What Are the Really Important Lessons I Learned as a Teacher?

I left the classroom under some really harsh circumstances.  The British Columbia teachers’ strike/lockout closed down the schools suddenly and the last two weeks of school just didn’t happen.  I didn’t get to say a proper good-bye to my students.  Instead, I spent my last two weeks on the picket line.

I want to say good-bye to all the wonderful students I have taught.  And there have been so many.  Grade 7 is considered to be a tough grade to teach.  Grade 7 educators deal with raging hormones, anxiety over the future, crushes, bullying, supporting students through more challenging curriculum, overnight trips to camp and more.  I loved (almost) every minute of it.  I had so many adventures with my students.  More importantly, I learned a lot from them.

Coaching basketball is just one example.  I am not a fan, I don’t understand the game or the rules and I have no skills.  That didn’t stop me from trying.  It took three years before I even understood the purpose of the pick.  My students were so understanding and supportive and they taught me that not knowing something is no reason for not trying.  Take a chance and do your best.  You never know what might happen.

They taught me what culture means.  While the Grade 7 Social Studies curriculum is all about ancient civilization and culture, until you experience significant cultural differences for yourself, iI don’t think you really “get it”..  I was lucky to be immersed in the South Asian culture for over a decade.  I was introduced to butter chicken, saris, Bollywood, Bhangra, Punjabi, the Ghardwara and more.  My students inspired me to travel to India and what I experiences there will enrich my life forever.

They taught me about courage.  I was honoured to be part of groups of inner students heading for camp.  Many had never been away from home and virtually none had ever gone camping.  They hiked, the canoed, they climbed cliffs and braved the high ropes despite their fears, walking away from each adventure with cheers of triumph and a grin on their faces that was infectious.  They vowed that these experiences would inspire them in the future.

I learned not to fear failure.  This is something you tell students over and over again, but it took years for me to learn that lesson myself.  My first leap into the unknown happened over 10 years ago, when I shifted my teaching  practice to focusing on project-based learning.  Believing that I would find away through the challenges meant I needed to evaluate each step forward and each step back.  I became a risk-taker and I loved the freedom that gave me to be a creative and more fulfilled person.

They showed me that quality learning experiences are essential.  I struggled for years against poor funding, poor resources and poor opportunities for these exceptional people who needed these types of opportunities.  Now, I will take these lessons I learned and try to create a learning environment where all of these experiences are celebrated.  Yes….I am opening my own learning commons, a place for learners, creators, makers and risk-takers of all ages can find the resources they need.  I plan to teach only own terms and try to make a difference in the only way I know how.  That is something I learned was important from my students as well.

The Day the Learning Died

A terrible thing happened a few weeks ago and it has taken me awhile to sort out how I feel.  As part of cost-cutting measures made necessary by budgetary constraints to the school district, ten helping teachers lost their positions, five of them from the IML (Information Media Literacy) department. This means the complete elimination of this department, and a move away from supporting teachers and teacher-librarians as they attempt to update their practice, embrace inquiry learning and use technology effectively and purposefully in their classrooms.  I don't get it.

In the past year alone, our school district has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars providing technology, resources, professional development and support to teachers, students and schools working towards innovative and effective learning.  More money has gone towards the creation of learning commons in many of our school.  At the heart of this movement are +Kevin Amboe, +Shelagh Lim, +Orwell Kowalyshyn, +Lisa Domeier and Sarah Guilmant-Smith. They are the public face of educational reform......and they walk the walk.   Surrey is the proud owner of a Twitter hashtag and iTunes U account that is widely respected throughout North America.  Surrey teachers publish and share and innovate and collaborate and on and on and on.  This team of educators are our cheerleaders, mentors and the ones that push us onto the public stage.  They make us better than we are.  We cannot afford to lose the good ones.

It has taken over ten years for us early adapters to see shifts in the educational landscape to the point that 21st century learning is becoming widespread and necessary.  Even the new BC Ed curriculum stresses the obvious:

One of the core tenets of the BC Education Plan is that there will be increased emphasis on the teaching of 21st century competencies like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, emotional literacy, interpersonal skills, and collaboration. Many people want assurance though, that this doesn’t come at the expense of foundational skills.

And now, what?  There is evidence that professional development makes an incredible difference to the effectiveness of teachers. The loss of these helping teachers is going to mean, at best, a significant slowdown in the acquisition of essential skills by students and teachers alike.  One of my biggest fears hinges on knowing that without significant changes in teacher pedagogy, tech integration is ineffective.  I fear that three years from now, someone in charge will look at the expensive technology deployed in 2013 - 2014, realize it had little impact on student achievement and decide tech integration wasn't worth it after all.  They will embrace instead the standardized test.  They will ignore what I know is true - that tech integration needs creative teaching, risk-taking and courage to work.  That students can be engaged and connected and achieve and create and learn.  That all students can be included.  That knowledge is at every students' fingertips.  That... as Albert Einstein reminds us......creativity is intelligence having fun.  That hurts my spirit.

 

Around and Around We Go

I am so dismayed by the events taking place in the education sector in British Columbia.  For those people who haven't noticed, once again the BCTF and the provincial government are poised to agree to disagree and the result is walkouts and lockouts. It is a no-win situation for everyone affected - teachers, parents, students.

There are a lot of issues worth discussing - class size and composition, the recent court win by the BCTF that is once more under appeal, the downloading of capital costs and seismic upgradings to the districts, the loss of librarian and counselling positions, new curriculum changes, questions around assessment, how to meet the needs of the increasing number of special needs students, how to fund field trips and presenters when we can't ask parents for money...............and more.

I have heard parents commenting on how dirty the schools have become and how overwhelmed the teachers seem to be.  And I have had parents tell me how lazy teachers are.  There is a chasm between the stakeholders that I don't believe can be breached. Instead of focusing on what really matters, there is finger-pointing and name-calling.  It is bewildering to me.

One thing I do not understand is where is the press?  Where are the journalists and where is the "respected" media willing to sift through the rhetoric and actually report the facts.  I recently saw a news item on the cancellation of Vancouver School Board's string program - a video of children with their instruments trying hard to convince the public they should still support funding their program.  The fact is that many, many programs have already been cut.  Library programs, learning support programs, counselling programs, early literacy programs - the list goes on and on.  Where is the public discussion?  If we, as a society, are fine with these cuts, why would we care about a strings program? 

Immigration and refugee policy is set by government, but it is teachers who deal with the lack of prior schooling and the trauma.  It is teachers who teach the children English and social skills.  Who funds this support because there is very little of it? And the impact on our most at-risk students is significant.  (To learn more, read this article about the impact of privatization on low-income students.)

The truth is that the only programs that have not been cut are ones guaranteed in the teacher contract... AND that is why teachers continue to fight for reduced class sizes and library, counselling and learning support.  These guarantees became part of the teacher's contract in the 1990s when teachers agreed to zero wage increases in exchange for better student support.

I heard about people circulating an email about the BCTF in which they mock the practice of thanking our First Nations for the use of their traditional lands.  Why is this the most important part of the conversation?  Why ridicule anyone for being polite and respectful, irregardless of your own beliefs.  This is the crux of the problem.  We focus on the superficial issues and miss out on what really matters - the educational experience of our children.

I think that the government needs to be honest with the public and admit that they can't or won't continue to fund public education at the level to which we expect.  Their proposal of a two-tier wage for new hires, no significant raise, a threatened sanction for not doing recess supervision and their avowal that they cannot afford classroom compositions that are manageable, all suggest the government is looking to pinch their pennies to limit the education costs.  That is a no-brainer.  They have their position and they are committed to it, but I suspect they know there would be limited public support if they had a frank and honest dialogue with the public over their endgame (I suspect privatization and teachers replaced by untrained staff).

I believe in sustainability and I think that if we can no longer afford public education in its' present form, then we should start to have public discourse on what needs to change.  (Read the about the government's position on the affordability of teacher's demands.)  Do we need to change our funding priorities, change our curriculum, charge a fee to parents, change the way we deliver education?  (To learn more about how educational funding is siphoned off read this article by +David Truss) These discussions need to be help publicly not behind closed doors in Victoria.

I think they need to acknowledge the teachers are doing the best they can with the resources available and admit that they are still entitled to be respected.  There is a lack of support for the needs of  the teaching profession that need to be addressed.  Why send your child to school all day to a teacher you rage against and disparage at home?  Teachers are a pivotal part of any child's journey.  Recent studies carried out in the United States show that there is a significant disparity between the salaries of teachers from the U.S. and teachers from countries where students are ranked by PISA as high-performing.  Canada and British Columbia possess one of these high-performing educational systems. Higher wages ensure that candidates for teacher training and positions are plentiful and that only the "best" candidates are chosen.  Countries with lower wages, such as the United States, have difficulty attracting effective candidates.  In many places, if ineffective and incompetent teachers were fired there would be no possibility of replacing them due to the low wages and difficult working conditions.  Strong candidates can find other work.  The morale of the story.......you get what you pay for.

I think the public feels free to criticize teachers because they believe the school system is the same as it was when they were working their way through it.  It isn't. It really, really isn't. Teachers work in an environment where their only audience is children.  I think parents should actively volunteer in their child's class.  Maybe Premiers and Education Ministers should too.

I think that the stress of doing the job, fundraising, defending, planning and fighting over resources is driving teachers away from the classroom.

I think that is sad.

Promoting inquiry in the Classroom - How Fast Are You?

Introducing students to inquiry activities is not always as easy as simply posing a question and stepping back to watch the magic.  With my students, there was a definite learning curve as they struggled to re-arrange their thinking.  This activity was the first to really engage the entire class.... and what was more exciting is the discussion they had with each other.  It only took the first group 30 minutes to identify what needed to be measured (distance and time), develop a strategy and figure out their speed.

Background Information

This activity is intended to be a student-centered, inquiry-based learning experience.  There are lessons available on using iMovie to determine speed.   The video camera will also show the time as it plays back.  Rather than direct students through the process, allow them to work collaboratively to develop solutions to these questions.

Lesson Support

Students may need help in identifying what needs to be measured (speed and distance) and could also be given access to other tools to help with distance measurement.  Trundle wheels might work here.  Multi Measured HD - The all-in-1 measuring toolkit is an app that allows the iPad to measure distance.  Students can record their findings and display them in video programs, graphs, spreadsheets or an annotation program to share their results with others.

Inquiry Questions

Can you use an iPad to figure out how fast you can run?
What are the fewest number of apps that you will need?
Why did you choose these apps?
What would be the best way to compare yourself to your friends?
Can you use this method to measure the speed of other objects?
Can you support your findings?

Curriculum Connections

This activity will promote problem solving, rates and ratios, measurement of speed and distance, data collection, graphing, using instruments, comparing, explaining and collaboration.

This lesson is one of 5 included in my iBook - 5 Inquiry Activities.  The iBook can be downloaded for free from iTunes.

What Attending the Apple Institute Has Taught Me About Engaging Educators

What Attending the Apple Institute Has Taught Me About Engaged Educators

It has been a few weeks since I returned from the North American ADE 2013 Institute in Austin, Texas, and it is about time for me to reflect on the entire, breath-taking experience.

Many of the ADEs have already posted their own thoughts.  One good example comes from Kyle Pearce who is a new ADE from Ontario, Canada.  He has shared both his application video and his reflections on attending his first institute.   The highlight for him (and others) was the opportunity to connect with other like-minded educators with a shared vision for teaching.  This theme runs through many other postings. Courtney Pepe, an ADE from New Jersey shared her Top 10 List and Kristi Meeuws, another new ADE from South Carolina, reflects on the shared experience.  Daniel Whitt and Beth Sanders from Youth Culture Converts captured the energy of many ADEs attending the conference. 

The Institute is a non-stop affair.   As Troy Bagwell writes - We Were on Fire.   In just four days, I attended many world-class sessions and had not only the best professional learning in my career but possible the best educational experience of my life.  The presenters ranged from those who are world-renowned (Bill Frakes, Rebecca Stockey and Nancy Duarte) to those enthusiastic experts such as Bea Cantor (download and read her book on macro photography).  There is no describing the energy and enthusiasm filling the room and every single educator there actively seeks out opportunities to learn, write, engage, network, debate, comfort and support a team of 400.  And they commit to creating content throughout their summer holidays.  It is amazing because it so rarely happens in other settings.  And that is what I have been pondering these last few weeks - what makes this group and this institute so unique?

First - The educators at these events are told they are valued - that what they are doing matters and is special and meaningful for students.  This is reinforced throughout the week - ADEs showcase their work and share their best moments. Given the current climate in British Columbia and other North American districts, teacher appreciation has become anything but the norm.  It is amazing how being accepted and acknowledged energized everyone in the room.

Second - The content offered is meaningful and world-class.  It is not dumbed-down and it goes beyond the basics.  If you need to catch up to what is happening after a session, there are people ready to help.  In Austin, impromptu sessions were held well into the evenings - run by "ordinary teachers" with something to share.  Do you want to know how an app works or have a question about lighting while taking photographs - there is someone standing beside you to help.

Third - There is a common goal.  It is unwritten but omnipresent - ADEs are aiming for an enriched, meaningful, interactive, high-level thinking educational experience for their students.  There is ongoing questioning of our own practice and it is OK to get help if you need it.  ADEs are goal-oriented and driven to create best practice.  This group consensus doesn't happen as often as it should in schools, and that is really too bad as that closed door mentality robs all teachers of opportunities for mentorship and team collaboration.

Fourth - Failure is celebrated.  Why?  Because someone took a risk, shared their ideas and everyone thought that was great. 

Fifth - ADEs make a commitment to create content - they read, they research, they document, they assess and they write it up and share it with others.  They are not passive and they do more than curate ideas. 

Sixth - ADEs blog.  They tweet.  They photograph.  They are artists and musicians.  They are life long learners and they are enthusiastic about what they do.  Their actions are public and I think that is a good thing when you consider that often the only people watching a teacher work are children.  ADEs know what they are doing is valuable and they want the world to know that they are actively working on finding the best path for students ALL THE TIME.

My One Best Thing - ADE North American Institute July 2013 

My One Best Thing - ADE North American Institute July 2013 

I am still trying to catch up with all the postings and preparation sent out by Apple and the ADEs attending the North American Institute in July.

So far ADES have had the opportunity to:

•  submit a 1 minute video of a student or colleague talking about their most meaningful ah-ha   moments
•  sign up for a 1 in 3 session - Apple will give you three minutes to talk about your practice while they video tape you
•  experience an ADE Institute iTunes course
•  sign up for a photo walk of Austin on Sunday the 14th prior to the start of the institute (signed up and ready to go)

AND....

submit a posting on your One Best Thing.

This One Best Thing is proving to be a real challenge for me for a couple of reasons.  Unlike the 1-in-3 session, this part of the process isn't voluntary and I have to be honest with myself - I am not really that good at self-promotion (I fear being seen as a braggart).  How do I take credit for things that are often collaborative?  The truth is that I do drive my own practice and often expect the rest of the school to accommodate me, but the real joy for me is working with a motivated team.  How do I narrow down what I am doing?  The things I do best have become intertwined into a single entity - it has been a long time since I looked at the various chunks and tried to rate them.

I am a generalist - a classroom teacher who has to be an expert in all subject areas.
As such, the challenges that face me, like many other teachers,  are many:  teaching curriculum, engaging students, working with at-risk boys, supporting my colleagues’ professional development, advocating for change at the school and district level, writing grant applications, begging and borrowing what resources I can to support my students, organizing whole school community events, creating and publishing lesson ideas and helping to support (hopefully) a change in the direction of the school. 


This past fall, I started work in a school where, in the past, not much attention has been paid to using technology to support learning.  There were no real resources.  Not much buy-in from staff, students and parents.  No real interest in inquiry.  But this is changing and there has been a significant shift in the direction the school has taken.  Think the influx of 70 iPads in the past few months for a start.  I am so excited for this change and so grateful that I have a chance to be a part of such a shift.


I have been struggling to narrow down my One Best Thing.  I think I have strengths (and weaknesses) in many areas - so how to decide.  Part of the challenge in deciding is the knowledge that this One Best Thing will be the basis of my project when I am in Austin.  I don't think I want to do project work on integrating technology into my classroom practice.  Although I think I am good at it, I have been doing this for years and I want to explore other topics I am not so experienced with. 


Currently, my passions are supporting other teachers as they try to change their practice AND creating a school-wide environment to support student learning.  So I will go with that.  My One Best Thing for the summer institute is.....supporting teacher engagement and change at the school level.  .....although I want to explore assessment options and expanding the learning community as well.

Recommended Sites - On-Line Resources that Work

"In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing, not running office automation tools."

---Nicholas Negroponte, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab 

One of the challenges for educators hoping to provide a 21st century learning experience for their students is to shift through the thousands of resources created for the educational market.  For me, the goal is to find free (or inexpensive) sites (or apps) that can create opportunities for my students to engage in inquiry learning with quality resources.  Here are some of my favourites.

 

 To Use with Your Students 

 

Kiva  

I have blogged about Kiva before.  Kiva is non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating poverty through micro-financing - loans are made in $25 amounts.  Their motto is Empowering people around the world with a $25 loan.  Students get to choose a loan recipient, investigate a country and its' social issues, look at loan repayment and finance...and help others globally.

Gizmos

Gizmos is an online website (created by Explore Learning) that has an extensive collection of math and science simulations that cover the required curriculum from Grade 3 and up.   It provides an opportunity for students to carry out simulations that my students could never replicate in class (due to lack of equipment and supplies).  I have recommended it before and I can attest to its' power in creating understanding and learning opportunities for students.

Smarter Science

Smarter Science is a great resource - its' resources include an open framework that teachers can use to support inquiry and investigation in the classroom, inquiry cards with specific lesson ideas, Science Fair resources and more.  It is well worth exploring,  (Read more about Getting Smarter About Science here.  Stephen Lippa, an educator from Ontario, has created resources that connect using Gizmos to the Smarter Science Framework and supports integrating the two programs.)

Discovery Education

Discovery Education is an incredible resource for the classroom.  There is an extensive and seemingly endless media library of content on any imaginable topic.  There are teacher resources, learning communities, assessment tools, virtual classrooms, account management and more.  As a resource for learning it is hard to beat the quality and volume of what is available.  The media content can be downloaded and streamed.  I have my students choose clips and do voice-overs to show what they have learned - think a travelogue for an extreme environment or another country.

Clean Air Achievers

This site has resources that can be used to teach students about the impact transportation has on the creation of greenhouse gases.  There are games and resources to support student learning including a trip tracker that allows students to measure the decrease in their contribution to the creation of greenhouse gases as they choose more environmentally friendly transportation methods.  If you are in Canada, you can arrange to have a champion visit - these are Olympic athletes who come to share experiences and make the connection between clean air and healthy outdoor activities.

Flipsnack

 I love this app/site.  You can upload a PDF file and convert it into a book with pages that flip - lots of options for appearances and it is free (if you want to embed or download then you need the premium account).  Check out this book I made.

 

HowStuffWorks  

This is another Discovery site and it basically explains everything.  Have a question?  Search for the answer here.  There are answers to questions, countdowns, quizzes, galleries, videos and games.  It a great resource for inquisitive students and a starting (and possibly ending) point for research.

Reflex Math

Reflex Math is another Explore Learning site and one of the best I have seen for promoting math fluency.  I have blogged about the impact it has had on my students as a whole and one at-risk student in particular.   The program assessed students and teaches fact families as they progress. In twelve weeks my Grade 6 and 7 students solved over 238,000 math facts and went from a 26% fluency rate to 93%.

Action Schools BC 

This site is designed to provide elementary and middle-school educators with resources and support to promote healthy living.  The physical activity and healthy eating programs are tied to the curriculum.  Any school in British Columbia can join.  Members get professional development, student leadership training, badges, posters, lesson resources and equipment.  The resources are available in a variety of languages and are available to anyone.

Khan Academy 

Not sure how to do the math? There's an site for that. Khan Academy has a wide range of videos that explain everything from adding to calculus. Students can watch, rewind and review.  This is a great resource for flipped classrooms, to support the learning of students away on short or extended absences and for use inremediation.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is an online site that allows you to search and explore original music and audio clips. There are a wide range of clips - my favourites are the sounds from space submitted by astronaut Chris Hadfield. Have your child download the sounds or audio clips and create backgrounds for movies, slideshows or add to media projects. A wonderful resource.

Storybird

Choose an image, create a story and publish the book. Storybird is an art-based storytelling platform that allows young writers of all ages to produce beautiful picture books that they can print or share on their devices.  Visually appealing as well.

National Geographic Kids

This is an amazing site full of videos, photos, games and other fun stuff created and delivered by National Geographic.  Homework help is even offered.  I grew up with National Geographic and I have never stopped appreciating the quality of what they offer.  This site is geared towards kids of all ages and there is a link to resources for little kids as well.  Highly recommended.

 

 To Support Teachers

•  Recommended Apps for Supporting 21st Century Literacy

•  Recommended Apps for Mathematical Thinking

•  Recommended Apps for Measurement in Math and Science

•  Essential Apps for Teachers

 
QR Code Generator

There are a lot of QR Code Generator sites and apps out there but I really like QRStuff.com.  It has 20 different data types you can choose from and allows you to create coloured QR codes or visual ones embedded in images.  Great resource for teachers interested in using these to increase students' engagement.

TeachThought

This is a great blog full of ideas, activities, research and recommendations for apps to use with the iPad.

21 Century Fluency Project

This site provides an explanation of the process in developing challenge-based learning experiences, an explanation of what a 21st century learning environment is and provides insight into what best practice in terms of integration is. Scholarly but well worth a read.  The site also has resources, books and a free unit plan creator app. 

Apple in Education Resources

A collection of video tutorials, classroom guides, and web pages for educators.

 

....and check back regularly for updates

 

On My Way to Austin - The First Steps - ADE North American Institute July 2013 

On My Way to Austin -  The First Steps - ADE North American Institute 

July 2013 

In February of 2008 I was welcomed into the Apple Distinguished Educator Family.  Off to Quebec I went and had what was certainly the best Professional Development Experience of my life. Sessions with a Pulitzer Prize Winning photographer, a photo hunt in a blizzard, my first bobsled run and a chance to meet and work with some amazing Canadian educators.....yes Shelagh, Kevin, Colin, Dean and Mott, I mean you.

Fast forward to July 2013 and I am headed for Austin, Texas for a North American ADE Institute.  ADEs from Canada, the United States and Mexico will be there.  Many people ask what it means to be an ADE and the explanation I give is always simplistic and lacking detail since you kind of have to be there.  So, I am going to try to document the process and share the excitement.  (Mom, this is for you.)

First step was the invitation to apply.  Attendance at the Institute is not a given.  For me, the application process included updating my monthly journals (where I document my activities as an authour, advocate and ambassador), creating a video of what is happening with my students and filling out an online application.  The application was due by January 1st and then I waited until the end of February to find out who the new ADEs Class of 2013 were and whether I was accepted to go - and I was!!!

The next step was filling out the forms for hotel and ground transportation, indicate what potential workshops I was interested in attending or facilitating, complete an ethics compliance form and get approved by my District Superintendent. 

Then the planning emails started to arrive.  A teaser video from Maxx Judd, Worldwide ADE Program Manager for Apple sets out the shape of the week.  There will be a session with another Pulitzer Prize Winning photographer, share-out sessions with noted experts in the field, chances to create content with support from an amazing group of experts in the field and opportunities to network with some amazing people.  An online collaborative space was set up to facilitate planning and discussion.  The ADEs have been encouraged to post and contribute to various forums and project pages.  We have also been invited to sign up to contribute and share our story of transformational learning.  And since this is Apple, the organizers have created a iTunes U course to guide us through our week.

My goal for the next few weeks?  I have been out of school for only two days and I am behind in my Basecamp postings and contributions - I need to catch up (and I will).  ADE enthusiasm is always contagious.

Keep Your Child's Reading Skills Sharp Over the Summer

Keep Your Child's Reading Skills Sharp Over the Summer

Children's reading skills tend to slip over the summer without some support from parents.  Like the public libraries in many communities. (check to see) the Surrey Public Library is offering a summer reading program that will help your child retain their reading levels.  All students from Kindergarten to Grade 7 would benefit from this program.  Click this link to go to the Surrey Public Library's Information Site.  There are also enrichment reading programs run throughout the summer.

For ways to support your child's reading during the summer, click on these links for some tips from the library.  These documents come in a variety of languages such as English, Punjabi and Spanish.

Another great resource for parents can be found at the TeachThough Site.  They have a list of 12 Resources & 13 Ideas To Slow Summer Reading Loss that I would highly recommend. 

Students at Creekside have been using Tumblebooks and they can access the site at home.  Click here to visit the login in page.  The user name and password are both sd36bc.

And....here is a collection of apps you can use to promote your child's 21st century literacy skills and creativity.   These 21st century literacy skills are essential to develop if children are to be successful in our technology rich society.

Andrew Solomon: Love, no matter what (TEDMED Video)

This is an incredibly moving and insightful talk about loving exceptional people.

Apps Parents Can Use to Promote 21st Century Literacy

The concept of what an educated child is has changed since we were in school and I know many parents struggle with how to support their child in this new age of educational technology.  These apps can help your child develop their creativity and 21st Century literacy skills.  I highly recommend them as an alternative to the worksheets and workbooks available to parents as homework or learning helpers.

....and check back regularly for updates

Getting Smarter About Science - Inquiry-Based Science Curriculum

Getting Smarter About Science - Inquiry-Based Science Curriculum

Smarter Science is a framework for instruction and learning and has been designed to create and support the process of scientific discovery and exploration in the classroom.  It is a fantastic resource for classroom teachers and science specialists and beats anything I had learned about teaching the subject during teacher training (or in any workshops or Pro-D since).

The framework has many options and levels, and can be used from K to 12.  Students can control or substitute variables to create their own experiments, which allows them to explore questions arising from previous learning. Using this framework brought meaning to what I routinely try to teach. Clearly, I emerged from high school and university science courses without any deep understanding of the processes of science or the richness of the whole experience of scientific discovery. Thankfully, it is never too late to learn. 

The Smarter Science website has a number of resources.  In particular, I found the Steps to Inquiry, the PEOE (Predict, Explain, Observe, Explain) Steps and the Inquiry Cards to be a valuable tool (and now an essential one) in my classroom.   Not sure what the framework is or how to use it?  They have their own YouTube Channel to offer support  And there is a Question Matrix to help guide students towards deeper, critical thinking type questions.

Inquiries I have carried out include Energy Balls, Rice Rabbits, UV Beads and the very popular Instant Snow. Student reaction?  An actual thank you from a 13 year old boy for a Science lesson. There are some Professional Development Opportunities being offered in the summer that would be worthwhile for anyone teaching Science. 

Exploring, Inquiring, Sharing, Communicating....5 Activities for Inquiry

"In fact, one of the saddest but most common conditions in elementary school computer labs (when they exist in the developing world), is the children are being trained to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  I consider that criminal, because children should be making things, communicating, exploring, sharing,not running office automation tools."

---Nicholas Negroponte, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab 

5 Inquiry Activities

click on the link to download this book from iBooks

Use inquiry to determine your running speed.....explore non-Newtonian substances....find photos that demonstrate mathematical concepts.....These are some of the 5 lesson card activities included in this package.  Resources are also included.

These activities could be tweaked and used with students of all ages.  Explain Everything can be used with any subject area or grade level - think Kindergarten students explaining their patterns with a picture, audio or diagrams.  Use the wide variety of iPad apps to challenge students to answer a challenge question or use QR code generators to create a photo hunt suitable to all grade levels.  I can attest that my students loved all these experiences. 

Updates include QR codes to support the Photo Hunt and a resource list for teachers.
 

 (This collection includes three previously published activities....I have decided to publish in 5 activity chunks and am calling this Volume 1).

Kiva Clubs - The Path to Global Awareness and Citizenship

The Creekside Kiva Club

A few months ago, I had the very great pleasure to spend a few hours listening to Bill Ferriter (the Tempered Radical) share his experiences with using Kiva as an instructional tool for his classroom.  Kiva is non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating poverty through microfinancing - loans are made in $25 amounts.  Their motto is Empowering people around the world with a $25 loan.  As students research loan recipients, they investigate social and global issues such as poverty and third world countries,  geography, financing, loan repayments and make informed choices about who to lend their money to.  The activities tie into the Global Citizen learning objectives and are cross-curricular - Social Studies, Math (look at financing, loan repayments, percentages, probability), Language Arts (reports, persuasive writing)  and Fine Arts (advertise your club through a media project).  Bill is justifiably very proud of the work done by his Salem Kiva Club and has documented and shared their work.  It is worth exploring the resources he has posted - they include a loan rubric, student videos and mini lessons.  Using his ideas means students participate in meaningful, inquiry-based learning.  I can attest that this was one of the most effective Social Studies units I have taught.

My students initially chose to make a loan to Merlinda, Adelyn, Linda Carolina and Julius.  As the loans have been repaid, they were able to help choose another recipient and helped Alfredo buy supplies for his farm. 

I know from tweets I have read off the #sd36learn hash tag, that many teachers in my district have been inspired by his work.  If you want to support Kiva and the Creekside Kiva Club or get more information on the Kiva organization visit their site.  And tell them that the Creekside Kiva Club invited you.

A Collection of Math Apps to Promote Mathematical Thinking

I decided to create this collection after watching teachers have their students repeatedly use the iPad to play checkers during their limited time with the devices.  While I have nothing against checkers, this does turn the iPad into a $375 checkerboard.  Using the iPad to replicate activities that can be done without it may not be best practice, especially when you consider the limited access to devices such as these by many students.  This collection has apps for mathematical thinking and reasoning and some for project creation.  There are very few game-based learning apps as they often focus on specific skill fluency rather than deeper learning.   I have added some notes about each app that can be viewed in the list mode.

....and check back regularly for updates

Effective Use of iPads in the Classroom

There are many reasons to use iPads in the classroom - besides the fact that they are super cool.  Studies have shown that using iPads can increase student engagement and test scores.  These studies also show that there are both three approaches to integration - teacher to student, student to student and student groupwork - and three types of apps - interactive, reference and productivity/creativity.

• Interactive apps require user engagement, but do not create new materials. Examples: Angry Birds, Hotel Tycoon, GraphingCalcHD, MayanMath
• Reference apps provide a wealth of information - just like the reference section of a library. Examples: Bible, NutritionFacts
• Productivity/Creativity apps allow users to create or produce something. Examples: Keynote, Pages, Numbers, drawing and painting apps, music creation, movie editing

What does not work as effective practice is interactive apps being used in a teacher to student learning environment.  A device to student learning environment is perhaps best suited to situations where drill and skill approaches are needed to promote mastery of subject matter - eg. review and homework assignments.  (Think of it as the difference from practicing a musical instrument and creating original music.)

Below are some resources for getting started.

My Curated App Collections

•  This is the access page to my six app collections.  They include:

• Math Apps for Parents
• Essential Apps for Parents
• Literacy Apps for Parents
• Measurement Apps to Use in Math & Science
• Apps to Promote Creativity
• Apps to Promote Mathematical Thinking

Apple's Challenge-Based Learning Site
•  This site provides an explanation of the process in developing challenge-based learning experiences, an explanation of what a 21st century learning environment is and provides insight into what best practice in terms of integration is.  Scholarly but well worth a read.

iPad Effective Use in the Classroom
•  Research into the effective use of integration in the classroom.

Apple in Education Resources
•  A collection of video tutorials, classroom guides, and web pages for educators.

Appitic
•  This is a directory of apps for education that have been recommended and tested by Apple Distinguished Educators

Apple in Education Apps
•  Educational apps organized by subject area

iPads in Education
•  A list of educational apps sorted by subject area

teachwithyouripad
•  Activities for use with the iPad.

A Math Apps Collection for Parents

Developing mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills is not something that can be taught through the popular workbooks parents often use with their children. When parents ask me for extra homework, I always try to encourage them to look for learning opportunities away from worksheets and drills. Try these apps with your children and support their numeracy skills.

 ....and check back regularly for updates 

Apps to Use For Measurement in Science and Math

As a Grade 6/7 teacher, I face numerous challenges when it comes to teaching Math and Science.  One of the biggest is the lack of any kinds of tools, manipulatives or equipment that I can use to support my students' learning.  While I don't advocate the complete replacement of hands-on materials with iPad apps, I must admit these measurement tools beat looking at pictures in a textbook.  Having the tools means students can carry out investigations, collect data and compare results.  Inquiry activities become possible.  Students participate in real world activities and meaningful learning.   Real learning takes place. 

....and check back regularly for updates

Do It For the Kids

Over the last few years I have heard teachers and stakeholders in the educational system state repeatedly state that despite criticism, despite opposing viewpoints, despite cutbacks, despite politics and despite evidence to the contrary, they are doing it for the kids. 

What are we in fact doing for them?  Are we updating our pedagogy?  Are we acknowledging that students no longer need the same educational experiences that we ourselves had?  Have we replaced out-of-date resources?  Have we ensured that we are nurturing 21st century learners - learners who use technology to create content and develop their critical thinking skills?

The BCTF and the provincial government have gone back and forth over the need to reinstate the specialist teaching positions lost in the past decade. I would argue that simply refilling those positions is not enough.  We need to look at what programs are working in what districts and direct resources to try and replicate those successes where there is need.  It is not enough to declare that students should bring their own device to school, when infrastructure is not consistently in place that can support it.  And we need tech facilitators (IML specialists) in schools.....educators who can support both teachers and students as the curriculum shifts to inquiry based learning and tech supported learning.

It concerns me that the decision makers are political creatures. They may have students' best interests at heart but they are also politically minded and ambitious. Teachers are the stake-holders who are most supported and most reviled in this process and part of the problem is that most of what we do is seen only by children. 

Private schools such as York House and St. George's get this. They support teachers with equipment, facilitators and infrastructure. This is what makes private schools so desirable to parents and such an enriched experience for their students. Teachers at these schools blog, tweet and email. They communicate. They make their programs transparent and are supported in this process. Parents are involved. Alumni fundraise and mentor their successors.  They are a learning community.

If we really are doing this for the kids, all the stakeholders in the education community need to do the same. Parents, politicians, teachers, alumni, district staff all need to take a good look at the system and shift it towards something that can work at least until the 23rd century.

3 iPad activities for Students

I love working with students and creating lessons that challenge their thinking.  These three iPad activities for students are classroom tested and will engage your students.  They have been updated with QR Codes for a Primary Math Photo Hunt and Resources for the Effective Use of the iPad.  These activities could be tweaked and used with students of all ages.  Explain Everything can be used with any subject area or grade level - think Kindergarten students explaining their patterns with a picture, audio or diagrams.  Use the wide variety of iPad apps to challenge students to answer a challenge question or use QR code generators to create a photo hunt suitable to all grade levels.  I can attest that my students loved all these experiences.

I have added some information about, and links to, apps that can support mathematical and scientific measurement.  They could be used as tools for these activities or as extension activities.