I'm on day 5 as a Born-Again Teacher. To say that my head is spinning would not do justice to the way my thoughts are processing, however I must say I'm feeling much better about everything today. I'm convinced that support from others is the key to staying sane!
My former team not only sent me on my way with a lovely goodbye party at the most quaint places in all of Lake Worth (along with the most useful gift certificate of all time for a Born Again Teacher - can you guess?) came to my rescue and totally pimped out my room with the technology I'll need and (perhaps best of all) organizing the labyrinth of wires that encompassed the front quarter of my new room. I may be "techy" but one thing my new family should probably know about me right away is that I don't/can't do wires or hardware (much to the chagrin of my former team).
My 16 year old son came to help me every day with cleaning, organizing and helping to input student names into databases to get me ready to Rock-n-Roll on the first day. What a kid! Home from college for the weekend, My 19 year old son and his girlfriend will be there with me tomorrow where they'll take pictures of each student as they come in. Tomorrow is the day before school begins, but students and parents come in to "Meet and Greet" the teachers and I want a photo of each student while they hold a name card under their face (like a mugshot). I don't know; bulletin board? seating chart? thoughts on this?
My new team has been very welcoming with offers of their valuable time, materials and their warmest sentiments. I already think they're wonderful and I hope soon, I'll be able to give back to them as much as they've given to me.
My new administration is not really new. The principal, Pat, and I go back 25 years when we taught together at my first school, Coral Sunset, that was also brand-spanking new. We've kept in touch over the years as have many of us from that original at Coral Sunset. Sometimes life hands you an amazing group of friends that stick with you for life and even though you may not see them very often, you'll find each other in that special place in each other's hearts.
Parents of former students have already contacted me with offers to volunteer. Rumor has it (and I know it's true because I taught at this school before) that the community here is extremely supportive. I know I won't have any trouble finding volunteers to help out as needed.
Of course my online Personal Learning Network where I've received oodles of ideas and recommendations for where to go for grants and I've even received messages from companies about easy applications to fill out where you can win money for your classroom. NACD is already sending my science materials for our labs.
So, as I meet my students and jump into our first week I can tell you I'm very excited. I've got some great activities planned for my students and I've already planned the first homework assignment which is based on our class blog. I want to give my students and their parents some gentle exposure to the blog and the world of blogging. Take a peek and please share your thoughts.
I stumbled across Cathy Davidson's blogpost, How To Crowdsource Grading, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about the method of grading she is about to try. You need to read the entire post but I'll summarize just a bit here. Cathy is seeking a more authentic method for grading her Duke University students.
Cathy says, "I can't think of a more meaningless, superficial, cynical way to evaluage learning in a class on a new modes of digital thinking (including rethinking evaluation) than by assigning a grade. It turns learning (which should be a deep pleasure, setting up for a lifetime of curiousity) into a crass competition."
She goes on to say that currently the goal for most students becomes to figure out what's the least amount of work they can do to get the best grade. She's convinced (and I don't think any educator would argue with this one) that most of the students are not taking personal pride or ownership in their work and will simply do the bare minimum that will earn the best grade. She is, therefore, turning the grading over to her students; thus crowdsourcing the grading of her course. She stresses that it is class peers that must deem each others' work satisfactory in order to receive grades:
"Since I already have structured my seminar (it worked brilliantly last year) so that two students lead us in every class, they can now also read all the class blogs (as they used to) and pass judgment on whether they are satisfactory. Thumbs up, thumbs down. If not, any student who wishes can revise. If you revise, you get the credit. End of story."
Now, let me first say that her course, This is Your Brain on the Internet, sounds fabulous. She has the students blogging, using wikis, Twittering, etc. and she offers options for those who feel they lack in "tech skills."
My problem is simply in one area. That is in her completely turning over the evaluation process to her students. Isn't it expected that her students are still learning and that she is the ultimate "expert" in her classroom? I'm all for students evaluating and offering collaborative critiques, but doesn't she have a responsibility to oversee that final decision on whether a student has satisfactorily mastered the criteria?
I'm pretty sure we're ALL fed up with the system as it is and the way students must be evaluated but is the answer to throw up your hands and pass it off to those who are still figuring it all out?
One of my BLC09 presentations was on using VoiceThread. Although so many in the online and blogging community know about VoiceThread, it's so easy to forget that it has yet to go mainstream and so there are still SO many educators who still don't know what VoiceThread is. I'd have to say that the participants at the Building Learning Communities 2009 Conference were far ahead of the curve than most, and it was a real pleasure to engage with those who were present in my VT session.
Where do you fit in? If you'll humor me on the following generalizations, I'm starting to see how educators, who see potential in integrating VoiceThread into their lessons, can fit into certain VoiceThread categories:
There's the newbie. Never heard of VoiceThread and just stumbled on your session because your description sounded interested or someone else recommended it.
The Emergent VoiceThreader has heard of VT and has seen others' and might have even commented on someone else's VT. This person wants to know how to replicate what he/she's already seen.
The VT Dabbler has created threads and loves using it, sees the potential, but is confused about how to use it with students and/or how it really differs from other online publishing services.
The VT Hero understands that it is not just another publishing platform such as PowerPoint. The VT Hero is creates teacher threads and engages students in many opportunities for valuable conversation. The VT Hero most likely uses his/her own account, with multiple identities, to have students comment. This works well for the VT Hero and students.
VT Evangelist is passionate about using VT and helping others learn as well. The Evangelist "gets it" and creates and engages others in creating threads and may even create collaborative wiki's and Nings in an effort to share educator resources and/or conduct workshops or presentations at conferences. The Evangelist probably knows everything there is to know about VT but may still not be totally as comfortable with all of the sharing options/managing students as the PowerUser.
The VoiceThread PowerUser may or may not also be a VT Evangelist but definitely has mastered groups and sharing. Students and teacher create threads and teacher knows how to manage student-sharing by using groups and advanced sharing and publishing options. By using the extensive sharing options and communicating the purpose and results of each, the PowerUser understands how to meet the needs of the nervous parent or administrator while not losing a beat of instructional bang!
Are there other categories that I haven't thought of? In which category do you fall?
How would you use a free classroom subscription? For my BLC09 session, VoiceThead CoFounders, Ben Papell and Steve Muth, generously allowed me to give away a $60.00 classroom account. How great that would have been, if only I did it! The reason I didn't was because I forgot!!! So, not to let something so valuable go to waste, I'm going to offer it to you here. if you are interested and would make good use of it, I propose the following:
Create your own blogpost where you explain how you would use your new classroom account (if you won). Consider addressing the following - just some ideas here: What is your comfort level with VT and why do you need student accounts? If you've been using VT with your students, how have you been using it and how will your students' experiences be different with a classroom account? What are some of your instructional big ideas and how can VoiceThread fit in? Do you have a specific lesson in mind to get your class started?
In your blogpost, link back to this post.
Come back here after you've published your post, and leave a comment letting me/us know that you've blogged and want the classroom account. Be sure to leave the URL to your post and a way to contact you.
Complete this by August 31, 2009.
After August 31, I will create a new blogpost linking back to all of your submissions and announcing the winner. I'm sorry I can't give you an exact date; I'll try to get to it quickly. The last time I asked for contributions where I promised to blog back the submissions, I was pleasantly surprised at how many responses I got. The huge number of responses, of course, took longer for me to compile.
This past week, I had the good fortune of attending and presenting at The November LearningBuilding Learning Communities Conference - BLC09 - in Boston, MA. I must say that the conference was the richest and warmest educational conference I’ve ever attended. The collective vision of the attendees and the presenters was incredibly focused. Unlike many conferences, you couldn’t tell the attendees from the presenters. As a matter of fact, I had quite a few conversations with people who impressed me so with some of the things they were doing in their classrooms/schools/districts. I was quite surprised that they were not presenting. There is only so much real estate for scheduled presentations, so Alan November strategically provided plenty of opportunities for those other equally valuable learning experiences to take place. Those took the form of included breakfast, lunch and evening socials. Additionally, the choice of venues was brilliant because there was a cozy lobby and comfy chairs and sofas spread out which lended themselves to the enriching conversations that were taking place.
Because I was presenting and planning my sessions (it doesn’t matter how much time you spend planning beforehand. We were all up late re-working our presentations ~ my presentations were "done" 6 times), I did not get to attend as many sessions as I would have liked. I took something away from each of those I did attend as well as from my own. I will blog further about my own Lessons Learned.
One thing I would like to note is the opportunity I had to sit in on a planning session that Alan held with one particular group; an option for groups that attended. Paula White and Becky Fisher graciously invited me join them. BTW; I enjoyed hanging with Paula and Becky. Besides being the sweet, giving ladies they are, Paula is also the gifted resource teacher at her school and I know I will get to pick her brain a bit in my new job. It was during that conversation that I tapped into the (might I say, brilliant?) mindset of Alan November. What specifically stuck with me was how to be strategic about getting the most out of a conference. He listened carefully to what were their goals and noted some specific sessions that he thought would meet their particular needs. He also suggested they break up into groups based on desired outcome. They would then attend every session on that topic. Of course, they would then come back together and share their knowledge. His knowledge of the presenters, their experiences and their styles, along with his experience with the topics had to have been extremely helpful to the group. I was impressed with how well he knew each and every presenter. (I suppose that should be expected when presenters must be invited to present with no application process.) He emphasized this strategy of “pick a topic and focus on that one throughout the conference,” even for those attending solo. I had never considered that approach. I tend to try to diversify and thus end up with too much to process.
I’d also like to shout out to David Jakes who took a chunk of time to teach me about Google Earth, when my silly little brain didn’t quite get it from a Practioner’s Strand I had attended earlier that day. Like all good teachers, David started with the question, “What do you want to do with it?” If you haven’t seen David’s Google Earth website, you must check it out. You may never have to search for another resource again.
Having dinner and spending time with Joyce and Emily Valenza was a gift. Joyce made me think about what my presenter "voice" truly is. I'd never considered that I present a different side to myself when presenting, but I've been mulling this over since our conversation.
Darren Kuropatwa is an incredibly nice guy and knows the "Canadians-who-visit-friends-in-U.S.-Must-Bring-Ketchup-Chips" drill. See? He's very smart! Darren also impressed me with the particular type of activities he does with his students using Wikis. He's inspired me to try the same with my upcoming students.
Bob Sprankle is such a gentle, nice, creative and smart gentleman. Bob sat in on one of my sessions and podcasted it. Being a nervous presenter, it was comforting to have Bob sitting right in front of me with his warm smile. A little aside; The night before, Bob and someone-else-who-shall-not-be-named, were exchanging contacts by bumping their iPhones. When (I have to say, I saw it coming) his iPhone ended up in a drink. Everyone had a panicked moment, but it all turned out well in the end. I’m sure he can laugh about it now. Speaking of which;
Lisa Thumann and Liz Davis are so fun, knowledgeable and organized a ROCKIN’ EduBloggerCon. The NECC09 EduBloggerCon was my first, so I was so looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. They are perfect additions to organized conferences.
Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged when teachers have no choice but to “Teach, Test and Hope for the Best.” If there’s anyone who can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel; it’s Angela Maiers. She just oozes positive energy. I want to be Angela when I grow up.
As I was sharing with Tony Parkin that I was heading over to my room to revise my presentation once again, he offered (in his delightful British accent), if you must keep changing it, cut stuff out. Don’t over plan. Know your time limit and slow down. Your participants will appreciate it. Thanks, Tony. Good advice. I “tried” to remember to slow down.
If you missed attending, I encourage you to check out the Twitter search for BLC09 so that you can catch up and continue to learn from the ongoing conversation. You'll also learn about some great educators to follow on Twitter. Additionally, you will find links to many of the presenters resources on that Twitter search and on Slideshare.
Kudos to the November Learning team for putting on such a bang-up conference and making us all feel so valued as professionals.
the way my thoughts are processing, however I must say I'm feeling much better about everything today. I'm convinced that support from others is the key to staying sane!
ay be "techy" but one thing my new family should probably know about me right away is that I don't/can't do wires or hardware (much to the chagrin of my former team).
Rock-n-Roll on the first day. What a kid! Home from college for the weekend, My 19 year old son and his girlfriend will be there with me tomorrow where they'll take pictures of each student as they come in. Tomorrow is the day before school begins, but students and parents come in to "Meet and Greet" the teachers and I want a photo of each student while they hold a name card under their face (like a mugshot). I don't know; bulletin board? seating chart? thoughts on this?
