Living and Learning in Central Oregon

I  am listening to a web 2.0 webinar being hosted by Vicki Davis and she just said something really interesting.  She said that she would not have teachers use web 2.0 tools with their kids just to use web 2.0 tools.  What a great statement.  The same could be true for anything.  Would you use crayons just to make sure you are using crayons?  No.  You would use crayons when crayons are needed and when crayons help achieve a goal or objective.

I was recently asked by a principal to create a scope and sequence of tech lessons for our computer labs.  She asked me to do this because our classified lab assistants are going to be asked to “teach” classes to help cover teacher prep and they need help with this endeavor.

There are several things I see wrong with this.  While I think there needs to be some amount of basic tech training I think this can be done in the context of a lesson and can also be modeled by the teacher during everyday instruction. During the webinar Vicki brought up the thought of using Atomic Learning as a means for students to learn the basics – what a thought.

I am having a hard time putting this into words but Web 2.0 tools and technology in general should be embedded within instruction to help support and extend learning.  I would love to hear what others have to say about this. How is technology being “taught” in your school and district? Is it isolated?  Is it embedded?  A combination?

From South Sister

So we got this crazy notion that it would be a good idea to hike South Sister.  We read a story about it a few weeks back in the Bend Bulletin and decided we needed to do something besides go to Target on Sunday.  It was much harder than I imagined.  It wasn’t until we had started that our friend Amanda told us it was the third tallest mountain in Oregon. 

Our hike began well but about two hours into it I realized what I got myself into.  It would have been really easy to quit when the nice easy-to-follow trail transformed into sliding rock and rubble.  The damn thing was so big I could not imagine getting to the top walking on that stuff.  But I told myself that I would do 100 yards at a time.  When I broke the trek into small bite size portions it became manageable.  That is when I started thinking about perseverance.  Where is this attribute in 21st Century Skills? I know that initiative and self-direction are mentioned but what about perseverance? Do we value people who do not quit? 

There is something to be said for being able to dealing with a situation, overcoming obstacles, getting the job done and then feeling proud about it. Now hiking South Sister wasn’t a major feat.  There were lots of people doing it so getting to the top was not going to put me in the newspaper. I could have quit at any time but I didn’t.  I told myself that I was going to do it.  I was going to make it manageable.  And I was not going to quit.  Because if I did quit I knew I would have to listen to that nagging little voice in my head until I went back and did.  The only think that kept me going was me and my dumb pride.

Where is perseverance in the 21st Century skill set?  Should it be included?  Do we teach our kids this? Maybe Nike is too right afterall - “Just Do It”

I saw this video awhile ago but my wife brought it to my attention again. It was shown at her district’s first day back event. If it caught my wife’s attention then I knew I should share it with others. She is normally unimpressed with technology. But the video is more than technology. It is new way of teaching, thinking, communicating. Some teachers are not going to be comfortable with the message. It means changing old ways and modifying standard operating practices. Change can be scary. What do you think?

Download Video: Posted at TeacherTube.com.

I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Michael Hall  (www.drmikehall.com ) this morning for breakfast.  He was here working with our Freshman Academy teachers this week and I was able to steal him for a few hours.  It was a wonderful two hours and he gave me some direction to my job.  However, he completely overwhelmed me with information and possibilities.  There is so much to do where do I start?  Where do I find the time and the money?  Thankfully today is Friday so I have the weekend to digest everything and organize my thoughts.  Once I do that maybe I can re-focus my efforts in building 21st Century classrooms and implement some of the suggestions he brought forth.  Thank you Dr. Hall.

I came across this article and thought it would spark some thought and discussion. Being the father of a boy and a girl I can attest that there is a difference. We had the option of putting my son in a full day kindergarten class but passed on the opportunity.  This would have been too much for him to handle.  He needed more down time and time to just run and play.  My daugher however was just the opposite. She looked forward to being in class all day. 

How does this affect your classroom?  Do you plan for the differences in boys and girls?  Do you alter your teaching style or do you have students alter their learning style?

This is a short article that describes nine instructional practices that really make a difference in student achievement. They are taken from the book Classroom Instruction that Works (2001) by Robert Marzano. The nine strategies are:

• Identifying similarities and difference
• Summarizing
• Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
• Homework and practice
• Nonlinguistic representation
• Cooperative learning
• Setting objectives and providing feedback
• Generating and testing hypothesis
• Cues, questions, and advance organizers

Please take the time to read this article and reflect on it. Can you describe what you do for each of the nine? Write them down and share your notes, thoughts, and ideas with your colleagues.

Would we be so bold to make this promise to our parents?  What would keep us from making this promise? The section that caught my attention was on pg. 308 where reading across the curriculum was discussed and how this practice provides the basis for enhanced reading comprehension. What are your thoughts on this article?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Much of what is written in this article was probably already known by many of us.  However, I thought this was a good article to remind us of the importance of reading.  The most sobering fact for me from the article was the information on literacy and the prison population. Our next article will be a continuation of this topic and explore the the consept of guaranteeing that every child learns to read.  Is this something we can do?

I gave you this article to read because TESA and DIBELS testing is beginning. We need to do everything we can to help prepare students for these high-stakes tests. I do not consider helping them teaching to the test. Rather, I believe it is giving them every advantage to pass the test. And when tests are aligned to grade level standards then teaching to the test is teaching standards.

What did you think of this article? Did something stand out? What stood out for me was the effect the classroom teacher has on student achievement – both positive and negative. The attitude of the teacher is a major factor in the motivation of students.