How does personality relates to inquiry-based teaching?

I just read on a blog called MindShift (KQED.org, Public Media for Northern CA) an article by Thom Markham about the fact that a teacher must have certain personality characteristics in order to be a successful inquiry-based teacher.  He states that "If an inquiry-based system is to succeed, we’ll need human beings in the classroom who know their field, but who also radiate the kind of positive, non-judgmental love that helps students open their minds and hearts."  How refreshing to hear that it does matter how students relate and respond to their teachers!  No matter what curriculum a teacher is asked to teach, it's a "caring relationship that helps children flourish."  He goes on to further list questions that each teacher should ask themselves:  "Are you optimistic?  Are you open?  Are you appreciative?  Are you flexible?  Are you purposeful?"  I think this article is one that every educator should read and evaluate themselves.  I think we all already knew the importance of our relationship with our students, but it's nice to hear how much it really matters in order for deeper learning to take place.

Markham, Thom. Do You Have the Personality to be an Inquiry-based Teacher? Mindshift Blog. kqed.org. Posted 21 Nov 2013.

The Social Web: Learning Together

I feel a bit overwhelmed after reading Will Richardson's Chapter 6 in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.  I found his review of Twitter, Diigo, and Delicious to be very interesting and informative, but can't help but feel the one can spread themselves too thin in the use of so many Web2.0 tools.  For myself personally, I like having a blog that is connected to a few select RSS feeds that I can read right from my blog's homepage.  I bookmark my favorite websites on the bookmark bar of my web browser, and others in their respective folders within "My Favorites".  I use Facebook and Instagram to remain connected to friends and family, but have not created a Twitter account to follow other educators or connect with the parents of my students.  I have 4 e-mail accounts to keep track of for work, college, junk mail and bills, and a personal account for a select few people in my life.  That is really about all I can manage.  I find that sites like Feedly and Delicious are easy to use and wonderful in concept, but yet have no time to really use them effectively.  I guess we each have to decide which web2.0 tools works for us individually, and not get overwhelmed by all the choices.


Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.  Corwin, 2010. 

Better Listeners and Speakers

I believe that students today do have a harder time carrying on a conversation with others, due to so much of their communication taking place through text, tweets, Facebook, or even through online games and chats.  I find that they are awkward when placed in small groups in person to have discussions about their writing or topic being studied.  I was happy to find out that I am on the right track to promoting better communicators, according to an article that I read on Edutopia today. The article, Teaching Your Students How to Have a Conversation by Dr. Allen Medler, shared 8 ways to encourage good listening and speaking.  In my class, I am currently encouraging "Turn-Taking", by passing a small stuffed animal to whoever will be doing the talking while the others practice listening.  I also try to "model a good conversation" and encourage visual cues by using "SLANT" in my classroom.  SLANT stands for Sit up, Listen, Ask Questions, Nod to show interest, and Track the speaker with your eyes.  I am going to add Medler's "Put thinking ahead of knowing" next, which is the practice of having "students wonder out loud or speculate about a response by having them say 'I'm not sure about that, but I think_____'".  This is a much better skill to cultivate, rather than the "I don't know" response some students give because they fear being wrong.  I encourage all my fellow educators to read this article and evaluate themselves on how they are cultivating better listeners and speakers in their classrooms.

Medler, Dr. Allen. Teaching Your Students How to Have a Conversation.  Edutopia. Online Article.  5 Nov 2013.  

Math@Work

As teachers, we continually try to make connections for students on how their learning translates into a real-life situation.  Which brings me to a new article I read today, Math@Work - Discover Math Where You Might Not Expect It.  Richard Byrne wrote this article on his blog called Free Technology for Teachers.  He shares that there is a new video series out by Scholastic called Math@Work that shares how math is used in the fashion design industry.  Bryne states that while not every student is going to have an interest in fashion design, it could spark an interest in students to find other careers that involve some type of math skills.  I think this is a great way to show the relevancy of why we learn math, and how it can found in careers that we might not realize.  It would be so neat to showcase a math-related career either weekly (too ambitious?) or at least monthly (more manageable to start).


Here's a sneak peak:

Math@Work Web Series: A Sneak Peek from Tim Gunn. YouTube.  Uploaded on 5 Nov 2013.

Click on this link to view the Premiere Episode of  Math@Work.

How many Twitter accounts do you have?

Jeff Dunn, in his article How and Why Teachers Should Have Multiple Twitter Accounts, suggeststhat as an educator you should have 3 different Twitter accounts.  This article on the Edudemic.com explains that by utilizing more than one Twitter account allows others to follow you more specifically with a purpose.  The following chart was created by @iPadWells on iPad4schools.org.  I do not have a Twitter account myself but, after reading this article and reviewing the chart below, I think it might be about time to network in more technological way...that's not Facebook.  I think it would be so neat to have a Twitter account for my class, in which parents could subscribe in order to follow what's happening in the classroom daily or weekly.  I think this will have to be a New Years Resolution for myself as an educator.  What about you?  Are you on Twitter with your class?

Click for a larger view

Dunn, Jeff. How and Why Teachers Should Have Multiple Twitter Accounts.  Edudemic.com.  Website.  Posted on 11 Nov 2013.  Retrieved on 24 Nov 2013.

Independent Thinking in the Classroom

As a 5th grade teacher, I am somewhat frustrated with the lack of independent thinking on behalf of my students.  Some students can't even understand how to complete a worksheet without me actually reading the directions to them.  I try to remind them that when they are taking the MEAP, I am unable to help them with problems and that they need to learn to think for themselves.  Which is why this article on Edutopia caught my attention: 3 Strategies to Promote Independent Thinking in the Classroom by Margaret Regan.

Regan began by saying that children "are happiest when absorbed in complex activities...by focusing on tasks and outcomes that stretch their skills, these young people are more likely to grow into contented adults."  Really?  It seems the more complex the activity, the more complaints I get from students.  Hmm?  I began reading further into the article.

The 3 strategies Regan listed to cultivate improved focus are:
1. "Sequencing instruction" - so that students find information more intriguing, which then promotes self-discovery.
2. "Recovery from mistakes" - take time for students to learn from past mistakes in a way that makes it okay to make mistakes in the first place.
3. "Setting Goals" - have a "big question" of the week that promotes increased engagement.

While I agree with her ideas, I still can't help but feel that students have to willing and motivated be engaged in a more self-discovery, learning from mistakes, and engaged with the big idea of the week.  I feel that a handful of students would be willing, but the rest would repeat the same daily lack of motivation I see already.  Am I wrong to think this?  Maybe it's just the class I have this year?  Maybe I just implement these strategies and hope the others are captivated by what they see the others doing.  It bears more thinking and planning on my part, for sure.

Regan, Margaret. 3 Stategies to Promote Independent Thinking in Classrooms.  Edutopia.  Online Article.  Posted 22 Nov 2013.  Retrieved 24 Nov 2013.

Collaborative Student-Led Learning

I read an article recently on Edutopia called Boss Level: Collaborative Student-Led Learning at Quest to Learn by Rachelle Vallon.  I am so intrigued by the idea of turning over learning to the students and see what kind of progress they can make together.  In her article, Vallon explains what Boss Level is:

"Boss Level is an informal creative learning structure where students create and execute a complex project that requires them to apply the knowledge they have gained over a trimester. They incorporate skills and concepts related to Common Core, SEL and 21st Century Skills areas, which creates opportunities for teachers to assess some otherwise difficult-to-assess skills. For two weeks at the end of every trimester, normal classes are suspended while the whole school participates in the Boss Level design challenge, and students effectively become experts, teachers and learners in a complex problem-solving space."  (Vallon, Nov 2013)

What an exciting opportunity to be a part of, not only as a teacher but as a student too.  I feel like sometimes we, as educators, get stuck in our "old ways" and teach traditionally, when maybe it is time that we turn the focus on projects based learning and student-taught outcomes through trial and error.  I seriously would love to have my students collect all sorts of materials at home, bring them to school, and take a day of two to develop a Rube Goldberg type project...just to see what they could do with it.  They really might surprise me!

For more information, check our Rube Goldberg and Quest to Learn.

Vallon, Rachelle.  Boss Level: Collaborative Student-Led Learning at Quest to Learn. Edutopia. Online Article. November 12, 2013.  Retrieved on 19 Nov 2013.

American Schooling

It was very interesting to read in Allan Collins and Richard Halverson's book, Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology about the evolution of schools throughout history and the ramifications that today's technology is placing on education (Chapter 4).  Collins and Halverson stated that "By the 21st century, we have seen great technological and social changes that have yet to be reflected in the schools." (p.62)  I personally feel that most schools are so financially tight with money due to continuous state budget cuts, which as a result has hindered progress in the advancement of technology in its schools.  My classroom has 2 computers for student use, as well as access to a laptop cart that comes with many broken or difficult set-up procedures that lessens the ease of using them in class.  The computer lab is used only for Specials rotations, where each class in the building will have one quarter designated to the use of the lab with another teacher.  I also find that with the focus on planning with your grade level team, the structure of instructional time is not conducive to implementing independent, project-based learning using technology resources to learn.  I wish I felt more free to break away from the "team" and set-up instructional time differently, and put the responsibility of learning more in the hands of the students.  I have huge expectations, especially since I just started this 5th grade teaching position on October 8th!  You would think that since I am the oldest member of my team (I'm 46, they are 28 and 31) that I would be the one resisting change and they would be the ones pushing for technology integration.  I'm hoping that after I have had a chance to experience a full year of "new to me" curriculum, that over the summer I will be able to plan for more technology integration for next year.

I do believe that educators with have to adapt to changes in the way we teach, and very soon.  I believe that schools need to find a way to provide the updated technology resources needed, and the training for educators to successfully use it.  I also think that the focus on Common Core is superseding all other priorities at the moment. We are not truly preparing our students to meet future expectations in the workplace, in my opinion.

Collins, Alan & Halverson, Richard. Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology: The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America. Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2009.

Chapter 4&7: Wikis and Fun with Flickr

When reading Chapter 4 of Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I learned something brand new about wikis.  I learned that the word wiki comes form the Hawaiian wiki-wiki, meaning "quick" (Richardson, p.55).  I have used Wikispaces and Wikipedia, but did not know the origin of the word until now.  A wiki provides a group of people access to contribute, collaborate, and edit work together in an easy to use format.  In the future, I would love to incorporate the use of a class wiki with my 5th grade students.  I think the experience of working collaboratively within an online environment is a skill that every student could benefit from.  The ideas listed in this chapter on how to use a wiki in the classroom are numerous; such as students can write commentaries or summaries of books read in class, podcast's can be posted, discussions can take place, or students can document learning experiences for parents and community members to read and comment on.  I loved the quote at the end of the chapter:
"Please grant me the serenity to accept the pages I cannot edit,
The courage to edit the pages I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference."

-The Wiki Prayer (tinyurl.com2t8fdf)

In Chapter 7 of Richardson's book, I read more about the use of Flickr.com in the classroom.  I am already planning on using my wikispace Flickr assignment with my students on Monday.  I love the idea of using photos to promote thought, writing, and for assessing students knowledge of a particular subject.  I think it is also very important to teach my students early on the proper use of photos licensed through Creative Commons.  One aspect of Flickr that I had not really thought about previously, is the ability to connect with the contributors of photos and have a conversation with them by leaving comments on their page.

The more I learn about the web tools that are available to use for free, the longer my list becomes of all the things that I would like to incorporate into my yearly lesson plans!

Will Richardson. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Copyright 2010 by Corwin.

Writing is Simply Communicating!

My attention was immediately drawn today to Edutopia's article, 3 Strategies to Improve Student Writing Instantly.  I have been blessed given the task of teaching writing to all 5th grade students at Endeavor Charter Academy. There are always the student's who envision themselves as writer's already, and produce immense quantities of book-length personal narratives.  Then there are the others, no in-betweens, that draw a complete blank when asked to write, even when the story is about themselves.  How do I reach those students who put up that "wall of defense" that stops them from transferring expressive thoughts to paper?  In this article, Ali Parrish gives three suggestions that I, honestly, had not considered:

• Student Talks, Teacher Writes - the teacher sits in the studet's desk and has the student stand and dictate to the teacher what he wants to write.
• Audio Record It - using audio devices, such as a tape recorder, and microphone, or even a phone app to record what the student wants to write about it.
• Audio Transcribe It - using iPhone/iPad app programs such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, Dictation Pro, or Voice Translator that transcribes the "talk" to text, therefore writing the story for the student.

Parrish states:

 "The sooner students (and teachers) can see that writing has nothing to do with a pencil, a piece of paper or keyboard, and the sooner students see that writing is simply communicating, the sooner they will start making incredible progress. Barriers will come down. The handicapping hesitation of putting the pencil on the paper to "write" will go away. Then students will feel free to "say it as it is" in their writing. After all (and I can't stress this enough), writing is simply communicating, but through the pencil's lead rather than through the person's lips." (2013)

As a writing teacher, my first reaction to these suggestions was to reject these suggestions.  I want them to  actually write, taking the ideas within their minds and transfer them to paper.  How would recording them, or me writing the story for them, teach them to write themselves?  But as I re-read the article and began thinking through the ideas, I became more open to trying these strategies.  The frustration a student feels when trying to get started writing IS a mindset, and if those barriers were removed then a student would be able to write more freely.  I think it is important that a young writer know that 'writing is simply communicating'!  Once they figure that out, the "wall of defense" will hopefully fall down, leaving the flow of writing...well, flowing.

Parrish, Ali.  3 Strategies to Improve Student's Writing Instantly. Internet. Edutopia.com, 05Nov2013.  Retrieved 09Nov2013.  

5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students

Edutopia has been one of my favorite websites to follow over the past couple of years for inspirational and challenging articles on how to be a better educator.  Today, I came across an article that caught my interest:  5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students by Rebecca Alber.  I think every teacher strives to ask the 'right question' that extends and deepens a student's understanding of specific concepts.  It is, however, sometimes harder than one thinks.  It takes pre-planning and forethought to ask a question of that quality.  Alber offers an easy approach to asking questions, that starts any teacher in the right direction towards strategic questioning.  She suggests these 5 questions:  "What do you think?  Why do you think that?  How do you know this?  Can you tell me more?  What questions do you still have?"  She also suggests to allow  a certain amount of 'wait time' for student responses before moving forward or answering the question ourselves.  She also uses pair/share interaction prior to whole group discussion, so that more student's will have something to contribute to the conversation and can practice sharing their ideas.  I found this article to be a great reminder of how to take questioning deeper, and that it doesn't have to be as difficult as we might think.

"5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students". Rebecca Alber.  Article. Edutopia. 31 October 2013.  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-powerful-questions-teachers-ask-students-rebecca-alber

PowerPoint on SlideShare

Strategies for writing effective personal narrative from jodiwilcox

">

Weblogs

After reading Chapter 2 and 3 of Will Richardson's book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I am anxious to start Weblogs in my 5th grade classroom.  The idea of having my students develop their own online portfolio to showcase their writing, observations, reflections, and interact with others through comments and posts...well, that certainly excites me and would certainly gain the attention of all my students.  No longer would there be complaints about having to re-write a story, if that re-write where done on their blog.  It offers the students the ability to take ownership of their learning through a creative, yet educational, outlet.  Richardson suggests that Weblogs can "teach students the new literacies they will need to function in an ever-expanding information society...and as more and more information comes online, it's imperative that we give our students the skills to analyze and manage it." (p.27)  We, as teachers, need to embrace the changes in education, and teach our students how to interact collaboratively through online communities.


Will Richardson. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Copyright 2010 by Corwin.