Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Discussions and Writing
There are a plethora of online tools that teachers can use to effectively elicit classroom discussion and improve student writing. One of the many takeaways that I had today was using online tools to help students through the learning process, not just using them to feature student products. For example, I had never really considered using FlipGrid in a way for students to ask questions about the lesson. I am interested in doing this in the future. It was also refreshing to see how Actively Learn allows students to receive feedback in a timely manner in order for them to be able to make writing revisions.
Technology and Improving Student Voice
Technology can be used as a tool to amplify multiple aspects of a classroom: assessments, projects, discussions, presentations, etc. With 1:1 inclusion, there are multiple opportunities readily available for teachers. But what is the best way to incorporate tech?
One avenue that teachers can use technology for is amplifying student voice. Traditional classroom instruction contains teacher centered strategies that look for parroted responses from students. Often times, this does not allow every student a chance to participate. Using technology, on the other hand, gives each student a voice in the classroom on any topic.
And this is where it gets interesting. "Any topic" means any topic. There seems to be a certain perceived safety in being able to type out a response and edit that response accordingly. I noticed this with my Civics class this past semester. Sensitive topics were approached, with discussion occurring about immigration, gender, racism and many other topics. General, traditional discussion would only have several students leading the discussion, arguing points across the classroom while the rest of the class listened. And while active listening is important, the number of voices in the actual discussion became limited.
Enter technology. With each student having a Chromebook, every student was able to put forward their thoughts on a discussion board. The curious thing about the participation was the editing after posting. Students and their actual thoughts were edited to mirror other students. So while students were participating, they were still parroting their peers.
Building a comfortable classroom culture is the real step. And while technology improved student voice, it didn't improve the authenticity of the student voice. So while it was successful, improving student confidence and creating or reinforcing positive student culture is still the precedent in the classroom.
One avenue that teachers can use technology for is amplifying student voice. Traditional classroom instruction contains teacher centered strategies that look for parroted responses from students. Often times, this does not allow every student a chance to participate. Using technology, on the other hand, gives each student a voice in the classroom on any topic.
And this is where it gets interesting. "Any topic" means any topic. There seems to be a certain perceived safety in being able to type out a response and edit that response accordingly. I noticed this with my Civics class this past semester. Sensitive topics were approached, with discussion occurring about immigration, gender, racism and many other topics. General, traditional discussion would only have several students leading the discussion, arguing points across the classroom while the rest of the class listened. And while active listening is important, the number of voices in the actual discussion became limited.
Enter technology. With each student having a Chromebook, every student was able to put forward their thoughts on a discussion board. The curious thing about the participation was the editing after posting. Students and their actual thoughts were edited to mirror other students. So while students were participating, they were still parroting their peers.
Building a comfortable classroom culture is the real step. And while technology improved student voice, it didn't improve the authenticity of the student voice. So while it was successful, improving student confidence and creating or reinforcing positive student culture is still the precedent in the classroom.
The Last Induction
I hate to admit that I have no idea what I learned from induction 4, compared to what I learned in the other inductions, or from my colleges. I have a list of things that I want to try, want to look into, or want to change about my classroom. I know that we started using actively learn last year.
I had thought about using the canvas calendar to inform student on the daily activities but we already started the year using OneNote and a google slide show so I did not want to recreate the calendar again.
Every time I came to an induction or another PD, I left with a long list of things to try and unfortunately very little time to try and get to it all.
The one thing that I know I will leave induction with is the importance of talking with colleges about what they are doing in their classrooms. It truly is inspiring to see all of the great things that you people are doing in your classroom and it is so important that we share our successes with each other and all try to make this a better place to teach and work!
Cheers
I had thought about using the canvas calendar to inform student on the daily activities but we already started the year using OneNote and a google slide show so I did not want to recreate the calendar again.
Every time I came to an induction or another PD, I left with a long list of things to try and unfortunately very little time to try and get to it all.
The one thing that I know I will leave induction with is the importance of talking with colleges about what they are doing in their classrooms. It truly is inspiring to see all of the great things that you people are doing in your classroom and it is so important that we share our successes with each other and all try to make this a better place to teach and work!
Cheers
Induction IV Takeaways
I've been able to more effectively use Canvas as a result of the first session in Induction IV, including utilizing peer reviews within the tool and organizing my classes so that students can more easily use the tool themselves. Today's morning session really made me think about how to reframe discussions in class, when and why I use formal discssion boards, and how to utilize them more effectively in class going forward. I also look forward to continuing to further my own PD, and have found that when you find communities of educators online, they are full of wonderful ideas and often open to sharing resources, as well.
Discussions
I think my largest take-away from this was formulating effective student discussions using Canvas. I have used this in Program Success since we learned it. It was in a transition activity that involved students posting about post-secondary plans and goals. They then commented on each other's posts. We communicate the need for appropriate, praise, feedback, and questions. This could all lead to group communication and check-ins on how people are working towards their goals and group accountability.
Matt Kahler
Directing Your Own PD
I really liked the idea that we are all increasingly in charge of our own PD. I listen to Psychology podcasts all the time and use the information in my class but never really thought of it from the paradigm of PD. Here is a link to my favorite one! It addresses behavior in many situations and is relevant to many classroom settings.
Hidden Brain Podcast
Enjoy!
Hidden Brain Podcast
Enjoy!
Induction IV takeaway from a music teacher
The Promise, Pitfalls and Potential Potential Solutions to Using an LMS
As more schools go 1:1, students and parents are demanding a central hub for organizing the rapidly growing number of digital materials teachers are creating. Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Edmodo and other Learning Management Systems (LMS) have helped many schools tame this digital information explosion; however, as with any remedy, there are potential pitfalls you should be aware of before taking the LMS plunge.
This chart from Gartner Research explains the adoption process of digital marketing tools but parallels my experience with education technology as well.
After a school implements 1:1 technology or an LMS the results too often follow a predictable pattern:
While there is some initial trepidation about having iPads or laptops in the classroom, teachers become excited and develop inflated expectations about the new, easier ways to assign & collect essays, facilitate discussions, grade quizzes, etc.
A few years after the 1:1 rollout, teachers often realize that computers merely allowed them to deliver their traditional curriculum more efficiently. Many also become disillusioned by the limitations of technology.
Potential Solution: When adopting an LMS, don’t stop having students post their work to blogs, websites, public spaces, etc. Leverage the best of both worlds by having students publish some of their work online or in other public spaces while also submitting it in the LMS.
2. Narrowing of curriculum to teach what can easily practiced & assessed via an LMS. Most modern LMS offer robust tools to teach concrete skills: clicking hotspots on a political cartoon or graph; dynamic feedback on physics problem sets, categorizing a list of key terms by literary themes, etc.
It is relatively easy to create a series of learning activities to prepare students for objective assessments which can also easily be delivered and graded via the LMS. In fact, teachers could carefully tailor learning activities and assessments to show tremendous student growth---a key component of many teacher evaluation systems these days.
Potential Solution:Often, the messiest learning activities that are the most difficult to assess---student-led experiments, simulations, debates, controversial discussions----are the most memorable and transformative experiences.
3. Ignoring self-management: A LMS can be valuable tools for students who struggle organizing their homework and remembering long-term deadlines. Many platforms even auto-create to do lists for students to remind them what work they need to complete each day. However, a useful tool can also be a crutch if teachers & parents begin to not teach time management & long term planning.
While planning assignments for an LMS, be sure you’re not just creating a playlist of activities to complete.
Potential Solution:Instead, make a conscious effort to create a dynamic space where students are continuously monitoring their own learning and seeking out the materials they need to help them achieve the content & skill goals. This might happen through open-ended assignments, research projects, regular journaling, reflection forms, etc.
4. Teacher Centered: When creating a course for an LMS teachers are firmly in the pilot’s seat while selecting and assigning activities and assessing students. However, this reduces student agency and excuses them from monitoring their own learning and identify materials that will help them achieve their goals----skills that are increasingly important to becoming “lifelong learners” in the information explosion of the 21st century.
Potential Solution: Be sure to leverage more open ended activities such as discussion boards and wikis to charge students with asking questions, finding resources and charting their own learning progression.
5. Replacing in-person interaction with digital ones. An online discussion board can help ensure all students participate in a discussion especially more introverted students who may be reluctant to share their views in class. Similarly, an online video (i.e. flipped learning) with embedded questions can ensure all students understood core concepts and provide teachers with valuable data on which topics they need to re-teach. Migrating learning materials to a digital format is a slippery slope that could lead you to one day come to class and realize you have unwittingly stripped much of the serendipity, fun and humanity from your course.
Be sure not to fall into the LMS trap.
NOTE: This post originally appeared on Teacher Reflections.
This chart from Gartner Research explains the adoption process of digital marketing tools but parallels my experience with education technology as well.
 |
| SOURCE: Garner Research |
After a school implements 1:1 technology or an LMS the results too often follow a predictable pattern:
While there is some initial trepidation about having iPads or laptops in the classroom, teachers become excited and develop inflated expectations about the new, easier ways to assign & collect essays, facilitate discussions, grade quizzes, etc.
A few years after the 1:1 rollout, teachers often realize that computers merely allowed them to deliver their traditional curriculum more efficiently. Many also become disillusioned by the limitations of technology.
Therefore, a critical examination of the opportunities & limitations of 1:1 technology broadly, and an LMS in particular, is necessary to have more informed expectations, avoid disillusionment, and create a long-term plan for meaningful educational innovation.
Too often the structure of the technology dictates the curriculum & pedagogy when the reverse should be true.
3 Potential Promises of an LMS
- Helps students & parents organize the multitude of different digital resources teachers use. I’ve heard of nightmares of parents of middle school and high school students having to bookmark dozens of different websites so that they can help their child stay on top of their schoolwork.
- More immediate feedback on student work with features like a speed grader or peer review. Teachers can use integrated rubrics, voice comments, automated comments on objective assessments, etc to provide more timely feedback that hopefully improves student learning.
- Access key dates & resources in one place which is invaluable to students that are absent for extended periods of time or need extra helping keeping track of their work.
5 Possible Pitfalls of an LMS
1. Limiting Students to the Walled Garden: Requiring students to submit all of their work in the LMS helps teachers track work completion and provide more timely feedback. However, it generally restricts students not enrolled in the class, parents and the world from seeing student work. Research shows that students produce better work when it’s for an audience beyond the teacher.Potential Solution: When adopting an LMS, don’t stop having students post their work to blogs, websites, public spaces, etc. Leverage the best of both worlds by having students publish some of their work online or in other public spaces while also submitting it in the LMS.
2. Narrowing of curriculum to teach what can easily practiced & assessed via an LMS. Most modern LMS offer robust tools to teach concrete skills: clicking hotspots on a political cartoon or graph; dynamic feedback on physics problem sets, categorizing a list of key terms by literary themes, etc.
It is relatively easy to create a series of learning activities to prepare students for objective assessments which can also easily be delivered and graded via the LMS. In fact, teachers could carefully tailor learning activities and assessments to show tremendous student growth---a key component of many teacher evaluation systems these days.
While creating curriculum that will be housed in an LMS, be careful not to simply do more of what can easily be taught & measured at the expense of what’s truly important and meaningful.
Potential Solution:Often, the messiest learning activities that are the most difficult to assess---student-led experiments, simulations, debates, controversial discussions----are the most memorable and transformative experiences.
3. Ignoring self-management: A LMS can be valuable tools for students who struggle organizing their homework and remembering long-term deadlines. Many platforms even auto-create to do lists for students to remind them what work they need to complete each day. However, a useful tool can also be a crutch if teachers & parents begin to not teach time management & long term planning.
While planning assignments for an LMS, be sure you’re not just creating a playlist of activities to complete.
Potential Solution:Instead, make a conscious effort to create a dynamic space where students are continuously monitoring their own learning and seeking out the materials they need to help them achieve the content & skill goals. This might happen through open-ended assignments, research projects, regular journaling, reflection forms, etc.
4. Teacher Centered: When creating a course for an LMS teachers are firmly in the pilot’s seat while selecting and assigning activities and assessing students. However, this reduces student agency and excuses them from monitoring their own learning and identify materials that will help them achieve their goals----skills that are increasingly important to becoming “lifelong learners” in the information explosion of the 21st century.
Potential Solution: Be sure to leverage more open ended activities such as discussion boards and wikis to charge students with asking questions, finding resources and charting their own learning progression.
5. Replacing in-person interaction with digital ones. An online discussion board can help ensure all students participate in a discussion especially more introverted students who may be reluctant to share their views in class. Similarly, an online video (i.e. flipped learning) with embedded questions can ensure all students understood core concepts and provide teachers with valuable data on which topics they need to re-teach. Migrating learning materials to a digital format is a slippery slope that could lead you to one day come to class and realize you have unwittingly stripped much of the serendipity, fun and humanity from your course.
Be sure not to fall into the LMS trap.
There’s a reason why it’s called a Learning Management System ---too often it’s a tool for teachers to more easily manage students.Potential Solution: Deliberately seek opportunities to empower students to manage their own learning via ongoing portfolios, self-assessments, and self-directed research questions.
NOTE: This post originally appeared on Teacher Reflections.
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