Make Yourself Irreplaceable

In the mornings when I get ready for school I usually stream 92KQRS through my Apple TV. Listening to the morning show has been a routine for me since moving to MN and beginning my life of the commuter teacher.

Now that I now longer commute a great distance, I can listen in the comfort of my home while I'm drinking my coffee or doing my hair (I love that!). Today I was catching the back end of the conversation, which happens quite frequently as I'm racing around the house, but I did catch something quotable from Tom Barnard. It went something like this:

"Why don't you all just get off your a**, go to work, do a good job, and make yourself irreplaceable"

WOW! Whatever the context or conversation, that is a powerful statement, and something EVERY person should strive to do EVERY day. Where has the feeling of entitlement come from, how did it start? Why do I know people will be offended by this?

The same message was expressed at the TIES conference I attended last week, "Make you absences be a void that hard to fill", to a room full of 1500-2000 teachers, and we all cheered and clapped. We WANT our students to think "Man I wish Ms. C. was back teaching this class" because we want to do a good job and teach our kids to be great learners of knowledge, so our void IS hard to fill. Not impossible, but if we were gone, our hard work would be remembered.

The same work ethic, life ethic, is what our students need now more than ever. Don't sit around waiting for someone to hand you something, go out, work hard, do a GREAT job, and make yourself irreplaceable.

Just some morning ramblings from Christian's Corner down in the suburbs.

Innovation in Math Class

Innovative ideas come from some of the most logical requests, but we don't think about it being "innovative" until we try it and get feedback.

Recently I had a request from a parent (who also works in my building) about video taping a math class while the family was away for a few days. The student was particularly concerned about missing several Trig classes and did not want to be behind when she returned.

Video Taping? That's a taboo for a lot of teachers, and I respect that. I'm not one who likes to be taped and re-watched, but for student learning, sure I'll do it. But where do we have a video camera? Not something our district just has laying around. Not to mention who will be taping each day, uploading the video, doing editing, etc.

Attempt 1 (and 2 and 3): Chrome books have a built-in camera, we'll just set that up in the room and tape away! Um, yeah, not so much. While the quality is good when you are sitting directly across from it, to film what's going on in the front of the room, so the viewer can see the board, it just didn't work.

Suddenly the light bulb came on. This math teacher has a smart board. Instructional items are put on that board, and the software is on the computer. So really, we don't need to see the teacher at all (no offense), we just need to record the screen. Google Hangout!!! That will allow me to record the screen, and, AND if we do a LIVE hangout, the absent student could watch away from the classroom.

Doing this live hangout each day was the easiest thing. We set up a channel for the teacher, bookmarked the appropriate page for him to get started, a few click and he was recording his lesson! And when he finished, he simply ended the session and it automatically uploading to his YouTube channel. And the only link he needed to share with his students was the link to his channel.

Sounds simple, right? Why weren't we doing it earlier? As I said in the beginning, sometimes the thought doesn't come until someone asks that question "Can we....?" or "What if.....?"

The best thing to come from all of this was an email from a different student in the class saying thank you for doing this. This student saw the value of what we were doing, how it was helping students (ALL of them) and was truly grateful for having the lessons available outside of class.

What innovative things are you doing that came from a simple request? I'd love to know and expand our capabilities.

Comments in Google

Do you ever put a comment on a student's homework and wonder if they have seen it or resolved it? If you really want to make sure your comments are read and changes are made, send your comment directly to that person. 

Here's how:

1. Open the document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
2. Insert and type a comment
3. Somewhere in the comment (I usually do this first thing) begin typing the name (with the first letter capitalized). When the correct person is suggested click their name. You'll see it in the comment and the email address of the person you want to see the message should have a + in front of it (Sometimes I will type the + before I start typing the name)
4. Click Comment (See picture below)

If you are sending the comment to the student for the first time, you may have to type in their entire email. What a great way to give feed back to students!

Happy Commenting!  

 

#IMMOOC #InnovatorsMindset Round 2

As I sat down to start re-reading, not only was I drawn in and immersed in the text, but I was reflecting back to my thoughts the first time based on my highlighting and sticky notes throughout. I remember now how inspired I was the first time. I remember the ideas running rampant through my mind. I was not just thinking about being personally inspired, but I was coming up with a thousand and one ways to spread the word and inspire my colleagues.

If you have not seen the video on YouTube "An Open Letter to Educators" by Dan Brown (no, not the author) you really should take the time and watch. I had seen it before I read the book, and have re-watched multiple times since.

"Most societal entities are reinventing themselves to prepare for this revolution ......but what has education done to reinvent itself, in my experience, nothing." (Dan Brown) This is a powerful statement, from an individual who was in direct proportion of how education was happening.  Yes, this video was made 6 years. Yes, you can say he was attending a mid-western university, and you might say we're not as up to date with new things. Or you might write him off as being a person with so much intelligence, that no university would be able to challenge him, he's a prodigy that will only learn best on his own. What ever you want to say, to disagree with him, it would be just an excuse.

I watched this video again (a few times) before writing this blog. What I found profound is not what was said or how he said it, but that today, six years from when he made it, schools are finally starting to look differently at education and what is being expected of students (at least in my district). 6 long years, and we're just getting started. No longer are we being questioned or observed on how much our students can regurgitate when directed, but instead what critical thinking skills are students being asked to use, collaboration with classmates, connecting with people outside of the classroom, school district, even the city or county we live in. These are the life skills needed to survive after it's not longer prudent for Mom to make your meals everyday and Dad to service your vehicle and help you change a tire.

Being of an innovative mindset means we as educators are finding and developing new ways to challenge our students way of learning. We need to take them out of their comfort zone, because the "real life" will, and from my own experience more times than I would like to admit. Students are going to learn in ways their parents never did, so we will have the task of educating parents and defending what we are trying to teach their child, that we have, and always have had, the best interest of the student at the fore-front of all we do. Administration, school boards, community members, they will all need an education of their own that schools today are not the schools they attended. My youngest daughter has only been out of high school four years, and it's not even the school she attended. And my guess is after the next five years it will look entirely different again.

What resonated with me most from the introduction (and probably what pulled me in and got me brainstorming) was this quote:

Many teachers are bored with the profession because they know there is a lot more to learning than what schools offer today., These teachers want to be innovative, but, instead of connecting and learning from others around the world, let alone with colleagues in their own schools, they spend their time in staff meetings that often seem irrelevant to the heart of teaching. They are constantly told that if they want to be innovative, they are going to have to find time to do it. 

 As leaders, if we ask teachers to use their own time to do anything, what we're really telling them is: it's not important.

This screamed to me. I knew how we continued to encourage staff to be innovative was going to have to change if we were really going to make a difference.

Starting the #IMMOOC Adventure

I first read The Innovator's Mindset last January. I used a time during my school day where I covered the Media Center for our specialist while she took her lunch break to do my reading. It felt an appropriate time to read. It was quiet, I could get engrossed in the book, and many of my coworkers would come through during their lunch time and when they saw me highlighting and making notes it prompted conversations where I could share my learning.

I was encouraged by one particular coworker to lead a book study for our staff. At the time I didn't think I could fit it in along with my other responsibilities and book studies I was already a part of. So when this opportunity came about, I knew this was where I could invite our staff to become part of the group and we could have discussion daily along with the online book study.

Why in "innovation" so crucial in education? 

What impact do you see it having on our students and ourselves long term?

I don't see innovation as an extra in education any more. It's easy to say technology is innovative, but innovation does not center around technology. I think being innovative is doing something outside of traditional education that sparks learning in students and encourages them to learn beyond traditional methods. Traditional education, where the teacher has the knowledge and "instructs" the students, does not exist anymore. Teachers are facilitators. I am a facilitator. I need to be comfortable handing the reigns of learning over to my students. And I have to be comfortable learning from my students (which I completely am).

I think it's more important for me to teach my students how to learn and where to go to find answers, then to prepare everything and feed it to them. Learning of any kind is available 24/7 to anyone who wants to go find it, and from resources far more knowledgeable then I am. I teach a Personal Finance class. I'm comfortable with the insurance portion of the class because I worked in the insurance industry for a number of years before I went into education. I have prior knowledge, and I can usually answer most questions. But do I know everything? Absolutely not. So to do my job to the best of my ability, I will help my class learn how to find the best answers, what questions they should ask, and where to do to find their answers. This is a life skill, long term.

But I know I am only scratching the surface of innovation. I'm excited to read the book again and have discussions with more people about #IMMOOC and continue to share with my colleagues. I work with some amazing people, who I feel are doing amazing innovations in their classrooms. I'm going to bring them all along on this journey with me!

Remembering.....

We're one week into school. It's Sunday afternoon, it's a beautiful fall day outside. And as you can read, I'm on my computer, in my basement, looking out at the beautiful day, taking a break from my school prep work to write this blog.  I should have my school work done by now, but I keep getting distracted. It started last night already. I was flipping through the channels and came across a special on the History Channel, 15 Septembers Later.

It's been 15 years since that horrible day. People always ask "Do you remember where you were?" I can, just like it was yesterday. I was working at Eden Prairie High School that year, I was walking through the office/lounge area for some reason I do not remember. The television was on and a few people were watching it. I glanced at it, did not pay much attention because I thought it was some video they had popped in and were previewing for a class. When I came back through after running my errand, I stopped behind the already mesmerized staff, and watched, for just a moment I thought, I'd see what they were so engrossed in. And then I watched some more, and a little more, and then I heard the news anchor begin to report, and not for the first time that morning, or the last, that apparently a plane had flown into one of the twin towers.

At that point no one knew anything, it was an aviation accident, terrorists were not a consideration. I became mesmerized, frozen. I can only assume this is what it's like when someone sees an accident, you can't look away. I stood there, probably with my mouth open, just watching and listening. Then suddenly, as they are showing live feed of the towers, the second plane crashed into the other tower. Unbelievable, it's the only word I have.

For days and weeks after that, everything centered around the events of that day. Now 15 years later,  I can still watch those videos, mesmerized, mouth open, and I can't look away. And as I watched 15 Septembers Later, and listed to first hand accounts from that day, and the days after, I am taken back in time. My heart hurts for the families that lost loved ones that day. I am amazed by the strength of those that agreed to share their first hand account of that day. I am humbled by the acts of heroism that occurred.

So why do I feel compelled to write about this? As I said at the beginning of this post, I should be working on my school work, but all I can think of is this horrific event, that changed our world, occurred before many of my students were born, or they were at an age they do not have a memory of  these events. They do not remember life before we were so viciously attacked. How do they honor those that lost their lives on this day? Or a better question, what can I do in my Business classes to honor this day and help students remember?

Another First

It's another first day of school! Everyone is scrambling to make sure their rooms are ready, seating charts done, posters on the walls, smiles turned on and excitement turned up! Just like the kids we all pull out our new 1st day of school outfits! I love checking Facebook on these days to see all the obligatory 1st day of school posts.

As I reflect back on the tech trainings we did this summer, I'm excited for the year. I work with some amazing people that gave up their summer time to come in and do their technology training. They are genuinely invested in using their classroom devices, they want to integrate tech plans into their curriculum, and they are willing to ask questions if they don't understand something (that's key right?).

After one particular day of training, I reflected on all the pieces of technology we use in our building. Are we overwhelming our staff, particularly the new ones? I thought a long time about this, but when I visited various staff members and inquired what they were doing the first week of classes, my concerns were washed away. I work with some amazing people!! (Have I said that already?) Start the kindling and they will fuel the fire!

No one understands the life of a teacher except a teacher. The preparation we do, the free time we give up, the money we spend out of our own pockets. We have chosen this profession, and on these first days, when everyone is excited to be back and there is anticipation for the new year, we get the best reminder of why. So to those amazing people I work with, Happy 1st Day! Make this year great!

Too Many Calendars!

In our district we have two email accounts, one through Outlook and one through GAFE. Having used both for a number of years now, I can honestly say I love both and I hate both! Like everything, there is good and bad. And I can choose to use one primarily, and forward the other, which I do, BUT, the calendars are not so easy to combine. I used to be able to sync them, but those days are over.

I have a personal gmail account and I have that calendar shared with my GAFE calendars, but it's those pesky Outlook appointments that get me. And in our district, some things just come through Outlook, I can't help it. But I do think I have find a work around for it.

If I have an event for the calendar, I usually start in my Outlook and create the event (because most of our Administration use Outlook I try to start there and include them as needed):

 

I enter all the pertinent information, then I invite people and (here's where I get it to my GAFE calendar) I invite myself, using my GAFE email address! When I go there to accept, it's now on my google calendar (and on my personal one because I have them shared) and in my Outlook because that's where I started!!

Might be a little extra work, but it's an easy fix to get my calendars to (well sort of) "sync". Try it out, see if it's for you. Or if anyone has any other ideas, help me out, let me know!!

Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

The idiom "A picture is worth a thousand words" refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image, or that an image of a subject conveys its meaning/essence more effectively than a description does. (https://goo.gl/Mz63a4) In education pictures can be a useful tool, easily interpreted and understood. But sometimes a student needs more.

Whenever I know I have to be gone from class, I put together my sub notes and try to make sure my students have the knowledge and learning necessary to conduct a productive class hour in my absence. But even the best plans don't go accordingly. 

My go to for leaving detailed instructions (for my students) has been SoundCloud.  There are audio clips there I use in my classes, but even better I can create an audio clip and put the link in my class LMS. Using this I leave my class detailed instructions in a 3-5 minute audio clip, and they are more likely to listen to this then read a lengthy document with the same information.

At this time, I am still about the free stuff, so I am using that version of SoundCloud, but if I were ready to move to a blended or flipped learning environment, I could update to a paid version. So if you are looking for avenues to change the environment of your classroom (whether you're absent or not) I would recommend trying SoundCloud. 

How about this challenge: Create your free account and record 2 or 3 small instructions for an activity in your classroom. Divide the class in half, provide one half with the audio clips, the other with the same instructions in a written format, and let them work and compare the two. Could you see significant differences in the finished work? Which group had more questions throughout the process? Did one group finish quicker than the other? Which group appeared more engaged? 

I'm not advocating for students to NEVER have to read and interpret instructions, but if you know you'll be gone, and want to have things go in a particular direction, this might be the way to do it!

Happy Recording!

Google Tone w/ Mr. Segar

For those of you that have seen or used Google Tone, you already know how great this is! But if you haven't check out these videos. I introduced this to Todd Segar, one of the science teachers in my building, and all around test dummie for any new technology I can find. (Seriously, I find something, throw it at him, and he tries it out, he's the best!)

So he set up a sharing opportunity in his course and invited me to come in and take some videos.  In the first clip, Todd, is giving a short explanation of the lesson and sending the Tone to the students to get the document. If you catch it, he says he needs to make sure he has his speakers on because Tone is based on sound.

 

As long as the class is all logged in when Todd sends the tone out, they get information instantly. As he works to get the lesson started, he encourages students to share with each other using Tone, another collaborative use of the extension. In the clip below, if you look closely at the student's screen, in the bottom right is a message to let them know the shared item is being received through Tone and they can click on it to open.

The lesson begins and all students have the same information. Students worked for about half the class period following Todd's instructions, and then they need some feedback. Are they on the right track, answering questions correctly, etc. So what next? Use Tone again to share the correct data.

This procedure allowed for practice, collaboration, assessment, & feedback.

Your First Twitter Chat

Do you remember the first time you participated or witnessed a Twitter Chat? I remember mine! It was #nebedchat (Nebraska Ed Chat) on Wednesday nights. I was following a number of educators from NE, and was on my Nook of all things, and noticed they were suddenly tweeting excessively with A's and Q's at the beginning of their tweets. I searched the hashtag and followed along, just "lurking". Before I knew it I was hooked!

Jump forward about 3 years, and the teachers at my school had their first building wide Twitter Chat! We have a variety of Twitter users, lurkers, and "you're making me do this" staff members, and you know what, THAT'S OK! We all started at the beginning in one way or another.

I had been sending out instructions so staff are sure they can get logged in, and have added the appropriate #FmtChat column to make it easier to follow along. Requests for guidance here and there "just to make sure it's all right" were abundant, but everyone I worked with was ready to go! Staff were assigned to rooms so they would not feel completely isolated, and it have more of a group feel for the first time. 

The down side to this for me, at least, was I was not in the building! I had to be at a meeting in Mankato, so was en route while this wonderful learning happened!  Thank goodness for Storify, allowing me to go back and take it all in (although I'm told the best tweets were the ones created but not posted by the groups in the rooms!) 

The best is seeing originally reluctant staff members tweeting to each other the day after! (I can see you!!)

Wish I could have been in a group for this. HUGE shout out to Sturdy for stepping in and being the moderator! You did a great job! What a great experience!

How Are You Using Technology?

In most everything I see regarding technology and how teachers are using it, the SAMR model comes up. Now I'm not saying this is not a good measure of use, but it's not the end all of tools to measure a teacher's use of technology. 

I have been spending my "lunch time" doing professional reading (this was a goal of mine when we started back in January) and am reading "The Innovator's Mindset" by George Couros. (Can't say enough times how much this book is speaking to me right now!) and in Chapter 10 he refers to educator Bernajean Porter and her idea of moving from literate, to adaptive, to transformative.

"If I am literate, I am able to manipulate a device. I know how to turn it one, work with i, and turn apps on. 

If I am using the device in an adaptive way, I am doing something with this new technology that I used to do in low-tech way. For example, I am taking notes on the iPad or reading a textbook on the device.

If I am using the device in a transformative way, I am doing something with the device that I could not do before, such as creating video, connecting with people around the world through a blog, or sharing items with other students in the classroom at any time, from any place." 

This is written so easy to understand and interpret, I knew I wanted to get it out there for my colleagues to see.

We are continuing to increase the number of devices in classrooms, which is pushing some teachers out of their comfort zone. They are looking for ways to adapt and integrate these new tools.  I can honestly say everyone in the building can use their devices in an adaptive way. What I would love to see, and be able to share with those outside our walls, is teachers sharing their move to transformative, and how students are being pushed to the transformative level as well, to show their learning. 

Many students are probably already doing the transformative activities for their personal interests, now we just need to take that knowledge, that passion, and encourage them to use it in an educational setting. How can a student connect their love of Minecraft to the novel they just read in Advanced Literature? Or they passion for coding to their Physical Education class? It's all about educators being open and innovative to new ideas.

What innovations are happening in your building? I would love to hear some! 

  

What Culture is Doing to our Kids

Thank you Chris Sturdy for sharing this TEDtalk on Twitter today. How do we teach both girls and boys to be the best versions of themselves, not to succumb to our cultures obsession with image? And teach the parents the same?


I always worried about this when my girls were going through elementary, junior high and high school. To this day I tell them how beautiful they are, inside and out. I know they don't believe me, because I'm "the mom". But you tell me, if they put a video out there and asked "am I ugly?" how would you respond?

 

Jordan & Shelby
November 2014

And still I wonder, would my own girls ask that question of themselves?

Trust is the Most Powerful Tool

I have started 2016 by dedicating some regular to professional reading. If you saw the books in my office, all on teaching, classrooms, students, mindset, etc., and knew how few I got to read cover to cover, you might think I were nuts to ever purchase another book again. Each purchase was made with a thought, goal, or hope in mind, and it's time to achieve these.  So each "lunch time" I get at school (which really, for me, is covering the media center) I read my education book. Currently I am tackling "The Innovator's Mindset" by George Couros.

I am engrossed in this and look forward to my 30 minutes of reading each day. I am a slower reader than most when it comes to technical or educational reading (something I want to learn or retain), I recognize this about myself, and I know I should highlight or take notes of the key ideas I want to remember. I think I would be accurate in saying that the color of the pages in my book are pretty much highlighter yellow. There are so many ideas and thoughts and quotes I want to keep in the forefront of my mind.

I just finished (twice mind you) the chapter on relationships and trust. Now whether it was the frame of mind I was in, the weather, just coming back from Christmas break, I have no idea, but those pages are burned into my memory. Having trust in any working relationship is vital to the success of the business/job/project/classroom. From the classroom teacher perspective, I have to create an environment where students feel trusted. It's OK to make mistakes, if you forgot to do your homework, if you failed a test, all of these scenarios have (and will again) happened in my classes. If there is a feeling a trust, my students know they just need to come and talk to me and we'll work together to find the next step and keep moving in a positive direction.

OK, I understand that and work on that with every new class. But that is only half of my day. The other half I'm working with teachers helping them to integrate technology into their classroom. I'm not only introducing them to new technologies and helping them learn to use it in the classroom, but I also need to build trust with them to try these new ideas, that might be completely out of their comfort zone, and know that if it doesn't work out as planned, THAT'S OK! This cannot be done in a building staff meeting.

For one, we're talking PreK-12th grade. The needs, wants and abilities are so completely scattered, I don't think I could even accurately chart it. And I am primarily located in one building. There are many staff members from the other building I only see at workshop in August. So how am I going to do this with only half of the school day? How can I build a one-on-one relationship that is essential to me to be able to help with tech? This has been a struggle for me three years running.

There were a couple of quotes in particular that hit me. The first was:

"As leaders in education, our job is not to control those whom we serve but to unleash their talent"

Don't I need to know their talent first in order to help unleash it? Then a few pages later I read:

"But to move people from their point A to their point B, I believe it is necessary, as Gawande mentions, to create regular opportunities for human interaction that help build relationships and spur innovation."

Create regular opportunities, huh? That's my next goal, create these opportunities, during the school day, not on their own time (possibly mine) because that's how important this is.

Welcome 2016!

I know we had a Holiday break. I'm sure of it. I have recollections on being curled up in my recliner under a quilt, in my PJ's, watching Netflix, on multiple days, DURING THE WEEK! Was it all a dream? Could I have imagined the comfort of drinking HOT coffee all day long, not putting on make-up and saying "I did my hair today" when in reality I only got as far as using a hair tie to pull it out of my face.

Oh yes, I remember it well, as does every teacher who gets those few but brief days to recharge over a short break. To solidify the fact that I didn't do much was the 10-12 inches of snow we got in about a 24 hour period. Not only did this add to my workout routine (can't tell you how many times I went out and shoveled the driveway to stay ahead of the snow) it also prevented my out of state travels to see my family. Needless to say I got in a funk. I didn't touch my computer, check emails, or think about school work until Sunday came and "Crap, I have to teach tomorrow" went through my head.

Now that I've got half a day in, I am glad to be back, truly. I missed my students, my colleagues, my schedule. But I was right there with all the other teachers in denial on Sunday night. I had enjoyed being at home, I found time to do some things for me, that I enjoy, not related to school. I got to sew quite a bit and clean up my sewing area (which had me finding many more projects and quilt kits than I thought I had). I'm glad I took the break to "unplug" and do something for me. I feel much more rejuvenated today, relaxed, and ready to tackle the next three months (our next day off is not until Easter break!).

Bring on 2016! It's going to be a great year!