tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50482366782616156972024-02-20T23:34:35.974-08:00Educating in the 21st CenturyAaron Akune is the Vice-Principal at Delta Secondary School in Ladner B.C. His interests include personalized learning, technology and 21st Century skills. Also, an avid sportsfan and follower of the BC High School Hoops scene.
Please check out Aaron's new blog http://deltalearns.ca/aakuneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-88355960747655475652013-09-24T11:12:00.003-07:002013-09-24T11:12:42.423-07:00New Blog<div>
Thank you very much for visiting my blog! </div>
Please check out my more recent posts on my new blog <a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune" target="_blank">Educating in the 21st Century</a>. Thanks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-66721228562642966482013-02-24T21:20:00.000-08:002013-02-24T21:20:18.303-08:00Fueling Motivation with Purpose and Passion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/5896504098/">Stuck in Customs</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a></span></div>
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We all like to see students motivated and inspired to learn. We've all worked with students when they truly seem to be in the 'zone', craving to increasing their knowledge and skills. They are a pleasure to work with when they're taking initiative, asking great questions and diving deeper into their learning. Unfortunately, the reality is students aren't always in the 'zone' and we find ourselves asking what <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">we</span></b></i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><b>need to do</b></i></span> to motivate our students. Undoubtedly we play a significant role in student motivation, but the question is...what role? As adults, is it our responsibility to motivate and inspire our students? Or, is it our responsibility to help students develop their own motivation and inspiration?</div>
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On the surface, these may sound like subtle differences in language but when you think about this distinction a little more, you start to realize that they speak to different philosophies. The educator who believes it is his/her responsibility to motivate students often falls back on <i>'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>carrots and sticks</b></span>'</i> in an attempt to motivate. (S)he views motivation as something that is done to kids. Dangling the reward of marks and threatening to punish with late marks and zeros are two of the more common strategies. Both strategies focus on <u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">extrinsic</span></b></u> motivators, where the teacher assumes the role of the <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>motivator</b></span></i> who initiates the process of motivating a student who is passively <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>waiting to be motivated</b></span></i>. </div>
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And then there are others who believe in the power of <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><u>intrinsic</u></span></b> motivation and help their students fuel their own motivation. They believe that enduring motivation comes from within oneself. These teachers lead students to explore answers to real-life questions, create solutions to authentic problems in the world and help students uncover areas of interest. They want students to see <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">purpose</span></b></i> and develop <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">passion</span></i></b> towards their learning. They create the conditions where student learning is personalized, meaningful and seamlessly connected to their experiences outside of school. They want students to <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>drive their learning</b></span></i>, <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">own their learning</span></i></b> and be <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">inspired</span></i></b> to make a difference.</div>
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The interviews below feature students sharing their thoughts on learning opportunities fuelled by purpose and passion. The first student discusses how her desire to help others led her to voluntarily initiate a shoe drive through <a href="http://www.soles4souls.org/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Soles 4 Soles</span></a>.</div>
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These students describe how their participation in <a href="http://de.deltasd.bc.ca/programs/music" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Composition and Technology</span></a> has enabled them to further explore their passion for music.<br />
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One point that's made clear by these three students is that 'marks' and 'grades' are not contributing to their motivation. They are clearly inspired by purpose and motivated by passion!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-28333535314750940852013-02-09T09:24:00.000-08:002013-02-09T09:31:56.382-08:00You Don't Know What You Don't Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>"You don't know what you don't know!"</i></b> It's a funny saying yet very true. Think how often someone suggests something new to you that they've been doing for quite sometime but yet you've never heard of. We truly don't know all that is out there. Sometimes other people's suggestions sound interesting, other times not so much. But the better question is, despite whether or not you find a friend or colleague's suggestions interesting, how often do you pursue the idea? And what inspires you to follow up on an suggestion? Are you the type of person who is naturally open to new ideas or skeptical of why you should try something different?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I consider myself an open person who will always hear out others' ideas but when a colleague suggested to me that I sign up for a Twitter account, I admit some question marks flowed through my mind. Twitter? Isn't that for celebrities? What could I possibly find there that would benefit my practice as an educator? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, I'm not trying to toot my own horn but I've always considered myself to be a pretty good educator. As a teacher, I took time to reflect on my students' learning. <i>What do I want my students to learn? How will I know if they've learned it? What will I do if they haven't learned it? </i>I constantly searched for creative ways to scaffold my students' learning. I tried to present information more clearly, improve the clarity of my instructions, tidy up my handouts and worksheets and modify activities to better support my students' learning. And I've always taken pride in being a learner. I was doing 'some' professional reading and attended workshops and conferences when they were recommended to me by others. So considering I was already learning, why would it be so important to get 'connected'? Seriously, how much could I really have been missing?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR627HzxCCVi7ifzhqj2yG7HNndGCZsdJ_oCWb18LMntzV4H3gZIytsDNASag7ynIohOh8H9E8rdTs3wA0niE41xEt2mAR4yhA3_Q9ENZmEtf6lRHz77A0mp0hDqOuEb4hWze3kT2Ekc/s1600/pln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAR627HzxCCVi7ifzhqj2yG7HNndGCZsdJ_oCWb18LMntzV4H3gZIytsDNASag7ynIohOh8H9E8rdTs3wA0niE41xEt2mAR4yhA3_Q9ENZmEtf6lRHz77A0mp0hDqOuEb4hWze3kT2Ekc/s400/pln.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobannon/2983755589/">cbucky</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a><br />
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Fast forward to October 2010 when I signed up for a Twitter account, and opened myself up to a whole new world of professional learning. All I can say is '<b>WOW</b>'! Immediately, I became aware of other educators, both locally and globally who were connecting with each other to share, discuss, support and critique one another's work and thinking. I realized that there are people out there who are talking about and proposing new ideas for teaching and learning. Inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, Web 2.0, iPad apps, mobile devices, BYOD, assessment for learning, etc. The list of ideas is endless. More importantly, these ideas signalled to me that educators are talking about a new paradigm of teaching of learning.<br />
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Sadly, what dawned on me is that as hard as I had once worked as a teacher, I had restricted myself by my own educational paradigm. I had been stuck within a paradigm of '<b><i><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ph7fwc90dc723xh/inquiryvscoverage.png" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">coverage</span></a></i></b>' and in hindsight I realize that all of the improvements I had made were incremental at best. Now, thanks in large part to my Personal Learning Network, I view teaching and learning through a new paradigm...a paradigm of '<b><i><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ph7fwc90dc723xh/inquiryvscoverage.png" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">inquiry</span></a></i></b>'. (more on this in a future post!)<br />
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More than anything, I now find myself inspired! I would never have anticipated how much my shift to becoming a 'connected' learner would change my understanding and perspective about education. Social media has helped accelerate my discovery and consumption of information and ideas many times over what I would have previously accessed through books and magazines. Add to this the fact that I am now having conversations with others worldwide about what I'm discovering and what they're sharing with me and I can't see a way to possibly replace the amount and depth of learning I'm immersed in. I used to view connecting with my PLN or writing a blog post as an added extra at the end of an already full day. Now, I can admit I look forward to connecting with my PLN on a daily basis, sometimes as the recipient of other peoples' thinking and other times to share my own thinking. <br />
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We can only strive for what we can envision. What we can envision is limited by the paradigm we know. And we construct our paradigm from the ideas and experiences that we expose ourselves to! "We don't know what we don't know!"<br />
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So, I encourage you to take the bold step of creating a PLN and begin connecting with other passionate educators from around the world. I'll guarantee you'll see there is a world of learning out there that you didn't know!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-72594374478395517532013-01-16T12:37:00.001-08:002013-01-16T12:37:31.377-08:00Is school actually meeting the current and future needs of our learners?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">I walk the hallways at breaks and lunchtime and I overhear many students’ conversations. <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘… is so boring’</em>, <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘I don’t see the point in …’</em>, <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘I don’t want to go to …’</em>. I observe students desperately asking their friends for answers to worksheets and textbook questions. Are they interested in learning or motivated by the threat of losing marks? I see tired and stressed faces. Did they stay up late at night engrossed in their learning? Or were they going through the drudgery of homework and cramming for a test?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2013/01/akunelockers_02.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-101" height="360" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2013/01/akunelockers_02.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; display: block; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="670" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyntiry/4170146275/sizes/m/in/photostream/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">CC photo by: carolyntiry</a></div>
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I walk into classrooms and see students quietly gazing out the window, secretly glancing at their phones and mindlessly doodling on paper. Are they distracted or disengaged? I bump into regular ‘hall wandering’ students while classes are in session. Some tell me they are ‘going to the bathroom’; while others say they’re ‘getting supplies from their locker’. Are they being truthful or do they simply require a break from class where they can get up and move around? I meet with students in my office. Some of them display such lifeless, apathetic expressions. Why are their spirits so defeated? Why are they simply going through the motions of school? Others demonstrate frustration and negativity towards school. Why has school become a source of their frustration? Why are they so ‘anti-school’?</div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Our schools must equip learners with the skills necessary to not only adapt to but also influence this rapidly changing world they are growing up in. We need to move away from a system where subjects are taught in isolation of each of other, where content delivery is the focus, and where the teacher is seen as the expert and is the one who asks most of the questions.”</strong></div>
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Now don’t get me wrong. I know these examples don’t describe all students. But it does describe the norm for some of the students whom I work closely with. It’s clear that school just isn’t meeting the needs of ‘these’ kids.</div>
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Which brings me to a larger question. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Is school actually meeting the current and future needs of our learners?</em></strong></div>
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When I look at today’s high schools, I still recognize them as the same basic model as the one I went through over 20 years ago. And then I consider the world in which we live in. It’s a faster and more automated world, where knowledge is at our fingertips and information can travel across the globe at the push of a button. We are blessed with luxuries all around us. Smartphones, sports cars, online shopping and banking just to name a few. But this rapid progress and advancement have created changes in the workplace and society that demand new skills and competencies. Routine, assembly line type work that requires learning simple repetitive skills and memorizing basic information has become a thing of the past. The application of knowledge, critical thinking and creative problem solving is now more important as the world of work shifts to non-routine tasks.</div>
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This places new demands on education. Our schools must equip learners with the skills necessary to not only adapt to but also influence this rapidly changing world they are growing up in. We need to move away from a system where subjects are taught in isolation of each of other, where content delivery is the focus, and where the teacher is seen as the expert and is the one who asks most of the questions.</div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Rather than asking learners to work towards one ‘right’ answer, we must grow comfortable with there being many answers to students’ questions. And, our practices must support the idea that learning is a process, often one that is messy, non-linear, and will likely include unlearning and relearning.”</strong></div>
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We need to create a system that encourages students to pursue personally meaningful challenges and initiatives that are relevant to their lives, values students asking big questions to which the teacher doesn’t have the answer, provides students some autonomy to follow their own inquiries and enables students to amplify and share their learning through the use of technology. Similar to real life, learning at school should integrate the many traditional disciplines, allowing students to shift naturally and apply knowledge and skills from different disciplines in order to answer their questions. Rather than asking learners to work towards one ‘right’ answer, we must grow comfortable with there being many answers to students’ questions. And, our practices must support the idea that learning is a process, often one that is messy, non-linear, and will likely include unlearning and relearning.</div>
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To put it bluntly, the pressure is now on us to collaborate on new designs for learning that will engage both studentsand teachers!</div>
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We need to stop worrying about what others think school <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">should</em> look like and start imagining what it <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">could</em></strong> look like. We mustn’t shy away from big steps or our bold vision. Now, more than ever, <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">we need innovation in education</em></strong>!</div>
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Cross posted on the <a href="http://www.cea-ace.ca/blog/aaron-akune/2013/01/3/school-actually-meeting-current-and-future-needs-our-learners" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canadian Education Association blog</a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-14298796018196776692013-01-05T18:06:00.002-08:002013-01-05T18:12:25.898-08:00Low Floors & High Ceilings: A Universal Design for Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxx09npo0DOLbmqMtNjEtvD4JdCIMSE3PCZhLMb4hLm4CUB4tXGHHdQ8ufd5AHC4l1MWUtGD5JzDuxLXLUTjaauLQ4XHKaE-ss_spHPMryX0WClaHL94tQdxs47BuWldK7DMZTY-j9ZpQ/s1600/IMG_0139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxx09npo0DOLbmqMtNjEtvD4JdCIMSE3PCZhLMb4hLm4CUB4tXGHHdQ8ufd5AHC4l1MWUtGD5JzDuxLXLUTjaauLQ4XHKaE-ss_spHPMryX0WClaHL94tQdxs47BuWldK7DMZTY-j9ZpQ/s320/IMG_0139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In the final days before the winter break, I visited a Psychology 11 class and had the opportunity to view a collection of student projects on the topic of drugs. It was clear that students had invested considerable effort into their projects but even more impressive was their depth of understanding and the level of confidence with which they shared their learning with me.<br />
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While this is a topic that Psychology 11 students have studied in the past, this year Ms. Morrison had her students approach their learning in a different way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KwZpaYBk7rakjOLUuS6gsdXAips6JhDCdhCwveFZbhv9vany76K-Fiu_5_pdUpArzNCaryZ0l7S0wSpFT76KhRzUhf1kgosAGSgkk9f7u8xg265SufCe7s_82xxqBC81p6Hq_MOSvvQ/s1600/IMG_0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KwZpaYBk7rakjOLUuS6gsdXAips6JhDCdhCwveFZbhv9vany76K-Fiu_5_pdUpArzNCaryZ0l7S0wSpFT76KhRzUhf1kgosAGSgkk9f7u8xg265SufCe7s_82xxqBC81p6Hq_MOSvvQ/s320/IMG_0141.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_HRC8IeOSeTSKIlyXNwma_kna3fZf9Dtox9Gyp5WPF5jqhyl_OTslohuAJ7ZyH5QrJ_XxDkTpCS19oW8mYGGKMEiVTtf4UwSCD8tg8SDWZfRielbtHW1Eur4TtB2JzmW-cSgxbDZWiE/s1600/IMG_0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_HRC8IeOSeTSKIlyXNwma_kna3fZf9Dtox9Gyp5WPF5jqhyl_OTslohuAJ7ZyH5QrJ_XxDkTpCS19oW8mYGGKMEiVTtf4UwSCD8tg8SDWZfRielbtHW1Eur4TtB2JzmW-cSgxbDZWiE/s320/IMG_0140.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
She began by asking her students to describe what they knew about drugs and their perceptions about drugs in the local community. This immediately made the topic relevant and proved to be an excellent way of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">activating students' prior knowledge</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>gaining their interest</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"> in the project. </span>It also served as a great way to generate student questions and uncover some of their misconceptions.<br />
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Next, she laid out the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">learning goals</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"> for the project and asked students to address these goals as they researched their respective topics. Rather than delivering the content, she allowed her students to uncover the information as they gathered background about a specific drug. While Ms. Morrison provided a list of suggested resources to get her students started, she allowed them the freedom to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">access information in different ways from a variety of sources</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">. Students accessed books, magazines, websites, videos, etc. </span><br />
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Finally, students had the opportunity to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><u>choose</u> how they would demonstrate their learning</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">. Many students chose to create posters in which they included a variety of images, drawings and text to represent their knowledge. Others produced videos. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7maR-o4X2zc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">One student elected to create a painting and include a QR code linking to a documentary she had watched. Listen to her describe her project.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HvRarCJnPkQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
Another student created a box covered in digital images he had designed himself. Listen to him describe his project and reflect on his learning experience.<br />
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And read another student's feedback on the learning process she engaged in during the project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TdrZNzaujlflVP7UWWmDJN3z7KsEVXZQqDJ76lbhDhL1BLPcc8cTImD2ZZ4FM3co5Hfx6wZ5eMVu1FKwwtbvJQHFXDE3KCX6ClWz-me3MRidFrIoicKwQxRe83Kiino2GjbbdD4iYXk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-05+at+5.44.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TdrZNzaujlflVP7UWWmDJN3z7KsEVXZQqDJ76lbhDhL1BLPcc8cTImD2ZZ4FM3co5Hfx6wZ5eMVu1FKwwtbvJQHFXDE3KCX6ClWz-me3MRidFrIoicKwQxRe83Kiino2GjbbdD4iYXk/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-01-05+at+5.44.52+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I observed and heard from these students confirmed what I had heard days earlier at a workshop on <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Differentiation</span></b> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Universal Deisgn for Learning (UDL)</b></span> facilitated by <a href="https://twitter.com/leytonschnell" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Leyton Schnellert</span></a>. It was great to hear Leyton share much of what he modelled 17 years ago when we co-taught Science and Technology 11. Leyton stressed that our plan for student learning should have '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>LOW FLOORS and HIGH CEILINGS</b></span>'. He pointed out that teaching to diversity is nothing more than <i>'good teaching'...</i>it should include approaches that invite <u>all</u> learners in by providing different access points.<br />
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What was particularly fitting about the Psychology project is that it exemplified the three main principles that Leyton suggested we should focus on in our learning designs.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Multiple Means of Engagement</span>: It captured the interest of learners and motivated them to explore their topic.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Mutliple Means of Representation</span>: Learners were provided flexibility as to how and from where they acquired knowledge and information.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Multiple Means of Expression</span>: Learners were encouraged to choose a means of demonstrating their learning that best suited them.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Below is a diagram from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.cast.org/udl/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Center for Applied Special Technology</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (CAST) that provides a visual representation of the main UDL principles Leyton shared.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-14838931044778956152012-12-28T10:56:00.002-08:002012-12-28T10:56:47.041-08:00What I've Been (Re)Reading in 2012<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"></span><br />
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Looking for a good read to kickstart 2013? Here is a selection of some of the books I’ve (re)read during 2012 that have really influenced my thinking. Thanks to those of you who recommended them to me through your tweets and reflective blog posts! If you know of another worthwhile read, I’d love for you to share it with me!</div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.danpink.com/books/drive" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Drive</a></strong> (Daniel Pink)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-5.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-63" height="225" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-5.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="225" /></a><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A great read for teachers leaders and administrators who are interested in learning about what intrinsically motivates people. Pink’s big three are <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">autonomy</strong>, <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mastery</strong> and<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">purpose</strong>. Big questions I’m once again asking myself…<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How can we create the conditions where all teachers are intrinsically motivated to be learners? What frameworks/models can we apply to increase student-driven learning?</strong></em></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Shifting-Monkey-Protecting-Criers-Slackers/dp/0982702973" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shifting the Monkey</a></strong> (Todd Whitaker)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-1.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-58" height="186" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-1.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="116" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another good one for leaders. Whitaker shows how to shift an organization’s focus from compensating for and working around people to cultivating and supporting responsible employees. I’ve definitely identified some ‘monkeys’ I’m carrying. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The challenge for me is to shift these ‘monkeys’ back to whom they belong to!</strong></em></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.startwithwhy.com/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Start with Why</a></strong> (Simon Sinek)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/Unknown.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-59" height="126" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/Unknown.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="126" /></a><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“People don’t buy <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT</strong> you do. They buy <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHY</strong> you do it!” Sinek discusses what inspires us and the people around us. This is a natural complement to Drive. I’ve realized that often times I’m too quick to share ‘what’ I’d like to see without fully sharing the ‘why’. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I may know the ‘why’ for myself, but I will only inspire action if I share the ‘why’ with those I hope to influence.</strong></em></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/School-Leaders-Digital-Technologies-Social/dp/1118022246" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media</a></strong> (Scott McLeod & Chris Lehman)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-3.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-60" height="183" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images-3.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="122" /></a><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I found this a really easy read that touches on a variety of educational technology topics. Anyone interested in exploring ways to use digital technologies in schools can benefit from this one. I will continue to revisit sections of this book as we explore ways to engage teachers, students and parents through digital technologies.</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.714285714; margin-bottom: 1.714285714rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.pearsoncanadaschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PS1zOw&PMDbSiteId=2621&PMDbSolutionId=25862&PMDbSubSolutionId=&PMDbCategoryId=25873&PMDbSubCategoryId=&PMDbSubjectAreaId=&PMDbProgramId=82201&AccessibleRepLocatorAction=Start%20Over" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Things from Assessment to Grading</a></strong> (Tom Schimmer)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/9780132725101_L.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-62" height="198" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/9780132725101_L.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="155" /></a></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tom’s book has really made me question some of my beliefs about assessment and grading. The biggest point I continue to reflect on having read Tom’s book is <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the impact that grades can have on student motivation</strong>.</em></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.portageandmainpress.com/book_detail.cfm?biD=301" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s all about Thinking</a></strong> (Faye Brownlie, Carole Fullerton & Leyton Schnellert)</div>
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<a href="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images.jpeg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #21759b; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-57 alignleft" height="158" src="http://deltalearns.ca/aakune/files/2012/12/images.jpeg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-width: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0.857142857rem; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1.714285714rem; margin-top: 0.857142857rem; max-width: 100%; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="121" /></a><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Having just participated in one of Leyton’s workshops a few weeks ago, I’m very interested in reading about practical strategies we can use to differentiate for all learners. Many of the ideas he shared in his workshop (and I anticipate are shared in this book), Leyton modelled when we co-taught 17 years ago.</em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-38541518736664814692012-12-18T19:43:00.002-08:002012-12-18T19:45:34.360-08:00Earning or Learning?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just over a week ago, we distributed first term report cards to students. In the days that led up to this, many of the comments I overheard students say reminded me of the question, "Is the focus on <i><b>earning</b></i> or <i><b>learning?"</b></i></div>
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Here are a few examples of students comments:<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">"I have to get the assignment done. I need the marks so I pass the term!"</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i>
<i>"I'm already getting an ok mark in that class. I need to spend time studying for the test in the (other) class so I can raise my mark for the report card."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i>
<i>"It's marks cut-off time. I have to finish it before the cut-off otherwise it'll be too late and won't be counted towards my report card mark."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i>
<i>"Whatever...I totally don't know what I'm doing in that class. I'm failing anyways. What's the point in doing the assignment?"</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br /></i>
<i>"Seriously, why does every teacher have to give us a test right before marks cut-off? Couldn't some of them wait until next week? I need to keep my grades up and this is stressing me out!"</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i><br /></i></span>
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When I hear comments such as these, a number of things come to mind about these kids.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Their motivation to do the work and study for tests is <i><u>marks</u></i> and <i><u>grades</u></i>.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Not even the threat of a low mark/grade is enough to motivate some students.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Our obsession with marks and inflexibility about due dates is causing stress for some students.</b></span><br />
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Sadly, these kids seem more interested and concerned about <u><b><i>earning</i></b></u> marks than <b><i><u>learning</u></i></b>.<br />
Is their focus on marks something they have arrived at independently or have we, as educators placed such a high value on marks that we have coached them into this thinking this way?<br />
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I think back to the beginning of my career, full of energy but very inexperienced. I remember wanting my students to believe that every class period is important. So, I attached marks to almost everything my students did. This would teach them to come to class and hand in all their work...so I thought! By the end of a term/year my marks book was bursting with entries. Of course, I figured the mark I would assign each student would have to be valid. I'd have so many entries as evidence to back it up.<br />
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But what I started to notice is that my students were asking lots of questions about their marks, how to gain more and how much an assignment/test would be worth. Fewer and fewer of my students' questions related to their learning. Rather than motivating my struggling learners, many were getting overwhelmed and turned off by a lack of success. They were disengaging, withdrawing and some were avoiding class. The impact on the higher achieving students was no better. They were becoming so consumed with point gathering that they were afraid to make mistakes and they were no longer asking deep questions. The constant pressure of meeting deadlines and having their work judged was contributing to leading to anxiety and in some cases caused them to cheat!<br />
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<b>As I look back, I realize I was </b><b><i>really</i></b><b> missing the point.</b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>I should have placed much greater emphasis on formative assessment.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>I should have provided greater opportunity for students to make mistakes without punishing them in the gradebook.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>I should have provided much more descriptive feedback that would point out to students what and how to improve.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>I should have been more flexible with my arbitrarily decided due dates.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>When determining grades, I should have exercised my professional judgment when looking at the data I had collected on each student. Data should be nothing more than a guide.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<b>So now think about the students in your class..."Is their focus on<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> <i><u>earning</u></i> </span>or<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> <i><u>learning</u></i></span>?"</b></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-21703123609430174922012-11-20T22:35:00.002-08:002012-12-04T11:21:36.924-08:00Going Beyond the Converted: Reflections from Edcamp Leadership BC<br />
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The dust has now settled following Saturday's <u><a href="http://edcampleadership.deltasd.bc.ca/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Edcamp Leadership BC</b></span></a>.</u> As participants, the nearly 200 of us have now gone our separate ways, back to our roles as students, parents, teachers, administrators, etc. Before time escapes too quickly, it's important to do some reflecting. As an organizer, the days leading up to Edcamp were busy and filled with uncertainty...Who will show up? How many people will participate? What topics will participants propose? By the time Saturday arrived, it was almost a relief because I too could be like everyone else...a PARTICIPANT.<br />
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Having participated at two previous Edcamps (<a href="http://edcampvancouver.org/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Edcamp Vancouver</span></a> & <a href="http://edcamp.deltasd.bc.ca/" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Edcamp Delta</span></a>), I am well aware that a major aspect of an Edcamp is the opportunity to form new connections and strengthen existing ones. It's also a time when many people who are unable to participate in face-to-face discussions, contribute to conversations through Twitter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMYK4e6sNgaPYo-UdcGSXkLwRMjKPbnmXUpMGffkRRWGHDDOQYyV6Rp5dvg5xsCiwjgWlc5fnzeT0y6TuZlC75-8fTkJ8C8hVfS1MLwmwlgYj9GzAqIRT8TQ2RYGWjLwbb91bsrVbITA/s1600/A77mTmJCYAA7FlK.jpg-large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMYK4e6sNgaPYo-UdcGSXkLwRMjKPbnmXUpMGffkRRWGHDDOQYyV6Rp5dvg5xsCiwjgWlc5fnzeT0y6TuZlC75-8fTkJ8C8hVfS1MLwmwlgYj9GzAqIRT8TQ2RYGWjLwbb91bsrVbITA/s320/A77mTmJCYAA7FlK.jpg-large.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
To kick off the day, I challenged participants to at the very least, take one connection they were about to make during the day and continue to strengthen this connection through conversation beyond the unconference. The amazing number of face-to-face conversations on the day and ongoing interactions on Twitter that continue to use the <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">#edcamplbc</span></i></b> hashtag are a positive sign. I encourage you to check out the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjRowXbm315ZdGRaTmMxVS1VMHBtQUhDSE5Hd2NkVWc#gid=0" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>links to the Google Docs</b></span></a> from each session, access the Twitter <u><a href="https://twitter.com/EdcampLdrBC/edcamp-leadership-bc" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">list</span></b></a></u> of people who participated face-to-face and contributed from a distance and some of the blog posts that participants have written since Edcamp Leadership BC.<br />
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<a href="http://expandmythinking.blogspot.ca/2012/11/learning-at-ed-camp.html" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Learning at Edcamp</span></b></a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Allison" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Jim Allison</span></b></a><br />
<a href="http://flipperteach.com/2012/11/18/my-first-edcamp-full-of-light-and-brightness/" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">My First Edcamp: Full of Light and Brightness</span></b></a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/okmbio" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Carolyn Durley</span></b></a><br />
<a href="http://macoun.edublogs.org/2012/11/17/edcamp-leadership-bc-notes-and-reflections/" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Edcamp Leadership BC: Notes and Reflections</span></b></a> by <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><a href="https://twitter.com/pmacoun" target="_blank">Phil Macoun</a></span></b><br />
<b><a href="http://blogmrsoong.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/multi-perspective-platform-edcamp-leadership-bc/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Multi-Perspective Platform: Edcamp Leadership BC</span></a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/bsoong" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Bernard Soong</span></a></b><br />
<a href="http://khanhpn.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/edcamp-leadership-bc/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Edcamp Leadership BC</b></span></a> by <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Khanh Nguyen</span></b><br />
<b><a href="http://terryainge.blogspot.ca/2012/11/reflections-from-edcamp-leadership-bc.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Reflections from Edcamp Leadership BC</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> by <a href="https://twitter.com/terryainge" target="_blank">Terry Ainge</a></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.tylersuzukinelson.com/blog/2012/12/01/edcamp-leadership-bc/" target="_blank">Edcamp Leadership BC</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/tysune" target="_blank">Tyler Nelson</a></span></b><br />
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I participated in three sessions: 21st Century Teaching and Learning with Technology, Engaging Aboriginal Youth and Connected Leadership. During the Connected Leadership session facilitated by <a href="https://twitter.com/davidwees" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>David Wees</b></span></a>, <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/roncanuel" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Ron Canuel</span></a></b> from the Canadian Education Association (CEA) made a comment that really stuck with me. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>"We need to surround ourselves with opposing ideas in order to create a richer context."</b></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZYltK4zVP6TAUBxsHz6pO-j3dVGYP3QTAqQnP40uGwKNp0QGN4brF5nGZQnCQvlN9dGSeTzZhWfvwjhNguB4lUX8oLCNHcmxuSc85I6bmcsnkveKSdUaMT7K2ZVwINYB1DIBtGCkR88/s1600/edcampphoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZYltK4zVP6TAUBxsHz6pO-j3dVGYP3QTAqQnP40uGwKNp0QGN4brF5nGZQnCQvlN9dGSeTzZhWfvwjhNguB4lUX8oLCNHcmxuSc85I6bmcsnkveKSdUaMT7K2ZVwINYB1DIBtGCkR88/s1600/edcampphoto.JPG" /></a></div>
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Ron's comments got me thinking about the nature of Edcamps. Edcamps, while highly inspirational are very much about <i>'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>preaching to the converted</b></span>'</i>. Those of us who attend Edcamps do so because we see a need and are interested in making progressive change in education. But while we may be making changes to our own practice, are we actually creating widespread scalable change?<br />
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Although I wasn't an educator at the time, I tend to agree with the idea behind another of Ron's comments. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"Many of the issues we are talking about in education we were still talking about in 1988. Change is stressful, what do we try to do? We try and reduce stress (which means we work against the change we want to see)."</i></span><br />
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Why is it that we continue to repeat the same conversations?<br />
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I'd argue that too often we are afraid to wade into uncomfortable conversations where we may be challenged to justify and defend our positions. As a result, we become content to limit our exchange of ideas to our own mutual admiration society.<br />
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So when it comes to Edcamps, it's great to hear what people in other areas are doing and to glean some inspiration from fellow participants, but in order to trigger widespread change we must communicate our ideas beyond just Edcampers. We must engage those who hold differing and opposing views and provide a convincing enough argument that they see reason enough to change.<br />
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So with some encouragement from <a href="https://twitter.com/lynnoucharek" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Lynn Oucharek</b></span></a>, I closed the day challenging participants to take an idea that they had heard at Edcamp and share it with someone who didn't attend and quite likely has a differing opinion. These are the people with whom we must share our ideas with and have the courage to enter into deep, rich dialogue with. As educational leaders, it is our responsibility to help others see what we see, see what is possible and how together we might get there. This is necessary so that in 10 years, we aren't saying, "<i><b>Many of the issues we are talking about in education we were talking about at Edcamp Leadership BC 10 years ago</b></i>!".<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-34316694974082919712012-10-28T19:33:00.000-07:002012-10-30T09:48:52.281-07:00Leading Learning from WithinA few days have now passed since the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/adsaconference2012/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Association of Delta School Administrators (ADSA) Annual Conference</b></span></a> so it's time for some reflecting. As an organizing committee we have long since heard from our colleagues that they value the networking component to our conference, desire for more opportunities to talk about what is going on in their respective schools, share ideas and learn with each other. From these comments evolved our question of inquiry, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>"Will a focussed effort on collaborative inquiry around administrators' interests and unique capabilities accelerate leadership performance and commitment to professional development?"</i></b></span><br />
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In an effort to follow our inquiry, this year we opted for a new conference model, one without a keynote, without a 'guru', without any 'sit and get' presentations. This year, there would be no chance that an external expert would come in and push his or her ideas on us without being aware of our context. Instead, we asked our colleagues to volunteer to facilitate conversations on topics they are passionate about. We knew we were taking a bit of a risk. What if our colleagues didn't volunteer to lead sessions? What if it turned out that we were less connected with each other because we weren't all sitting in the same room listening to the same presenter?<br />
<br />
Well, taking the risk paid off! The theme of the conference could very well have been 'Leading Learning from Within'! We offered a total of nine sessions, with three sessions running concurrently at any one time. In fact, because almost 1/3 of our ADSA colleagues volunteered to lead conversations, we actually chose to host only the most popular sessions. Session topics included <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TaTwpfZNRUAyf6L31OC-jLqOr6u1Cvb6NkGLRfesaOY/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i>Demystifying Human Resources</i></span></a>,</b> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pdSc61ICzOcUGeIXnkB9znLDxZnHrqdadbnS7qWQA6o/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Student and Educator Blogging</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CynRLv3zvI9S8GxAEfrFCDUCUaO2DfmOnXFBgCgEii0/edit" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Empowering Students Through Leadership</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kHxL0TuKVC8FPnhRdKePT8emT1rXPRX1DAr27nrXtGQ/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Easy to Use Technologies that can Change Education</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q8oFDmLRH-S4JKi40gaUcINEYL0rIjqg4rRLjYOOiOE/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Supporting Teacher Inquiry</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BtqBCiwri9pjRRoWqNvrlwrwq1m62DFPypSEgxwKarE/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Relationship-Based Mentoring</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RshvgK64gRV8yCOhcL1eV8IvySLI6K7g80ls2P14S0U/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Creating a Culture for Inquiry-Based Learning</i></b></span></a>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1weZCEKcw9gm9ovQagqyVywpHmQnVQPFalFgh4SkWssA/edit" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Technology to Help Us With our Jobs</i></b></span></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; text-decoration: none;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: purple;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oe_XaSz-zu4goSueYhvtA-GijI8GGGi5K00UvHMFlLA/edit" style="line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b><i>Assessment for Learning</i></b></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">. </span></span></span></span><br />
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Conversations were rich and engaging because they were led from within. Colleagues shared their experiences, knowledge, successes and failures. It was a great chance to ask questions, benefit from each others' learning and share strategies for overcoming challenges. As you can tell by the google docs from some of the sessions, colleagues were very much engaged in sharing and building a collection of ideas and resources. New connections were established and previous connections between colleagues were strengthened, largely because people had the opportunity to discuss topics they are interested in and passionate about. The tone to the conference was comfortable, friendly and supportive. People felt safe in putting their ideas, challenges and mistakes forward because they knew that others were there to help! View a short clip of conference reflections from colleagues.<br />
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Our experience is another encouraging step toward creating a collaborative culture amongst ourselves, where we go beyond sharing to truly collaborating on projects with each other. As excited as I am about the steps we took at the conference, I'm also enthused about Delta School Disrict's commitment to collaboration and learning through inquiry. With teacher collaboration time built into the schedules of many schools, Coordinators of Inquiry heading up teacher-directed inquiries and the sharing of stories and ideas taking place through the <a href="http://180daysoflearning.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>180 Days of Learning Blog</b></span></a> and the new <a href="http://deltalearns.ca/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Delta Learns Portal</b></span></a>, I feel we are in an exciting time as we build a culture of collaboration throughout the district.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-73213218412621552082012-10-07T09:59:00.001-07:002012-10-30T21:34:25.941-07:00Connecting (not Protecting) IdeasThe other day, I bumped into a teacher in the hallway and we engaged in a chance conversation. She had just returned from meeting with colleagues from across the school district and it was clear she was bouncing off the wall with enthusiasm as she described some of the possibilities that she now saw for her own classes. More than anything, what stood out to me was the passion and excitement in her voice. She expressed how great it was to exchange ideas with her colleagues, and how excited she was to once again be a learner, exploring new ways of doing things with the support of others.<br />
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Her experience is a perfect example of how inspiring it can be share our thoughts with others and how we feed off of other people's energy. It's within networks of trusting relationships where we can share our hunches, ask questions, admit mistakes, seek reassurance and describe our experiences. It's in these environments where we can connect our own hunches to what we learn from others and begin conjuring up innovative ideas. Over time, as we engage in conversations, receive support and reassurance from others, and continue to mull over ideas, we gradually reach the point when we have the confidence to transform our innovative <i><b>ideas</b></i> into innovative <i><b>practice</b></i>.<br />
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So why would anyone want to restrict themselves to learning in isolation?<br />
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Who wouldn't want to connect his/her ideas with those of others?<br />
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Why would anyone intentionally protect their ideas from others as though they were holding on to some secret intellectual property?<br />
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Who wouldn't wish to participate in a professional learning community (PLC)?<br />
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<b>Why is it then, that so many educators are learning in isolation?</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Yes, <i><b>time</b></i> can be a factor. Teaching all day with little to no common time to meet definitely presents an obstacle. Although it is a start, even the embedded collaborative planning time that many schools have incorporated into their schedules is insufficient to spur on lasting innovation. Sharing and collective reflection amongst colleagues, whether formal or informal must be a part of the daily learning culture in order for innovative thinking to prosper.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Yes, <b><i>proximity</i></b> can also be a factor. It's challenging for teachers from different schools and different districts to meet face-to-face. The few times a year that this type of gathering takes place is again insufficient to generate any momentum in teacher learning. And even within many larger schools, teachers tend to converse and share informally with colleagues who teach in the same part of the building. While there's nothing wrong with this, groupthink can quickly occur. This is why it's important to introduce external ideas and perspectives that challenge the thinking of the group.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b>How do we overcome these obstacles?</b><br />
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Enter <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>social media</b></span></i>.<br />
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2 years ago I started creating my own Personal Learning Network (PLN). Shortly thereafter, I began blogging as well. At the time, I never would have predicted how significantly the process of blogging and my PLN would have on my learning. I've assembled a collection of some of the most foreword-thinking educators from around the world, individuals with whom I would never have been able to interact or learn with if I hadn't built my PLN. I've shared my learning and reflections with my PLN through my blog. And in return, I've received feedback, connected with learning opportunities, accessed professional development resources and built camaraderie with other educators. In many cases, conversations I've started with my PLN have continued via Skype, telephone and face-to-face. In the same way that the teacher I referenced earlier was excited by the conversations she had with her colleagues, I find myself inspired daily by the conversations I have with my PLN. Sure, a digital connection has its limitations. It doesn't replace my face-to-face conversations but it offers me an ongoing stream of perspectives, hunches, ideas and questions that I can connect my own thoughts to. Conversations through social media may seem somewhat chaotic because of the multiple conversations that are simultaneously going on in public. But, as Stephen Johnson, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-From/dp/1594487715" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Where Good Ideas Come From</span></b></a> indicates, it's in these environments where hunches can collide, and where ideas can mingle and swap.<br />
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So, for those of you who still require some convincing, I encourage you to check out the short clip <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tT6N_8wcn4&feature=player_embedded#!" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Twitter for Educators</span></b></a>, create your own PLN and take advantage of the <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">anytime</span></i></b> and <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">anywhere</span></i></b> opportunity to connect and collide your hunches and ideas with those of others!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-31240386851170441852012-09-16T21:04:00.004-07:002012-09-16T21:05:42.039-07:00We are 'Game-Changers'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over the past few months I’ve been fortunate to have had anumber of chance meetings with former students. Whether it was at the mall, a restaurant, the park or a movie theatre, in most cases it was my former students who made it a point to approach me and say hello. Although our conversations were brief, a few things jumped out at me about my former students.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">· They were relaxed, comfortable and spoke with asense of confidence and pride.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">· They were equally as interested in how I was doing as I was interested in how they were doing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">· They recalled fond memories from a class I taught them in, moments when I had coached them on an athletic team or simply a random act of kindness I may of extended towards them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">· They expressed their thanks and appreciation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In particular, a conversation I had with a former Biology 12 student and basketball player of mine stands out. He mentioned how important it was that I believed in him, both in the classroom and as an athlete. He recalled, at the time, how much he disliked spending so much extra time outside of class time with me as he tackled what he found to be quite a challenging course. He said with a smile how much he felt he had accomplished by the end of the course and how much he had learned by persevering. He also described how much it meant to him that I had stuck with him and supported him as a player even when he had a sequence of poor performances on the court. Now in his early 20’s, he said he regularly applies what he learned about patience,commitment and leadership through our conversations. More than anything he expressed how much he appreciated my effort and how valuable his experiences were in helping him become who he is today.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Truthfully, rather than him thanking me, I should be the one thanking him. As teachers, too often we don’t get to hear what our students go on to become and what role we played in them getting there. These kinds of comments serve as powerful reminders of the impact that we, as educators have on the children we work with. Simply put, we are<i> </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>‘game-changers’</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> in the lives of our students!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The manner in which we speak, respond and act with our students has a profound and lasting impact. The effort we invest to create meaningful learning opportunities and the passion we bring to our work is clearly evident and demonstrates to our students how much we care about them and their learning. In everything we do and every decision we make, we have the opportunity to challenge, motivate and inspire our learners.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">So, as things get busy at different points in the school year, and you feel yourself getting consumed by day-to-day details, I encourage you to recall conversations similar to this, reflect on </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">WHY</span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> you entered into a career working with children and remember that every interaction you have with your students has the potential to be a ‘game-changer’ for them!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Cross-posted on Delta School District's </span><a href="http://180daysoflearning.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">180daysoflearning Blog</span></a></i></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-29057245006792450852012-08-25T11:07:00.001-07:002012-08-25T11:41:10.763-07:00WHY Purpose & Passion matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why do some people appear to be so passionate about their work?<br />
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You know the people I'm talking about. They have excitement in their voices, they are constantly thinking of new ideas, they willingly accept new challenges, they work diligently to see things through, their words are convincing and they are inspiring. Hopefully, this describes <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">YOU</span>!<br />
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These passionate people believe not only in <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>WHAT</i></b></span> they do for work, but more importantly, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>WHY</i></b></span> they do their work. It's their knowledge of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>WHY</b></i></span> and their sense of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>PURPOSE</i></b></span> that makes their words and actions <i><b>authentic</b></i>. They say and do things they truly believe in!<br />
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Authenticity is crucial in an organization because it contributes to the building of strong relationships. Strong relationships build <i><b>trust</b></i>, and with trust comes <i><b>loyalty</b></i> and a sense of <i><b>belonging</b></i>. The feeling of belonging, that one's work is valuable, important and part of something bigger, is what inspires people to go beyond the call of duty. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>"People working together for a common cause...is what creates the bond and the camaraderie that brings success." Sinek</b></span></i><br />
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This is what schools <i>should</i> feel like!<br />
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Passionate educators working together to ensure the best opportunities and best learning for each and every student. Students working together for a common cause and purpose. Adults and students working and learning together.<br />
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And just like everyone else, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>YOU</b></span> have an important role to play in creating this.<br />
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So take some time to ask yourself, "Just <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">WHY</span></i></b> is it that I do <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>WHAT</b></i></span> I do?"<br />
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As you attempt to answer this question and clarify (or re-clarify) your <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">PURPOSE</span></b></i> you may begin to question some of your own practices. You may feel uncomfortable but this needs to happen if you are going to align your <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">WHAT</span></b></i> with your <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">WHY</span></i></b>. It's an important step in gaining (or regaining) your sense of <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PU</span></b></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><i>RPOSE</i></b></span> and being able to approach your work with <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PASSION</span></b></i>.<br />
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Don't resort to threats such as zeros and late penalties or incentives like bonus marks in order to get your students to take action. These are just attempts to manipulate! Approach your work with <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PURPOSE</span></i></b> and your students with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><b>PASSION</b></i></span>. Inspire them to take action!<br />
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I'd love to hear your WHY's and I encourage you to share with a comment! Thanks.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-9754048350820096832012-08-16T15:07:00.002-07:002012-08-25T11:09:48.965-07:00Novelty or Innovation?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>#leadershipday12</i></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>"Real innovation changes the course of industry or even society."</b></i></span> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Simon Sinek</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
(Yes, it's a day late but I wrote this in the spirit of <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">#leadershipday12</span></i>.)<br />
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In his book, '<a href="http://www.startwithwhy.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Start with Why</span></a>', Sinek (@simonsinek) references many examples from the business world (Motorola, Colgate, Apple) that we can draw parallels to in education.<br />
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As I listen to and participate in conversations face-to-face and through social media I sometimes wonder if our quest to create innovative approaches to learning has somehow resulted in our overemphasis on the shiny new tool. Is it good to be a trailblazer and be on the leading edge of a new approach to teaching and learning? Of course! However, we should also strive for our new approaches to lead to lasting improvements for all learners.<br />
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The newest laptop, the most recent version of the iPad...these are examples of shiny tools with added features, but in short order they will all be replaced. It wasn't long ago that the first iPad was being introduced and now people have the iPad 3, equipped with new features, in their hands. When it comes to added features, Sinek writes, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>"<i>They are added in an attempt to differentiate, but not reinvent.</i>"</b></span> So the question to ask before investing big dollars in the latest technology is whether the tool will help the teacher 'reinvent' education for today's learners or simply be a temporary engagement '<i>fix</i>' that learners will become bored of once the technology is replaced?<br />
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I'm as guilty as anyone else of being dazzled by the most recent shiny tool. I enjoy the flexibility of working from my iPad, MacBook or smartphone, depending on where I am and what I plan to do. But, it's not the shininess of the tool that has captured my long term attention. Instead, over the past few years these tools have supported my shift to become a <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">globally connected learner</span></i>. On a daily basis my network of educators exposes me to new ideas, challenges my thinking and inspires me! Is the technology itself engaging? For a while it was! But what keeps me coming back to these tools is that they have helped accelerate my learning. In other words, the way in which I am learning is the focus of my shift and the tools are simply supporting this shift.<br />
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In schools, we need to be approaching investments of time, energy and money with similar thinking. We're better off encouraging innovations in pedagogy that can be accelerated through the use of new technology instead of focussing on the learning of a new technology without a shift in pedagogy. Supporting teachers in their learning of new pedagogies such as inquiry-based learning or project-based learning, that can incorporate and be accelerated by technology, will lead to lasting advances in teacher and student learning. We should be supporting teachers' attempts to transform their students into active learners who are proposing questions, seeking answers and creating solutions to their own problems. And if their students' learning can be accelerated by becoming globally connected and they can share their learning by having access to creative presentation tools then we should be investing in the technology that allows them to do so.<br />
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While simply investing in the latest tools and training teachers to use the tool may lead to temporary improvements in teacher and student engagement it will not magically lead to a pedagogical shift. Consequently, teachers and students will likely revert to traditional forms of teaching and learning when the novelty of the tool dies down.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">New frameworks for learning will demand our investments in technology. Investments in technology won't demand new frameworks for learning!</span></b><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-46137338523596183962012-08-13T11:06:00.001-07:002012-08-13T21:45:56.682-07:00First WHY, then WHAT!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am currently reading Simon Sinek's (@simonsinek) book, '<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591842808"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Start with Why - How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action</span></a>'. In it, he stresses 'that people don't buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.' This has got me thinking a lot about how this applies to teachers, students and how students don't buy WHAT teachers do, they buy WHY they do it.<br />
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Consider Sinek's ideas in the classroom. Telling students WHAT to do (or even HOW to do it) isn't enough on its own to generate long term motivation. Instead, teachers who communicate WHY...the values and beliefs inherent in WHAT they are asking students to do are more likely to inspire long term action on the part of their students.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>"When we communicate from the outside (WHAT) in, when we communicate WHAT we do first, yes, people can understand vast amounts of</b></i></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>complicated information, like facts and features, but it does not drive behaviour. But when we communicate from the inside (WHY) out, we're talking directly to the part of the brain that controls decision-making, and our language part of the brain allows us to rationalize those decisions."</b> </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Sinek</span></blockquote>
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As educators we must be mindful of this. We communicate to students a lot about WHAT challenges will look like and HOW they can go about accomplishing them. The WHAT involved in any particular challenge may interest and engage a certain group of students but it likely won't interest all students and definitely won't contribute to any lasting engagement. If our goal is to engage students in meaningful tasks, we must communicate the WHY! For learners, understanding the WHY is what creates the meaning in a task.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>"We're drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us. Those whom we consider great leaders all have an ability to draw us close and to command our loyalty."</b></i> Sinek</span></blockquote>
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In the classroom, we are the leaders! Our ability to consistently motivate, inspire and convince students to do what is asked of them comes in large part from whether we communicate the reason(s) WHY we do WHAT we do! Our WHY'S should include explanations such as 'caring about students', 'wanting what is best for them in the present and their futures' and 'doing what is in their best interest'! Of course, these are not words we can say just once and expect they will believe. We must remind them of our beliefs and convince them through our actions! It is through our consistent words and actions that we tap into our students' emotions and build the loyalty and trust we all hope to create with our students. Once we've established our students' trust and loyalty, they will go beyond our expectations and agree to challenges even when they know they may not be to their liking.<br />
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Each of us can recall stories of specific students who truly seemed to work for us, regardless of their ability, the level of challenge or their fondness for a task. They are great examples of students who obviously bought into WHY we do WHAT we do! Through consistently supportive words and actions we demonstrate how much we care about our students. Once we establish trust and loyalty with them, they appear even better, more committed students. They consistently complete tasks when assigned to them, follow through on instructions and embrace challenges even when they know it will require considerable effort. Rather than questioning the logic behind completing such difficult challenges, their rational brains generate reasons to justify WHY they should embrace these challenges.<br />
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People may refer to all this as building rapport while others may call it fostering relationships. Most importantly, they both rely on a foundation of trust and loyalty that has been established by teachers who emphasize WHY before WHAT!<br />
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So the next time you catch yourself describing to students WHAT they are about to do, I urge you pause and consider whether you have emphasized WHY they should do it!<br />
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Here is clip of Sinek's TEDx Talk.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-73711237255218267122012-07-27T21:43:00.001-07:002012-07-27T22:36:42.116-07:00Fruitful Reflections on Learning<br />
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Earlier this week, I ventured to a local blueberry farm to pick some blueberries. What a great day to have been outside. It wasn't easy picking today as the farmer sent us out to a section of the field that had obviously already been picked over. Nonetheless, it offered me lots of time for reflection.<br />
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Perseverance</span></b></u><br />
In my previous post I also wrote about perseverance. Let me tell you, picking blueberries definitely tested my perseverance. The berries were harder to find than usual and the plants were short, which meant for lots of crouching and kneeling. My knees ached, my shoulders were sore and there were a number of times where I felt like calling it a day and simply buying some ready-picked berries from the stand. But I had committed to picking a boxful and I wasn't going to leave until I had finished. Now, what is the connection to education? When students arrive at reasonable and manageable challenges, we must demand they persevere to the point of completion. On the other hand, we must not criticize their lack of perseverance when they lack the skills and ability necessary to complete certain challenges.<br />
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Uniqueness</span></b></u></div>
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I observed blueberries of all different colours. sizes, shapes and other unique characteristics. Some were very ripe and barely required my helping in falling off the bush. Others were nowhere near ripe and even with a gentle tug resisted falling off the bush. Again, how does this relate to education you ask? Each of our students is unique in his or her own special way. And much like berries, each of them matures and develops at his or her own pace. As educators, it is our responsibility to judge each student's development and gently pull them on to new challenges <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">when the time is right</span></u>.</div>
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Look Beyond the Obvious</span></b></u><br />
Initially, it was discouraging not to find berries very easily. But I quickly learned that when I took a moment to look under some branches and peel back some leaves that there were many ripe berries to be found. I believe this is another important lesson for each of us who works with children. Rather than making judgments and assumptions about children based on what we see them demonstrate on the surface, it's important that we make the effort to get to know our students, find out who is truly behind the eyes we see on a daily basis and recognize each student's individual abilities and potential.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-14395474084936300622012-07-23T11:33:00.002-07:002012-07-23T11:33:27.985-07:00Perseverance & Resilience - A Responsibility<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ask teachers to describe some of the concerns they have for their students and it's quite likely they'll begin by describing specific portions of their course that students find more challenging than others. They may refer to students who consistently fail to complete work, are unprepared for tests, appear distracted by other interests or are very much disengaged. The list of concerns and frustrations can go on and on.<br />
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I often hear teachers compare the students of today with students of the past and claim that our present students 'just aren't the same as students were in the past'. They claim kids today simply aren't as responsible and lack perseverance and resilience in the face adversity or challenge.<br />
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I cannot deny the importance of students developing a sense of responsibility, perseverance and resilience. These are important qualities for students to develop and take with them into adulthood. However, some questions I'm pondering are:<br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Is our assertion that students would be more successful if they demonstrated more responsibility, more perseverance and more resilience simply an excuse for us not to examine and be critical of our practices?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Are we 'forcing' students to persevere through their learning when we should be looking for ways to engage them more in what we're asking them to learn?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Is increased responsibility, perseverance and resilience the answer for some of our most vulnerable learners?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">What are 'we' doing to create an environment where students can develop personal responsibility, perseverance and resilience?</span></li>
</ul>
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These are obviously big questions. Not ones that can be answered in one blog post. For the purpose of this post I'm going to focus on our assessment practices and how they may impact what we observe in our schools.<br />
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If you were a student who struggled to achieve learning mastery because the pace was too quick for you, the content was too difficult for you or you were lacking the skills to accomplish a task, what actions do you think you would demonstrate? To start with, you'd probably struggle to meet deadlines.<br />
But if you took your teacher up on his/her flexible timelines, and sought out his/her assistance in helping you learn the necessary skills and knowledge, great! Your teacher would probably compliment you on how your commitment and handwork led to your achievement!<br />
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But, what if your teacher stuck to rigid deadlines, didn't 'insist' you come in for extra help and assigned you zeros when you failed to complete work on time? You'd probably get discouraged, your confidence would be deflated and gradually you'd probably resign yourself to failure. Over time, you'd likely appear disengaged. Your teacher might describe you as lacking initiative, lazy or as someone who gives up too easily. And just imagine if you'd been enduring these struggles for the many years you've attended school. Of course the lack of success would leave you feeling beaten down and you'd be far more likely to wave the white towel at the first sign things weren't going well! So while you'd have heard many people tell you that if you just 'worked harder, stayed up-to-date and learned from your mistakes' you'd be successful, you'd find it much harder to do so because the odds were stacked against you.<br />
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So if we insist on rigid timelines for the submission of work and apply punitive measures (zeros, late penalties) when students fail to submit work on time, what more can we expect to see other than seemingly irresponsible students who lack perseverance and resilience?<br />
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Is it really 'right' for us to be critical of our students and insist they will <u><b>ALL</b></u> be successful if only they were more responsible, perseverant and resilient? Or, do <u><b>WE</b></u> also need to look ourselves in the mirror and examine whether our assessment practices are enabling students to become more responsible, perseverant and resilient?<br />
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Please take a moment to read through the short list below and reflect on your own assessment practices. If you feel you could do more in any of the following areas as part of your daily routine as an educator, then I encourage you to make the shift.<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Provide 'flexible deadlines' to meet the needs of the range of learners you teach. (I'm not suggesting you eliminate deadlines!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">'Insist' that students see you for help outside of regular class time when you notice they are lagging behind or struggling in a particular area.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Abolish '0'! Communicate with your students. Ask them 'why' they didn't complete their work, insist that they do so and if necessary, insist they do so in your presence so you can offer support and troubleshoot their mistakes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Involve parents in the conversation early on! Describe what you're observing in class, what their child needs to do in order to be successful and how you are supporting their child in achieving these goals.</span></li>
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And yes, I do realize that if you embark on any of these shifts in your practice, it may not be easy. It will require some intentional planning, hardwork and likely some adjusting as you reach some challenging moments and possibly some adversity. But if you commit to the shift, please stick to it. After all, isn't it our <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">RESPONSIBILITY</span> to do what's in the best interest of our students? And shouldn't we model the same <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">PERSEVERANCE</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">RESILIENCE</span> we demand of our students when things don't go perfectly?</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-52167787928319044582012-07-01T12:54:00.001-07:002012-07-01T12:55:14.535-07:00Assessment Confessions & Apologies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me begin by making some confessions. When I started my teaching career 16 years ago as a Science teacher, I wanted students to believe that every class was important. So what I did on most days was assign work that counted for marks. I marked a lot of assignments, I entered a lot of numbers into spreadsheets and I frequently updated students with their marks. I sometimes assigned zeros when students failed to submit work and I sometimes assigned late penalties when students submitted work late. This system seemed to work for a good majority of my students. My most motivated students appeared diligent about completing high-level work and most others seemed to comply to and complete a reasonable amount and level of work. Unfortunately, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><i>at least</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"><i> one group of students for whom this approach didn't seem to work for was my struggling learners...those who often appeared to lag behind.</i> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">The other question that I now realize I should have asked is <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">'<i>what was motivating my students to learn?</i>'</span></b></span><br />
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Fast forward to just over a week ago and I had the opportunity to participate in an <a href="http://teachafl.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/make-it-count-part-i-5/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">online panel discussion</span></a> using Google+ and share my perspective on the 'no zeros' policy that has recently caught the attention of educators and the general public. While I don't consider myself to be an 'expert' on this topic, the chance to join the panel of <a href="http://tomschimmer.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tom Schimmer</span></a> (@tomschimmer), <a href="http://tomhierck.com/blog/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Tom Hierck</span></a> (@UMAKADIFF), <a href="http://www.joebower.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Joe Bower</span></a> (@joebower) and <a href="http://hsprincipal.wordpress.com/about/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Lorelie Lenaour</span></a> (@LLeanaour) and respond to questions from a PLC organized by <a href="http://teachafl.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Rose Pillay</span></a> (@rosepillay1) proved to be an excellent learning experience for me. I'd like to thank Rose for inviting me to participate and for challenging me to further clarify my thoughts and ideas on this high profile subject.<br />
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In the days following our discussion I have had the opportunity to reflect on my previous assessment and grading practices. I now feel I owe many of my former students some apologies.<br />
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I apologize if...</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>I assigned you a 'zero' when you failed to submit work.</i></b></span><br />
A 'zero' signifies that you knew '<i><b>nothing</b></i>' about the topic in question. If it really was the case that you knew '<b><i>nothing</i></b>' about a given topic after I worked with you, then the person who should have received the 'zero' is me. After all, it was my job to help you learn. Each time you failed to fully complete work on time, I should have asked you 'why?' instead of assuming you didn't care, couldn't be bothered or forgot.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I discouraged you from learning or provided you an excuse not to learn.</i></span></b></div>
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If you had truly tried, struggled to understand a concept and consequently failed to submit work, receiving a zero would have been very discouraging. Instead of incenting you to continue trying, I likely demotivated you by signalling to you that you were unable to learn '<a href="http://aakune.blogspot.ca/2012/03/assessment-shift-learning-or-learning.html">on time</a>'. And at some point, when your discouragement contributed to your disengagement, I provided you the ultimate excuse not to continue learning. You probably told your friends and parents that there was no point in completing the work because I had already assigned you a '0'. I should have provided more flexible timelines and more opportunities for you to demonstrate that you could meet the learning outcomes.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>If I didn't make learning mandatory for all of you, all the time.</i></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">When I witnessed you failing to complete work, I shouldn't have allowed you to walk away without insisting that you learn. Whether it meant spent additional time during class or outside of class, I should have sat with you, supported you and demanded that you learn.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>I emphasized point-gathering rather than learning.</i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">So many of the tasks I assigned you had marks attached to them. Each time I told you how many marks each assignment was out of and explained how to achieve those marks, I shifted the emphasis to point-gathering, not learning. In doing so, I used grades as a motivational tool to encourage you to complete work and not to communicate your progress towards learning outcomes as I should have. In some cases I may have extinguished your genuine passion and inspiration for learning and turned you into a desperate and competitive point accumulator. Instead of spending so much time marking your work with numbers, I should have spent the time providing descriptive feedback so that you would have known what and how to improve. This would have shifted our conversations towards 'learning'.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I assigned you an inaccurate grade.</i></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Each 'zero' I assigned for work you didn't submit, was invalid, inaccurate and contributed to a distorted representation of what you actually knew. The zeros may have said more about your work habits and less about your ability to meet some of the learning outcomes. Needless to say, the grade I assigned you was likely a confusing combination that reflected your work habits and your ability to meet the learning outcomes. </span></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>I made you feel like you were being judged and ranked.</i></span></b><br />
Far too often and far too quickly I assigned numbers to your work. I know you compared numbers with your classmates and determined where your mark ranked within the class. For some of you, achieving a high rank in the class became your motivation (which it shouldn't have) and for others, knowing you consistently ranked towards the lower portion of the class must have been extremely discouraging. Simply put, school should not be about surviving punitive grading practices. It should be about <b><u>LEARNING</u></b>!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-71672541228458936172012-06-17T11:02:00.003-07:002012-06-17T11:02:36.691-07:00No lectures, textbooks or worksheets - no problemThis post is long overdue. 3 weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the <a href="http://connectedcanada.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">ConnectED Canada Conference</span></a> at the <a href="http://www.calgaryscienceschool.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Calgary Science School</span></a>, a Grade 4 - 9 school emphasizing student inquiry. I have grown increasingly more interested in learning about student inquiry so the opportunity to visit a school and see classes actively engaged in the inquiry process is something I couldn't pass up!<br />
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On Friday (Day 1 of the conference), we had the opportunity to tour around the school, visit classrooms in action and speak with students and teachers. Below are the key features I noticed after visiting nearly every class in the school.<br />
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I saw no evidence of...<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Lectures</span>...I didn't observe any instances of direct instruction where the teacher acted as the 'sage on the stage'. I didn't see any teachers 'presenting' content, nor did I notice teachers asking their students to copy notes from a screen.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Worksheets</span>...I didn't see students working through worksheet assignments searching for 'right' answers. For the most part, students were not trying to write answers or solve questions that the teacher already knew the answer to.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Textbooks</span>...I didn't observe thick, heavy textbooks sitting on students' desks. Nor did I see students being asked to read lengthy passages of text or search through page after page to answer questions listed in the book.</li>
</ul>
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So, what did I see?</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Interdisciplinary tasks</span>...Almost all of the work I observed students performing tied in elements from different curricular areas, Science and the Humanities in particular. Mr. Neal's description of how he incorporated Science, the Humanities and Math into his students' cross curricular inquiry about the Weaselhead was by far the most powerful. Check out a quick video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUmHqjssLFA&feature=youtube_gdata_player"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">here</span></a>.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Relevant, meaningful, authentic tasks</span>...I observed tasks that were being performed for real purposes. A group of students were creating 'kinetic text' presentations for the Mayor's Environmental Expo. The goal was for students to create a convincing and powerful enough kinetic text presentation about a local environmental issue that it would be worthy of being presented at the <a href="http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/ESM/Pages/Mayors-Environment-Expo/School-Projects-2012.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Mayor's Environmental Expo</span></a>. The beauty of a challenge such as this is that students weren't just learning about environmental issues removed from their own context that were made up for the purpose of the classroom. They weren't being asked to '...pretend you are presenting to the mayor...". They were learning about real issues that were personally meaningful to them and relevant to their local community. </li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Public demonstration of learning</span>...What makes the previous example of learning so much more more powerful is that students were demonstrating their learning to a real audience. Students were not just communicating their learning about a classroom-created challenge to their teacher. Rather, they presenting their learning publicly, to classmates, to parents and to the community. Equally as impressive is that the teachers at CSS are modelling the importance of publicly demonstrating their learning through '<a href="http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Connect</span></a>', their Professional Learning Journal.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Teachers & students building criteria</span>...Taking the previous example a step further, I observed <a href="http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/search/label/ivy.waite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Ivy Waite</span></a> (@IvyWaite) asking her students what they thought would make for an effective 'kinetic text' presentation. As students provided input, she added the criteria to a google doc that she displayed for her students to see. Her students didn't always agree on the particular language to be used in the criteria and this prompted healthy discussion. It was clear to me that this collaborative process of building criteria increased the 'buy-in' on the part of students and also helped her students better understand the criteria. It's less likely that her students would get lost in the 'edu-jargon' and fail to understand the expectations laid out by externally-created rubrics.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Collaboration</span>...Two things stood out. In each classroom, I saw pairs of small hexagonal tables arranged together so that groups of four or five students could discuss, brainstorm, jot down ideas, problem-solve or work collaboratively using their laptops. Second, I saw considerable evidence of students (and teachers) using google docs to support collaboration. I found it very interesting to see a group of Grade 5 or 6 students simultaneously working on the same piece of writing. They had recently completed some research, compiled their findings into a google doc and were working on revising and editing to ensure their writing conveyed their message and opinion. It was powerful to watch the students bounce naturally between reading each others' work, discussing different points, debating ideas and editing text in an effort to improve their passage of writing.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Feedback</span>...Teachers were 'guiding' (not directing) student learning. Often, students were the ones who were approaching the teacher with questions. And, teachers prompted students by responding to questions with more questions and circulated around the room to offer suggestions. It was refreshing to hear their conversations focus on learning and not once making reference to 'marks' or grades'.</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Technology</span>...I'm not going to lie. I saw far more student and teacher access to technology than in most of our public schools in BC. CSS is a 1:1 school, each student being equipped with either a laptop or iPad. Each teacher had a laptop and a smartboard. But most importantly, the technology wasn't responsible for the high levels of student or teacher engagement. The technology enabled students to access collaborative documents, publish written work publicly to blogs and wikis and quickly research a variety of topics but their high levels of interest came from the inquiries they were pursuing. </li>
</ul>
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Unfortunately, my one day experience came to an end, but I've returned home even more convinced of two things: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>the power of teaching and learning through an inquiry framework</b> </span>and<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span>that<b style="color: red;"> nothing is more important to learning than good teaching!</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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Thank you to the staff and students at CSS for inspiring me and all of us who attended ConnectED Canada!</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-77909817550949938012012-04-30T21:40:00.000-07:002012-05-01T07:54:13.375-07:00What motivates your students?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently, a short conversation with a Grade 12 student reminded me of the role of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><u>intrinsic</u> <u>motivation</u></b></span> in learning. <br />
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Hers's how our conversation went:<br />
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<b>Student</b>: How was your day today Mr. Akune?<br />
<b>Me</b>: Very good thanks. How about yours?<br />
<b>Student</b>: Great! I went to Ms. Lewis' French 11 class during my study block today!<br />
<b>Me</b>: French 11? During your study block?<br />
<b>Student</b>: Yes, I enjoy learning French and Ms. Lewis is super cool. I wanted to go. It was my choice! It's feels way different than when you 'have' to go to a class because someone else tells you to.<br />
<b>Me</b>: That's pretty neat that you would do that during your study block. (Jokingly) Did Ms. Lewis assign you homework also?<br />
<b>Student</b>: Actually she did! I don't 'have' to do it but I want to anyways. Being there made me realize how much I've learned in the past year. It's good practice and will help me improve.<br />
<b>Me</b>: Really?<br />
<b>Student</b>: Yeah, I like it. You know, I enjoy doing the work when I get to choose what I'm learning instead of being told what to learn. (Laughing) It's similar to cleaning my room. When my mother tells me to clean it I'm not so happy to do so, but when I decide on my own, I'm perfectly fine doing it.<br />
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In one of his webinars, author Daniel Pink (@Danielpink) described three factors that he believes are critical to enduring human motivation in the workplace. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Autonomy</b></span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Mastery</b></span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Purpose</b></span>.<br />
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<b><u>Autonomy</u></b><br />
Pink's ideas can be applied to student learning as well. For starters, he suggests that the key to engagement is providing autonomy over <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">task</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">time</span>, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">team</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">technique</span>. This can sound challenging to offer within the structured curricula and schedules that seem to control the school day. So, what can we do?<br />
<ul>
<li>Expose students to real-world challenges/problems and offer them the opportunity to solve the problem(s) they are most passionate about. Even within structured curricula, teach students to assess their own learning and allow them to choose the areas they wish to expand, deepen or strengthen their learning in.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Embrace the fact that no two students are alike and different students require different amounts of time to master their learning of different topics. As educators, this means constantly assessing student learning, building in flexible timelines and adjusting the pace and course of instruction to best meet the needs of individual students.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Encourage students to help each other. Be flexible and consider student input when grouping students together. Students are more likely to be engaged when they choose and are compatible with the people they are working with.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Differentiate! Allow students to choose how they demonstrate their learning. Don't force students to use a certain technique and consequently limit their ability to fully demonstrate their learning.</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>Mastery</u></b></div>
Pink says the "single biggest motivator for people is making progress in meaningful work." The emphasis needs to shift from point gathering to learning! In classes characterized by an '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>if you do...then you will receive...</i></span>' environment, marks are used as a carrot. This kind of environment may ensure the completion of simple, routine tasks, but will not stimulate the creative, deep thinking we wish to see from our students. Students may work to gather points but only until the point at which they have gathered enough. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>Marks provide only temporary and extrinsic motivation</i></span>.<br />
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On the other hand, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>feedback</i></span> lets students know they are making progress and how they can continue to improve their learning. Feedback capitalizes on people's "inherent desire to get better at stuff." Since students by nature want to get better, when we show them how they can improve, why wouldn't they try? When offered in the absence of a mark, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>feedback evokes the intrinsic motivation necessary to sustain prolonged learning</i></span>.<br />
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<b><u>Purpose</u></b><br />
Pink suggests we ask the question, "Why are they doing the work?" Students must see a purpose, a 'real' reason for learning, a reason far superior to 'point gathering'. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i>When students seek solutions to real-world problems, promote self-chosen initiatives and direct their own inquiries, intrinsic motivation drives their commitment</i></span>.<br />
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So ask yourself...<br />
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<b>What is your goal for your students?</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>Engagement</b> </span>or<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <b>compliance</b></span>?<br />
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<b>What motivates your students? </b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Learning</span></b> or <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">marks</span></b>?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-49826131169446220542012-04-19T21:08:00.001-07:002012-04-19T21:08:57.791-07:00Why don't students read my comments?<br />
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Let's be honest, we've all been there! Out of frustration, we've all asked, "Why don't students bother to read the comments we take so much time to write on the assignments we've just marked? </div>
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There are a range of factors that may impact whether students read all of the comments made about their work, but I believe three factors play a big role.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">1. Student view the mark as more important.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">2. The feedback isn't timely.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">3. Students see no opportunity to demonstrate improvement.</span><br />
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I'll go back in time to when I was in high school and learning how to drive. As a student driver I was offered lots of feedback on how I was progressing and what I could do to improve. Much like any teenager, I was highly motivated to learn and knew that it was important to do so in order to pass my road test. The feedback was descriptive, specific, immediate and all along remained very supportive. Not once was I graded while I was learning and in no way was the feedback provided in a way that seemed judgmental. I always knew the feedback was designed to help me improve and I also knew I had opportunities to demonstrate my improvements. Because the feedback was so immediate, I did everything I could to apply the feedback and make the necessary improvements.<br />
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Eventually, the day of my road test came up on the calendar. To the best of my ability, I followed all of the evaluator's instructions and executed what was asked of me. When I finished my road test, I anxiously awaited the decision of the evaluator. When he told me the result (and yes, I did pass!) I remember feeling ecstatic yet relieved. I know the evaluator offered a number of comments about my driving, however, as much as I am ashamed to admit it, at that moment I didn't really listen too closely to his comments. Why not? For starters, my focus on the result overshadowed all of his comments. Second, because the evaluator's comments came at the conclusion of my road test, they weren't as helpful as they could have been if he provided them throughout the test. Third, I knew that my road test was complete and I wouldn't have to, nor would I be afforded the opportunity to demonstrate improvements based on his suggestions.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
So, let's bring this back to our students who seemingly can't be bothered to read our comments. The problem probably doesn't lie in our comments themselves. In fact, on their own our comments would probably be very helpful and offer great suggestions for improvement. The problem likely lies in the fact that the work was 'marked'! The mark signifies that a judgment was made about their work and overshadows the importance of the feedback. How can we blame students for focussing on the 'mark' rather than the comments when we have made a judgment about their work? </div>
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Assigning a mark also indicates a certain degree of finality. If students believe they no longer have an opportunity to demonstrate improvement, what incentive and motivation do they have to read the comments? Our students viewed all the valuable comments we've taken the time to write as little more than a justification for the mark we assigned. Why do we too often wait until the end of an assignment to provide the suggestions that students could use to improve their work?</div>
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<b>So, what is the purpose of feedback?</b><br />
Feedback should tell students what and how they can improve in their learning. It must be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">formative</span>. The types of feedback offered by a teacher will differ based on the subject and learning task it pertains to. It might consist of suggestions on how to improve a draft of a written submission, point out how to correct a mathematical process, how to place one's fingers in order to play a note more clearly, etc.<br />
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<b>And what can we do to increase the effectiveness of our feedback?</b><br />
In order for students to act on our feedback, it must be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">timely</span>. Feedback, being formative in nature, must be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">consistently</span> provided <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">during the process of learning</span> so that students can incorporate the suggestions into their work and into their ongoing practice. Regardless of the type of feedback, what's crucial is that students be provided the opportunity to apply the feedback to their work. This means that a mark should not accompany feedback. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Feedback must precede the mark.</span> This tells students that the feedback is designed to help them improve their work <u>before</u> a judgment is made.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Students should not be penalized in the gradebook for errors they make while learning. </span>We must provide opportunities<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">practice without penalty!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-52960216108757976372012-03-23T15:11:00.004-07:002012-03-23T15:11:46.756-07:00Assessment shift: Learning or Learning on time?<br />
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The classroom is a busy place for a teacher. In high schools, every block means roughly 30 more students, each bringing his/her own strengths, weaknesses, interests, personalities, etc to the class. We know that each student is unique, will learn in different ways and at different rates, but too often we make a generalization and refer to them as our 'English 9 class' or our 'Block G class'. Likewise, because we are faced with the organizational challenge of working with so many students we put expectations on our students that they will all learn at roughly the same pace. Too often, the unintended consequence is that we emphasize 'learning on time' instead of what we should emphasize...LEARNING!<br />
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This post focusses on a few assessment practices that educators can implement within a busy 'class' that will embrace each student's individuality and support...<br />
<ul>
<li>students learning at their own pace</li>
<li>learning as an ongoing process</li>
<li>students learning from their mistakes</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>Learning Logs</u></b></div>
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There is a lot for students to learn each class. Sometimes students grasp concepts immediately but most of the time the end of a class signifies a forced interruption to their learning process. When you consider students repeat this same process four times each day, you can start to understand why it's quite easy for students to forget precisely what they were working on when they were interrupted, what they've already mastered and what they need to continue practicing. </div>
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Enter the learning log! Learning logs can exist in a variety of forms. What is important about a learning log is that a student writes down the specific learning targets for the class and self-assesses his/her own progress towards these targets at the end of each class period. The self-assessment could be as simple as a 'green light, amber light, red light system' where students assess themselves a green light if they've mastered a target to the extent that they could teach a peer, amber light if they are getting there but need some more practice and a red light if they need to stop, ask a question, then practice with some guidance from the teacher.<br />
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What is most important about a learning log is that it encourages students to track their own progress towards the mastery of learning targets. Learning logs focus students' attention on their learning progression towards targets rather than simply trying to meet deadlines for completing work. Learning logs also offer students a way to go back in time and update their progress towards a target that they were previously unable to meet, even if the learning target came from a previous unit or term. Learning logs also recognize that we should be encouraging our students to learn from their mistakes. Say a student uses teacher feedback to correct a process he/she was previously applying incorrectly to solve a certain type of problem. Even if a student goes beyond the initial timeline for the class to demonstrate he/she has made an improvement, his/her progress is still valid and should be acknowledged.</div>
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<b><u>Flexible Deadlines</u></b><br />
Too often, our practices indicate to our students that we are more interested in the timeliness of their learning and less about the depth and quality of their learning. Inflexible due dates, late penalties and zeros for work not yet completed all send the message to students that as much as we value learning, we place greater value on the fact that they learn certain things by a certain date. These practices penalize the slower learner and force him/her to hastily complete work rather than learn for the sake of understanding. If we truly want to encourage deep learning, we must allow students the necessary time to do so and our assessment practices must reflect this belief.<br />
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Here is where the flexible deadlines come in! Does it really matter whether a student learns to solve an algebraic equation or write a chemical formula today instead of next week or next month? Ultimately, are we more interested in seeing students learn or learn on time? I'm not suggesting we should eliminate deadlines completely, but I do think we need to offer our students a little bit of flexibility and acknowledge that some students are going to require a little more time to master certain concepts. Furthermore, our assessment practices should reflect students' most recent improvements in learning. Just as the new learning of a concept replaces the previous learning of the same concept, new assessments of a student's level of mastery of a concept should replace previous assessments of student's level of mastery of the same concept.<br />
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<b><u>Redo's</u></b></div>
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Say a student, despite his efforts, struggles to master a concept by the time the class writes a major test. The student performs poorly, receives a low mark, but seeks the assistance of his teacher, who re-explains the concept so that the student understands. Days later, when the teacher checks with the student to assess his level of understanding, the teacher determines that the student now has a solid understanding of the concept. Shouldn't the student's mark on the test now reflect the teacher's most recent assessment? Or at the very least, doesn't the student at least deserve the opportunity to rewrite a similar portion of the test that he struggled with the first time? I would say so! After all, if we want students to accept our feedback, learn from mistakes and we acknowledge that our assessments should reflect students' most current learning, then allowing redo's is a logical step. I'm not suggesting that redo's become a free-for-all. I believe students need to earn their chance at a redo by creating and following through with a plan for improvement. It is ok for students to 'fail' at things but it is unacceptable for them to be 'failures'. By offering redo's we send the message to them that when they make mistakes they will have the opportunity to learn from and improve upon them.<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-80879167234658087942012-02-27T21:22:00.025-08:002012-02-27T21:30:28.411-08:00Surviving or Thriving?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Consider the profile of a student who is '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>surviving</b></span>' school.<br />
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He/she...<br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmlTfN6CDl1KG4xolWN0qixtrOZSaLsh52KyiyBThzrVg3HOqQPaEj6vcOZ8Cr16B49uTbCYoL949lf4UA4NGwJPhuVAkuV3kqr1H-iTHCOz0AtsZ_AQEBYmHSUx8M8UjbXKApqbX3ck/s1600/imgres.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmlTfN6CDl1KG4xolWN0qixtrOZSaLsh52KyiyBThzrVg3HOqQPaEj6vcOZ8Cr16B49uTbCYoL949lf4UA4NGwJPhuVAkuV3kqr1H-iTHCOz0AtsZ_AQEBYmHSUx8M8UjbXKApqbX3ck/s200/imgres.jpeg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">appears disinterested, disengaged and bored in class. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">seems lazy and unmotivated </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">requires the push from the teacher in order to get going on anything in class. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">appears to be going through the motions and just 'doing school', seemingly without purpose. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">is content with simply 'passing' each course.</span></li>
</ul><div><br />
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Why are some of our students just '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>surviving</b></span>'?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Unlike life outside of school, much of the learning in schools (high schools in particular) is organized in a manner that lends itself to learning in silos. Students attend separate classes for Math, Science, Social Studies, English, etc. Students are asked to learn course-specific concepts and skills independent of what they are being asked to learn in other courses. Of course, there are interdisciplinary connections between the different courses but we too often force students to create the connections on their own. As a teacher it is easy to focus on the course curriculum at the expense of pointing out to students how their learning connects across disciplines. Because we often fail to help students see how their learning fits into a bigger picture, students can feel as though they are being asked to learn decontextualized nuggets of information. And since the lives they live demand the application of interconnected skills and knowledge from various disciplines, they struggle to see the relevance of what they are learning at school.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Compare this to the profile of a student who is '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>thriving</b></span>' at school.</div><div><br />
</div><div>He/she...</div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">is highly motivated and passionate about learning new things and ask questions beyond the scope of the class.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">regularly talks about what is happening at school.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">takes initiative and explores new ideas. </span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62pWAHZXdZkCJRZ5UtUfuE2BR9cyDrvBKSF6H9FoUAbC5Cku7a3JTgVQY6fYpBZzXHdD5lpow1nhq1TYiiAegh8VcKqQbyCqkaAwuJ4q18kX5BMHmR7kOy_jb5UElLXt6khT8dXrmTPQ/s1600/yljrn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62pWAHZXdZkCJRZ5UtUfuE2BR9cyDrvBKSF6H9FoUAbC5Cku7a3JTgVQY6fYpBZzXHdD5lpow1nhq1TYiiAegh8VcKqQbyCqkaAwuJ4q18kX5BMHmR7kOy_jb5UElLXt6khT8dXrmTPQ/s320/yljrn.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">has high expectations and works hard to achieve his/her goals.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">sees how his/her learning will lead to future plans</span></li>
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What can lead to more of our students '<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b>thriving</b></span>'?<br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwd0skX3KTYKHMLjDeCGWj3ZZqEDmyP2N4Uj5XDzOoEWNBweIn3TxhwlJSJ9hy8pzH14M_3UBaeEsGXAWPe_OwurMQvrHzsXD-tNZh8FAuvn0tDBhsIYklHE9F_ZKijUGSWdyOPdnMCT0/s1600/drive_book_page.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwd0skX3KTYKHMLjDeCGWj3ZZqEDmyP2N4Uj5XDzOoEWNBweIn3TxhwlJSJ9hy8pzH14M_3UBaeEsGXAWPe_OwurMQvrHzsXD-tNZh8FAuvn0tDBhsIYklHE9F_ZKijUGSWdyOPdnMCT0/s200/drive_book_page.png" width="132" /></a><br />
Daniel Pink (@danielpink), author of <a href="http://www.danpink.com/drive"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us</span></a> argues that three factors (<i>autonomy</i>, <i>mastery</i> & <i>purpose</i>) contribute to enduring motivation. The following are some quotes from one of his recent webinars.<br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>Autonomy</b></i></span>: "the technology for engagement is self-direction"</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>Mastery</b></i></span>: "the single biggest motivator is when people are making progress in meaningful work"</li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><i><b>Purpose</b></i></span>: "how & why are they doing the work?"</li>
</ul></div><div><br />
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I believe we need to create more opportunities for 'big-picture' learning, where students explore big, important questions from a range of angles. Through self-driven inquiries, challenges and initiatives students should engage in authentic interdisciplinary learning opportunities that they are passionate about and can see are relevant to their present and future lives. <br />
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Consider how much different school might look and feel if we allowed greater opportunity for students to have input into and self-direct their own learning. What if, under the guidance of a teacher, students could...<br />
<ul><li><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>propose problems and challenges they wished to solve?</b></span></i></li>
<li><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>propose initiatives they wished to accomplish in their school and community?</b></span></i></li>
<li><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>share their learning and progress towards self-directed inquiries and initiatives with the school, community and the world using a variety of technologies?</b></span></i></li>
</ul><div>An example of what this might look like is the Pathways program at Mount Abraham Union Middle/High School where students, through a personalized program, develop their own curriculum and become <a href="http://www.educationalleadership-digital.com/educationalleadership/201202/?pg=62&pm=2&u1=friend#pg62">invested in inquiry</a>.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My guess is that if we allow students greater opportunity to personalize their learning, they will be more motivated to learn and experience more fulfillment from their learning. I would hope this would contribute to fewer of our students <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><b>surviving</b></i></span> and greater number of them <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><b><i>thriving</i></b></span>!<br />
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</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-25885328442198211492012-02-05T22:17:00.000-08:002012-02-05T22:18:38.383-08:00What are students saying about Edcamp?This is my third reflective post about Edcamp Delta. This time it's about the value of student voice and recognizing student input and perspectives when it comes to improving teaching and learning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCiBF1hHZ8oH9ZdGUTx9zMMeQhzNhLF2NM9ArNUsOe5kOj5pjI_mDVCy5wv5EWZfUQozuP31TqoaxPZV679Ae3AkFpe_6nhofBXGO1U7xuStlVRYfIy7_dbHgz9ic7OyGB7MYmHXTGKE/s1600/twitter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCiBF1hHZ8oH9ZdGUTx9zMMeQhzNhLF2NM9ArNUsOe5kOj5pjI_mDVCy5wv5EWZfUQozuP31TqoaxPZV679Ae3AkFpe_6nhofBXGO1U7xuStlVRYfIy7_dbHgz9ic7OyGB7MYmHXTGKE/s200/twitter.jpeg" width="200" /></a>15 students from Delta Secondary, 2 students from other Lower Mainland high schools and a few recent high school graduates participated at Edcamp Delta. Although they comprised just under 15% of the participants, they had powerful voices and their contributions enriched the dialogue.<br />
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Alex (@alex_gaio) led a discussion about the use of <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/180CaHQmgwAZJnZYG9ny8_y81SoqYpDtEVPt2RDJVTtU/edit?authkey=CJnA3MsE&hl=en_US&authkey=CJnA3MsE"><span style="color: blue;">Google Apps in Education</span></a>. He and a group of other Delta Secondary students also facilitated a conversation about <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YQUBCeam8ZV4_peKucvm4aGpzDDwmoHL9eJ7bm8dHT0/edit?authkey=CKXsotYH"><span style="color: blue;">Focus Groups and Student Engagement</span></a>. Antony (@AntonyTsui) facilitated a session called <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uNRwUIci-Dtw2v_YRFPV9vFs-6VH0pwTILxPPczAXUY/edit?authkey=CKaopaEL"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Are you assessing my REAL learning?</span></a> </span>Meanwhile, Mackenzie and Gloria (@gloriakhj) shared their perspectives in a panel discussion about successes and challenges in education.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaqDLqgovB9iGydkcecs5WcFuT_Ttou0XR10Lg_86BgGFsGC7ktuC87p4dHdqQbRUge6RUA0EP9o8kFdISx63l9q8SCDpHt_3fRVHi_LT_as9f5hyWs173dholeRvIyU-_R807p_bz7I/s1600/_MG_8493-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaqDLqgovB9iGydkcecs5WcFuT_Ttou0XR10Lg_86BgGFsGC7ktuC87p4dHdqQbRUge6RUA0EP9o8kFdISx63l9q8SCDpHt_3fRVHi_LT_as9f5hyWs173dholeRvIyU-_R807p_bz7I/s400/_MG_8493-Edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Following Edcamp Delta, I was fortunate to speak with many of the student participants about their experience. Here are some of the comments they volunteered.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"The teachers listened to us. I feel like they cared about what I had to say."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"The adults made sure they included us in the conversations."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"We all felt like equals at Edcamp. The only time I felt like I was a student was when the adults specifically wanted to hear the perspective of a current student."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"I think the teachers learned a little bit about where we're coming from as kids. I also learned about some of the pressures that teachers are facing."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"At school we get taught. At Edcamp we got to participate."</span><br />
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As I reflect on these comments, I think about how different an Edcamp is compared to a traditional classroom. In a traditional classroom, a hierarchy exists between the teacher and the student. The teacher is the 'expert' and the student is the 'learner'. The culture is such that the student is expected to learn from the teacher but not the other way around.<br />
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At an Edcamp, there is no hierarchy. People aren't cast in the role of 'teacher' or 'student', 'expert' or 'learner'. The expectation is that educators can learn from students equally as much as students can learn from the educators. In most instances, students and teachers learn together at an Edcamp.<br />
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The key difference at an Edcamp is that each participant approaches the event with a curiosity and desire to learn. Rather than asking students questions that the teacher already knows the answer to, at an Edcamp teachers are asking questions that they don't know all the answers to. So instead of the teacher quizzing students and dispensing information, at an Edcamp teachers are learners who seek the input, opinions and ideas of students.<br />
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Imagine how different the culture and tone of a typical classroom would be if teachers were regularly posing questions that they didn't already know the answers to. Imagine if students viewed their teachers as 'learners' rather than 'experts'. Imagine if students and teachers regularly learned together.<br />
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When it comes to education, adults tend to make most of the decisions for students. We do have more life experience, and yes, we have all gone through school. This cannot be ignored. But what also can't be ignored is that the world is changing and our students are living a different experience than we did.<br />
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If we truly hope to prepare our students for their current reality and their lives in the future, we MUST create opportunities for student voice. <a href="http://bcstudentvoice.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">BC Student Voice</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">, </span>the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://engage.bcedplan.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">BC Education Plan</span></a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span">and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://edcamp.deltasd.bc.ca/" style="color: blue;">Edcamp Delta</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span>are a great start!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-35169965454680820452012-01-25T17:39:00.000-08:002012-01-25T17:43:24.559-08:00In 'Flow' at EdcampThis is my second reflective post following my participation and involvement in planning for <a href="http://edcamp.deltasd.bc.ca/"><span style="color: blue;">Edcamp Delta</span></a>. Having now participated at two Edcamps (<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://edcampvancouver.org/"><span style="color: blue;">Edcamp Vancouver</span></a> </span>was my first), what has struck me is that on both occasions, I have been in 'flow' throughout the events.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For those of you less familiar with the concept of '<span style="color: red;">flow</span>', <span style="background-color: white;">Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi refers to it in his book '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0060920432/180-9678562-1465866?SubscriptionId=02ZH6J1W0649DTNS6002"><span style="color: blue;">the psychology of optimal experience</span></a>'. He summarizes the common characteristics of flow as:</span></span><br />
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<ul><li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">…a sense that one’s skills are adequate to cope with the challenges at hand, in a goal-directed, rule-bound action system that provides clear clues as to how well one is performing.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Concentration is so intense that there is no attention left over to think about anything irrelevant, or to worry about problems.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Self-consciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">An activity that produces such experiences is so gratifying that people are willing to do it for its own sake, with little concern for what they will get out of it, even when it is difficult, or dangerous.</span></li>
</ul><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/304317777/" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #717171; float: left; font-family: Cantarell; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Photo Sharing"><img alt="Graph of Flow" height="195" src="http://static.flickr.com/117/304317777_0cf4d98181_o.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As learners, we are intrinsically motivated to seek conditions of flow. According to Csikszentmihalyi (see graph), “skills” and “challenges” are the two key variables in the flow experience. As a learner's skills (and knowledge) about a particular topic grow, the level of challenge must increase in order for him/her to stay in 'flow'.</span></span></div><div><br />
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What attracts me to most education conferences is the specific topic and presenter. I approach these conferences with genuine enthusiasm since it isn't everyday I have the opportunity to listen to an expert in the field of education. Unfortunately, in some cases I have come away disappointed. It's not that I've disagreed with the information or advice but sometimes the presenter has provided information I've already heard, strategies that are already part of my daily practice or some combination of information and strategies which either don't apply to my work or which I lack the requisite knowledge to build on. In other words, I quickly became bored because I wasn't challenged to learn something new or I tuned out because I lacked the prior knowledge to connect the new ideas to. Compounding this is the fact that 'experts' often take a transmissive approach and as a result it has been difficult to interact with the content and personalize the learning to my own context.<br />
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Edcamps are different! Participants display an energy and enthusiasm that is contagious. Throughout the day participants introduce themselves to one another, reacquaint themselves with old colleagues and engage passionately in conversation. Sessions do not consist of 'experts' telling passive listeners new information. Rather, edcampers ask questions, seek advice and share their successes, failures, challenges and learning. They contribute ideas and are equally as interested in helping build others' knowledge and skills as they are their own. Participants engage in dialogue and respond directly to one another. <span style="color: red;">There is a wealth of expertise in the room but there isn't one expert at the front of the room</span>. Because participants have chosen the discussion topics they are interested in, the sessions are lively, engaging and allow each participant to make meaning and contextualize the conversations they've heard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fJPds2yIhfYxi0nr6AB7QlTywFj238Ml0p4kNglTuepKOiRKn9oU8jRPyOn7Sp0tgBjkHcZ00K7rZcpbluk4rRwmyz2Ec_AzYYpMjzj0_QCLyQ30biJtZpdUQaBJvDAaxael88Fyjxk/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5PHzj4vy5oznr63aL0sgXZ6yJeNo07G811a6CSfWtcnvtZbwHM7-7tUZN_x_yyDFf6mWK-kxoeZiuV8DYWfddP8lw6FEAsmPc6Rsg_qKaG29klnyQLF1uOHiVmu-RgNZzxb31LpRG_U/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5PHzj4vy5oznr63aL0sgXZ6yJeNo07G811a6CSfWtcnvtZbwHM7-7tUZN_x_yyDFf6mWK-kxoeZiuV8DYWfddP8lw6FEAsmPc6Rsg_qKaG29klnyQLF1uOHiVmu-RgNZzxb31LpRG_U/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I have never been bored at an edcamp because the conversations challenge my thinking and force me to reflect on my current practice. If anything, as sessions conclude I find myself with the desire to continue the discussions into breaks and over lunch. As Brian Kuhn (@bkuhn) recently tweeted, "<span style="color: red;">Edcamp is like a hallway conversation on steroids!</span>"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fNJXS5FuuszB7Zyp98h1KjkxJBOleg6Ez_YqxlvCwfLHqe0CwkU0-NBrCm3aFuUjf9gHBa3hDQrtQTqZz8mUSdHjj_wCvKPqXIrsSZ7aCBQ0kvwKR211mwe3HfJgWmMvR0H-lXWY4hY/s1600/496105552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fNJXS5FuuszB7Zyp98h1KjkxJBOleg6Ez_YqxlvCwfLHqe0CwkU0-NBrCm3aFuUjf9gHBa3hDQrtQTqZz8mUSdHjj_wCvKPqXIrsSZ7aCBQ0kvwKR211mwe3HfJgWmMvR0H-lXWY4hY/s320/496105552.jpg" width="211" /></a>The social nature of an edcamp also occurs through a conference backchannel.<br />
The Twitter backchannel at Edcamp Delta was so popular that at one point in the afternoon the hashtag <span style="color: red;">#edcampdelta</span> was trending.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCl4feUXf6mn1V6HhE0lW-VJNFYDgwrK5c4w1F34iG6ChsifJ8NKhTUdHQd13yhR7EE39l_o0ZUsPZBprNPJKAPqVnoEaD9c9HtP5w4K0_8HAhRjaUmIaPb37RYF2l5l_877onB2cQ5U/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCl4feUXf6mn1V6HhE0lW-VJNFYDgwrK5c4w1F34iG6ChsifJ8NKhTUdHQd13yhR7EE39l_o0ZUsPZBprNPJKAPqVnoEaD9c9HtP5w4K0_8HAhRjaUmIaPb37RYF2l5l_877onB2cQ5U/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Similar to the face-to-face conversations, participants use the backchannel to tweet comments they've heard, ask questions, reflect on their learning and share resources. The backchannel also allows people who are unable to participate in person to follow the discussion and contribute from a distance.<br />
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I'm always shocked when each session concludes and when the day draws to a close at an edcamp. Being so intensely focussed, time seems to slip by so quickly. Because I've been concentrating so hard throughout the day, I find myself mentally exhausted as the day wraps up. However, I also find I'm inspired by the ideas and experiences that people have shared with me during my many conversations.<br />
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I'm thankful to have engaged in so face-to-face and backchannel conversations at Edcamp Delta and Edcamp Vancouver and I know they have allowed me to construct meaning and apply my learning to current situations and challenges I face at school. I'm also grateful to the participants who have peaked my curiosity, led me toward new challenges and kept me in 'flow' at Edcamp!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5048236678261615697.post-25670579196795822222012-01-18T23:36:00.000-08:002012-01-19T09:35:06.501-08:00Edcamp Delta: A Personalized Learning ExperienceRecently in British Columbia, much is being said about the need for personalization. The Ministry of Education's new <a href="http://www.bcedplan.ca/theplan.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">BC Education Plan</span></a> emphasizes the importance of personalized learning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uTPJn3WiTzk26gJlkfANwyNxQdiGP0fLM8to6OI4kqsmm48AVv5Fa5lg_bTSf8Ptauc25kt_DcsoUJBF5AJ6fGzIbWvo3ENoxvYpTB2aDpkdWUGbDAMGzLjhz4RwI_L-iEViXm-4Ssw/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7uTPJn3WiTzk26gJlkfANwyNxQdiGP0fLM8to6OI4kqsmm48AVv5Fa5lg_bTSf8Ptauc25kt_DcsoUJBF5AJ6fGzIbWvo3ENoxvYpTB2aDpkdWUGbDAMGzLjhz4RwI_L-iEViXm-4Ssw/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>We must not confuse <u>personalization</u> with <u>individualization</u> and <u>differentiation</u>. <br />
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"Personalized learning is not individualized learning, in which students share the same learning goals but progress through the curriculum at their own pace. Nor is it differentiated instruction, in which students also share learning goals but receive instruction that is tailored to their learning needs.<br />
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Personalized learning is an instructional approach that encompasses both differentiation and individualization, but is also flexible in content or theme to match the specific interests and prior experiences of learners."<br />
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Personalized learning really takes into consideration that long tail of interest, of prior motivation, of languages. It leverages all the different things that people have in their repertoire to add value to their learning. In any personalized learning model, the student - not the teacher - is the central figure." Karen Cator<br />
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But what does personalized learning actually look like? feel like?<br />
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Well, on Saturday January 14th I participated in a personalized learning experience at <a href="http://edcamp.deltasd.bc.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Edcamp Delta</span></a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitdD0hvUIYVfIAxTkmeUsjogYhxa2UJzbwWnl_pj-dplQQbbC88YRtB19yuZdywQIDPRzGUhaT6UwSyxjI_PGleyzfjRRQ-gigmEdvZEqZEVE-itF5t_dTpvsJyRgydhbRycRfgsqtJA/s1600/Edcamp+Delta+poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitdD0hvUIYVfIAxTkmeUsjogYhxa2UJzbwWnl_pj-dplQQbbC88YRtB19yuZdywQIDPRzGUhaT6UwSyxjI_PGleyzfjRRQ-gigmEdvZEqZEVE-itF5t_dTpvsJyRgydhbRycRfgsqtJA/s200/Edcamp+Delta+poster.png" width="127" /></a></div>For those of you less familiar with how an edcamp works, let me briefly explain.<br />
<ul><li>There is no keynote speaker and no set topics.</li>
<li>Participants propose discussion topics leading up to and in person on the morning of the event.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU8xW51VuZfNkByZZooV9-XPsAxyTlYSJwJKsIiYVn1havY8trDZFU5f4nVq7H_d84MMnufC3nm0v-Vg1PSsD9hGjsLPEnpYj7uItE_XrCblHu0d6sqBR83qTq2W6dRVTTYR7xXb-OiU/s1600/Ajict3PCIAE7JcU.jpg-large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqU8xW51VuZfNkByZZooV9-XPsAxyTlYSJwJKsIiYVn1havY8trDZFU5f4nVq7H_d84MMnufC3nm0v-Vg1PSsD9hGjsLPEnpYj7uItE_XrCblHu0d6sqBR83qTq2W6dRVTTYR7xXb-OiU/s320/Ajict3PCIAE7JcU.jpg-large.jpeg" width="310" /></a></div><ul><li>Participants vote for topics that interest them and based on the popularity of the respective topics, the organizers arrange the discussion topics within a grid and create a schedule for the day.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_24pVm1lEj8wvd6kRm2KYkL62JeNDmTF8VTNELVLzwD9tIl04hlhRzIXqymyb9NLt1mpK5p7AJhxrAA75x4GDFdm_C7F7tXH8lRLc3j-z253QrEkcYlzfBfvB41rgxtMV9kCdHmS8FI/s1600/AjIynKQCMAASRSj.jpg-large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_24pVm1lEj8wvd6kRm2KYkL62JeNDmTF8VTNELVLzwD9tIl04hlhRzIXqymyb9NLt1mpK5p7AJhxrAA75x4GDFdm_C7F7tXH8lRLc3j-z253QrEkcYlzfBfvB41rgxtMV9kCdHmS8FI/s320/AjIynKQCMAASRSj.jpg-large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li>Participants choose to participate in sessions they are most interested in.</li>
<li>One or more participants step forward to initiate the conversations in each session. </li>
<li>Participants share ideas, perspectives and experiences with each other. They respond to each other's questions and queries.</li>
</ul><div>So, what key features of an edcamp contribute to such a personalized (not just individualized or differentiated) learning experience?</div><div><ul><li>Participants arrive with <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">different goals</span></u> for the day. Some wish to network, others want to share ideas about specific topics and some want to ask questions.</li>
<li>The content is flexible and participants <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">choose</span></u> discussion topics based on their specific <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">interests</span></u> and prior experiences.</li>
<li>Each participant contributes and <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">adds value</span></u> to the other participants' learning.</li>
<li>Face-to-face and backchannel conversations take place within each session but participants may choose to <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">extend their conversations</span></u> throughout the day.</li>
<li>There is an <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">absence of hierarchy</span></u>. There is no 'teacher', no 'expert' and no passive attendees trying to soak up information being delivered by the 'guru' in the room. <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">All participants are learners, helping one another.</span></u></li>
</ul><div>What transpires from this is truly remarkable. Each participant is deeply engaged and exudes a passion for learning. Being surrounded by such energy and enthusiasm is both motivating and inspirational. And one is guaranteed to walk away from an edcamp event curious about a new topic and wanting to continue a conversation started earlier in the day.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>So, in British Columbia as we look to reshape education in a way that supports personalized learning, maybe we should be considering the success of recent Edcamps and borrow key aspects from the 'unconference' model of learning.</div><div><br />
Imagine how the notion of school might change if <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">learners</span></b> had the <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">choice</span></b> to investigate self-directed <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">inquiry</span></b> topics based on their <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">curiosity</span></b> and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">interests</span></b>?<br />
Imagine if learners shared questions and problems with their <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">local</span></b> and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">global network</span></b> and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">challenged</span></b> each other to <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">think critically</span></b> and be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>creative</b> <b>problem-solvers</b></span>.<br />
Imagine if learning was made more <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">social</span></b>, with more emphasis on learning together, where learners <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">communicated</span></b>, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">cooperated</span></b> and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">collaborated</span></b> in an effort to build <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">shared knowledge</span></b> and understanding?<br />
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Undoubtedly, this would lead to more questions about our current model of 'schooling'.<br />
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</div><div>Organizationally, how might this look in a class? in a school?</div><div>How might this impact curriculum? Would this lead curriculum to emphasize skills more than knowledge?</div><div>How would this alter the traditional role of the 'teacher' and 'student'?</div><div><br />
</div><div>I recognize these are not easy questions to answer, but neither is the challenge of envisioning a personalized learning system for all students in BC!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08329754143774919281noreply@blogger.com4