have never done anything like this, we are trying to write syllabus as we go. We told our kids that they were “going to be the guinea pigs” for this new class and they have been willing through every step of the process. At the start of the semester the students were asked to answer a series of questions about things they would like to see done at the school, ways they could contribute, and how they could leave things better than they found them. After several brainstorming sessions and discussions, and after narrowing down their focus, nine small collaborative groups (in a class of 24) were formed based on similar interests. The students worked together to create proposals that stated what they wanted to accomplish and why, the steps that they would need to take, the resources that might be needed, as well as possible obstacles they may encounter. After the team of teachers discussed the proposals with them, students created PowerPoints or iMovies that were presented to the middle school principal, Anne Haverty, as well as Mary Lu Hutchins, Mary Rose Creedon , and our talented and gifted teacher, Amy Vavrock. These educators provided feedback, offered guidance, and asked thought-provoking questions of the students. Their participation was invaluable to our students and offered them the chance to take their ideas a step further in some cases. Since then, the students have begun the process of implementing their ideas and blogging weekly about their progress as a means of reflection. They have done research, found products and prices, held some fundraisers, and developed the beginnings of finished projects. They have reached out to our athletic director, the superintendent, head coaches, principals, and other teachers, and they have done such an incredible job. There is still a great deal of work to be done before the semester ends in January, and some will not see results until the spring or beyond, but we are so proud of the work our students have done so far and cannot wait to see how things turn out. Some of the best work has come from individuals that we would never have expected it from and it has been truly wonderful experience watching our kids get excited about something and take responsibility for seeing it come to fruition. One 8th grade group is working on raising money so that their basketball team can purchase warm-up jerseys. They sold raffle tickets for a Subway gift card (donated by our AD) and were very excited about how well they did. Ben, Lamar, and Alex talked about the teambuilding aspect of the project and that it was something that got them working together. “It’s been a fun class and a good learning opportunity.” Hopefully the other projects will see positive results as we continue with this learning process. Lori Dougherty graduated from West Virginia University in 1990 with a degree in education (K-8 Multi Subject). She began a career as a kindergarten teacher at Our Lady of Peace School in Wheeling and then went to Bridgeport Middle School in 1996 where she is currently the 8th grade ELA teacher. She received her master’s degree in reading from WVU. Lori has been involved with the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project “Teachers as Thinkers” as well as the Leadership Council at Bridgeport Middle School. Lori currently is a member of Cohort 3 of the Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). Lori’s special interests include reading, running, and cooking. Jordan Robinson graduated from Ohio University Eastern in 2015 with a degree in Middle Childhood Education grades 4-9 Science and Social Studies and a generalist endorsement in ELA grades 4-6. Jordan began a career as a teacher at Bridgeport Middle School in 5th and 6th grade science. Jordan has been engaged in Leadership Council and the GenYES program. Jordan currently is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). Jordan's special interests include spending time with family and friends. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Heidi Hohman Occasionally I will have a word or an idea pop up three or four times in a cluster in a short span of time. Whenever that happens, I feel a need to explore the idea or concept a bit more. This has happened over the last few weeks with YET. I had a parent volunteer mention it, it came up in another conversation with a colleague, it was in a video I had the chance to watch unexpectedly, and I saw it on a coffee mug. Were all of these a sign? I feel certain that they were. This summer I began planning the school year as I have done every year for more years than I would like to admit. At the beginning of October, I pulled out the calendar I had made while looking for something else. At first, I felt a sense of dread when I realized I had not accomplished much of what I had listed. Then I realized how ambitious and foolish I had been. I had the best of intentions, but I made those plans before I knew my students. The timelines are all bungled, and the projects I thought we would be doing by now have not happened YET. By remembering this powerful little word, I calmed my fears and reminded myself what I know to be true. Good teachers know that students’ needs dictate what should be taught. This group of students needed (still needs) something more from me than what I had planned. The Growth Mindset Coach and The Growth Mindset Playbook, by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley, have provided me with several lessons to try to meet my students’ needs. Last week, we did the brain plasticity lesson that I shared with some of you last summer. Students were asked to use their non-dominant hand to replicate the feelings of frustration that can come with learning something new. When I asked if they had ever felt like this in school, one boy dropped to his knees dramatically and exclaimed, “Every day of my life!” Later, this same student asked if I had designed that lesson just for him. I explained that the lesson was for anyone who could identify with those feelings, and as I gave him a quick hug, I smiled and said, “This one speaks to me more than you know.” Perhaps we are not as far along as I thought we would be by the first week of November, but the journey we have begun together is a worthy one. What have we been doing? We have been exploring who we are as learners. We have been building our class community, and we have been learning what it means to take academic risks. We have been learning about our brains, and trying to cultivate a growth mindset. We have been learning how to trust ourselves and each other. All of this is hard, hard work, but incredibly valuable. Failures are not always embraced as part of the learning process…YET. We have not reached our full potential…YET. We don’t always feel brave when we face a new challenge…YET. It takes so much time, repetition, and encouragement. We will get there. We just are not quite there…YET. Heidi Hohman graduated from West Liberty with a major in elementary education and a minor in general science. She earned a Masters in reading from WVU. She began a career as a fourth grade teacher at St. Mary Central in Martins Ferry, spent 14 years teaching science at Triadelphia Middle School, and has seen her career come full circle as she returned to teaching fourth grade at Steenrod Elementary. Heidi recently renewed her National Board certification in 2018. She is currently a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab. Heidi is a lifelong learner always in search of new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Melanie Riddle As Cohort 3 enters their third year of the Data and Technology Fluency Project, it is evident through our collaborations and projects that we are all evolving as learners and educators. We have been given the time and support throughout these years to grapple with meaningful education topics and achieve realizations about how humankind learns best. These conclusions ultimately change our teaching and we reach a point where we cannot revert back to our old ways. In order for teachers to launch such a rich, humanizing learning environment, we also need support from our colleagues, administration, and communities. As I see it, the following are the three most critical pieces to authentic learning and the success of Fluency in our classrooms. Trust- First, we need to trust ourselves in the process and in our craft. We are humans working with humans to create and sustain thriving communities in a successful society. Embracing growth through missteps and successes will cultivate citizens who take risks that will benefit us all. Giving everyone the respect and grace they deserve throughout their learning will build long lasting bonds and trust. Administrators need to take a leap and have confidence in their teachers to do what is best for the children entrusted to them. Through the Fluency Project, I heard Don Wettrick speak and a principal asked him how he could help his teachers create time and space for innovation. His reply was, “Get out of the way.” In order for leaders to get out of the way, they need to trust teachers. Time- Teachers don’t need more time to teach. We need more blocks of uninterrupted time to connect curriculum and implement projects with inquiry in mind. I don’t think there would be many complaints if we were given time to collaborate and design instruction together. Fluency would be at the forefront of our collaborative efforts because we would be trusted to design units with authentic learning in mind. Also, quality time with our students builds relationships that lead to student voices emerging through their work. True Passion for Learning and Learners- I believe Lucy Calkins said that in order to be a good writing teacher, teachers had to be writerly. This statement is true for all learning. Teachers need to find their passions and remind themselves what set them on fire for the profession in the first place. Our kids will see the fire in us and it will ignite their zest for learning. It is easy for our flames to be snuffed out by unfunded mandates, numerous policies, and lack of trust, but we will cultivate curiosity and our students will thrive when we remind ourselves why we chose this profession in the first place. The question we should always be asking ourselves is, “ What is best for our children and their learning.” This is the heart of The Fluency Project. Melanie Riddle graduated from West Liberty University in 1999 with a major in elementary education. Melanie began a career as a teacher at St. Francis Xavier school in a fourth grade multi-subject classroom. She has recently been a part of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, National Board for Certified Teachers cohort, and a fellow with Empatico. Melanie currently is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). Melanie’s special interests include spending time with family, reading anything she can get her hands on, and knitting. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Jaclyn Kiedaisch When? When is there time to do the things that really matter? Do you ever feel like you do not know where to draw the line between what is mandated and what is really important? Why is there a line? Shouldn’t these two goals be one and the same? One afternoon, one of my students asked if he could play with the building tubes when we walked outside for our second recess. After I answered yes, he proceeded to tell me that he and another group of boys wanted to build a bench using these tubes for their classmates who might need a “safe place” like the one in our classroom. He continued to tell me that kids who might be upset, might be treated unkindly, or might need a friend to play with could sit on this bench to let others know they needed a friend. Our students saw a need, were empathetic and acted to create a realistic solution. He wanted to call it the “Buddy Bench”. I was proud. Isn’t this fluency? As we continued having a conversation, this student discovered that the building tubes may not be substantial enough to hold students or withstand the weather. As his teacher, I knew I had to help him bring this vision to life. We started brainstorming different community resources that may be able to help us. I was so excited that my student, labeled ODD and BD, was thinking of a way to solve a need for himself and others. Then…teaching happened. Field trips, birthdays, assemblies, drills, tests, report cards, meetings, book studies, etc. They all happened. The buddy bench? It did not. It has barely been mentioned since that day on the playground. When? When is there time to do the things that really matter? Do you ever feel like you do not know where to draw the line between what is mandated and what is really important? Why is there a line? Shouldn’t these two goals be one and the same? Jaclyn Kiedaisch graduated from West Virginia University in 2014 with a Master’s in Elementary Education and a specialization in Early Childhood Education. Jaclyn began her career as a teacher at Steenrod Elementary School in first grade. She attended Steenrod herself as a student and always wanted to return to teach. Currently, Jaclyn is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University). This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Gail Adams It’s almost November, which means that the holiday season is only weeks away. Years ago, Oprah Winfrey began the tradition of giving away her “favorite things” and Ellen Degeneris has continued along the same vein with her 12 Days of Giveaways. I decided to adopt the tradition in a “Fluency” way, so this post is dedicated to my favorite professional development tools . . . podcasts. I regularly listen to three podcasts that feed my teacher and techie soul: Cult of Pedagogy, Spark Creativity Teacher, and Google Teacher Tribe. Podcasts are perfect little pick-me-ups when you feel depleted, or they can empower you to take a deep dive into uncharted waters. With Cult of Pedagogy, Jennifer Gonzalez, a former middle school language arts teacher, has created “a vibrant, encouraging, stimulating community of teachers, supporting each other toward excellence.” She describes her podcast as “pure teacher nerdy goodness right in your ears.” That is music to my ears. Her episodes are in a variety of formats: solo, interview, and panel. The site is easy to navigate. Teachers can search for podcasts by category, such as “hot topics,” or by tag, such as “power lessons.” Her calming voice and relevant topics make me happy I have joined her cult. You can find the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Program notes and so much more are at https://www.cultofpedagogy.com. Betsy Potash’s Spark Creativity Teacher is primarily a source for English Language Arts teachers. Potash also uses a variety of formats--solo, interview, etc.-- to keep her episodes fresh. Topics such as “10 Review Activities for Any Unit” and “Easy Strategies for Differentiation” make this a wonderful resource for any teacher. When paired with Potash’s Facebook group, “Creative HIgh School English,” teachers get fresh ideas from an additional source--an online community of passionate educators willing to share their tricks and tips. Sometimes it’s a place to share successes and failures. Find Spark Creativity Teacher on iTunes, Blubrry, and Stitcher. For program notes, go to http://www.nowsparkcreativity.com/. All things Google are covered in Google Teacher Tribe (GTT). Creators Matt Miller, author of Ditch That Textbook, and Kasey Bell, author of Shake Up Learning, have joined forces to cull the smorgasboard of Google tools to give teachers ways to revolutionize learning in their classrooms. Topics like “App Smashing” and “Amazing Add-ons for Google Docs” make this a podcast you won’t want to miss. Links to Miller’s and Bell’s own sites and their own podcasts can be found at the GTT site, https://googleteachertribe.com/. GTT can be found on many platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher. Finally, if the podcasts I have mentioned don’t appeal to you, I am sure you will find at least one that feeds your teacher soul at Education Podcast Network. This curated collection of podcasts offers categories in education technology (6 podcasts), motivation and strategies (18), leadership and administration (2), and content and resource specific (1). Happy listening! Gail Adams, an Innovation Coach for Ohio County Schools, is in her 16th year of teaching. She is a National Board Certified teacher of English Language Arts for Adolescents and Young Adults. Adams was the 2015 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. She is a member of West Liberty University’s Cohort 3 of the ongoing Data and Technology Fluency Project. This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
-- By Tom Daley, Bridgeport High School Principal Today I received an email from Schoology offering a free eBook focusing on the opinions of 10 EdTech professionals about the best EdTech trends from 2018 and predictions for 2019. The body of the email mentioned AR/VR experiences, podcasting and the “why” behind technology integration, instead of just the “how”. Normally, I am too busy to even give these emails a second thought. However, this particular email hooked me and I decided to take a look. As mentioned, the ten EdTech professionals discussed their favorite trends of 2018 and what they expect in 2019. They mentioned student agency, coding, AR/VR, AI, demonstrating understanding in authentic ways (video, blog, podcast), student data and privacy, and next gen learning spaces. Their entries were brief, but impactful. If you happened to have received this email, I suggest you take the five minutes to read all of the entries. It will be well worth your time. The one particular entry that I want to focus on is from Catlin Tucker who is an educator, trainer, coach, speaker and author from Pepperdine University. She mentions her favorite trend of 2018 being the shift in control from teacher to learner as we focus more on student agency. Naturally, my mind immediately went to the Fluency Project as it often does these days. But, what really got me thinking, was her prediction for 2019: Personalized Professional Learning. As an administrator, I am not on the front lines, my teachers are. I see my job as supporting and encouraging my staff so that they can improve the learning experience of our students. The idea that Catlin has is to rethink our Professional Development and trainings. If we are realizing that education is not a one-size-fits-all approach for students, why aren’t we thinking the same way when it comes to the growth and development of our teachers? They, like our students, have access to limitless resources and their “voice” should be valued as well. Not everyone is going to benefit from a session chosen by a few people. We need to seriously consider the way we approach our PD days. I believe it would best serve our teachers, and in turn our students, if we allow time for them to practice some inquiry of their own. For an initiative such as the Fluency Project to really take hold in a school system, it needs to be implemented at all levels. The District, administration, staff and students all need to experience Fluency in action in order for it to become ingrained in the culture of the school. As administrators, this is one step we can take to allow for our staff to experience this “process” and begin changing the way we approach education. For the email mentioned above, here is a link to the eBook: https://info.schoology.com/rs/601-CPX-764/images/EdtechInfluencers_Crowdsourced_Ebook_r2.pdf |
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