Issue #5 is out! http://eepurl.com/KQSnv
Enjoy the content and have a great holiday.
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Showing posts with label coffeechugpln. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffeechugpln. Show all posts
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Student Voice and Participation in Teacher Project Tuning Session
As our building continues to push forward with Project Based Learning (PBL) and striving to challenge our students and ourselves I have reflected on the many key areas we need to work and develop to make the necessary steps to achievement.
As an instructional coach I have noticed that one of the key elements to developing a quality project for learning that is missing is project tuning.
Project Tuning is a systemic approach to helping a teacher tackle a question or mental block that they have in their development of their project. It is an approach that is very powerful and allows the staff to bond and offer insight. It allows the teacher who is tuning to hear perspectives from outside of their department and/or grade level.
Project Tuning is awesome and is something that we have continued to improve upon as we do more and more of these. The issue is that we don't have enough teachers using this key piece. As we work to provide a structure and schedule for teachers to tune I also started working on another key element to project tuning: STUDENT VOICE
This first semester we had 8th graders work on a Choose2Matter project that we titled #BettPassion. One of the groups, Iowa High Five, is focusing on Student Voice. I brought them in last week to discuss the possibility of branching out student voice to a "behind the scenes" element of project tuning.
Last week we met with them and the principle to discuss this idea. They were excited at the opportunity. We talked about the system and things that need to be worked out.
I typed up two documents for them as well as the teachers to provide them with some structure.
Wednesday we were able to pull four of the girls into my room to do an actual project tuning and give them some practice. We had the opportunity to tune a project for a teacher that has an idea and is able to put his guard down to allow these students to practice.
It was amazing! We had one other teacher show up along with our principle and myself. The students jumped right in and nailed it. They provided some great insight that we don't always think about as teachers and adults. They were open and honest and really provided a lot of great ideas. I was quite impressed by their maturity and honesty. I know it can be tough to really open up as a student to teachers and admin.
We are going to continue to find ways to include at least two students in each project tuning session from here on out. We will have to work on developing a pool of students to use. It really needs to be thought through because you need students who are honest and willing to speak the truth while also having a maturity level to handle this opportunity.
I am so excited to continue this journey and help enhance the power of student voice in our building. I will continue to provide documents, reflections, and hopefully a few video sessions to show how these project tunings operate.
As an instructional coach I have noticed that one of the key elements to developing a quality project for learning that is missing is project tuning.
Project Tuning is a systemic approach to helping a teacher tackle a question or mental block that they have in their development of their project. It is an approach that is very powerful and allows the staff to bond and offer insight. It allows the teacher who is tuning to hear perspectives from outside of their department and/or grade level.
Project Tuning is awesome and is something that we have continued to improve upon as we do more and more of these. The issue is that we don't have enough teachers using this key piece. As we work to provide a structure and schedule for teachers to tune I also started working on another key element to project tuning: STUDENT VOICE
This first semester we had 8th graders work on a Choose2Matter project that we titled #BettPassion. One of the groups, Iowa High Five, is focusing on Student Voice. I brought them in last week to discuss the possibility of branching out student voice to a "behind the scenes" element of project tuning.
Last week we met with them and the principle to discuss this idea. They were excited at the opportunity. We talked about the system and things that need to be worked out.
I typed up two documents for them as well as the teachers to provide them with some structure.
Wednesday we were able to pull four of the girls into my room to do an actual project tuning and give them some practice. We had the opportunity to tune a project for a teacher that has an idea and is able to put his guard down to allow these students to practice.
It was amazing! We had one other teacher show up along with our principle and myself. The students jumped right in and nailed it. They provided some great insight that we don't always think about as teachers and adults. They were open and honest and really provided a lot of great ideas. I was quite impressed by their maturity and honesty. I know it can be tough to really open up as a student to teachers and admin.
We are going to continue to find ways to include at least two students in each project tuning session from here on out. We will have to work on developing a pool of students to use. It really needs to be thought through because you need students who are honest and willing to speak the truth while also having a maturity level to handle this opportunity.
I am so excited to continue this journey and help enhance the power of student voice in our building. I will continue to provide documents, reflections, and hopefully a few video sessions to show how these project tunings operate.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
What are your keys to being productive? I want to know!
I have created a very short Google Form to gather and compile key aspects of being productive from people in all fields of occupation.
Below you will find seven questions. I will be sharing out what I find. Please help spread the word and have your friends and colleagues complete this as well.
I am excited to find out more as I am sure that there will be something we can all learn from.
This is one of the most exciting things I have decided to do. I thank you in advance for contributing to this little research project.
Monday, December 16, 2013
#CoffeechugCAFE Podcast Series: Living on Edge of Chaos - Episode 7: Todd Henry
Todd Henry is the author of two great books - The Accidental Creative and his latest release Die Empty. You can check out his website http://www.accidentalcreative.com/ where you can find his podcasts and all social media links. I read Accidental Creative a few months back and absolutely fell in love with this book and his work. http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/search?q=todd+henry
I then pre ordered Die Empty and absorbed that book even more so. I liked it even more than Accidental Creative. The basis of the book is to help people, companies, businesses, and organizations do their most important work. As I read this book I could relate almost all of it to education and to the many ideas that I am striving for within my own job in education.
I sent Todd an email about chatting with me on this podcast and I jumped for joy when he said yes.
Here is the link to his latest book, Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Everyday
Show Notes
Follow this podcast on iTunes and please feedback and ratings.
Listen to podcast on Podomatic.com
If you would like to watch the Google Hangout you can watch it on YouTube
Listen to podcast on Podomatic.com
If you would like to watch the Google Hangout you can watch it on YouTube
All Social Media for Todd Henry - Please follow and learn from one of the best!
Twitter:
Websites
Facebook
All Social Media for Coffeechug - I would love to have you join my PLN
Links to items mentioned in the podcast
Google Glass for Bettendorf Middle School Students
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Book Review: Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry
Buy the book from Amazon.com
Back in September I came across a book titled Accidental Creative which was a book by Todd Henry. I fell in love with this book and when I finished reading it I became a fan of Todd Henry. When I went to check out his website I noticed at the time that Die Empty was available for pre-order and I bought it right away.
If this book was half as good as Accidental Creative, then I knew it would be worth the money.
I was not left disappointed.
Todd Henry offers another dose of material that is very worthwhile. It is not a tough read, but offers so many great pieces of advice, ideas, and tools to use to really answer the essential question of
Back in September I came across a book titled Accidental Creative which was a book by Todd Henry. I fell in love with this book and when I finished reading it I became a fan of Todd Henry. When I went to check out his website I noticed at the time that Die Empty was available for pre-order and I bought it right away.
If this book was half as good as Accidental Creative, then I knew it would be worth the money.
I was not left disappointed.
Todd Henry offers another dose of material that is very worthwhile. It is not a tough read, but offers so many great pieces of advice, ideas, and tools to use to really answer the essential question of
"Did the work I did today really matter?"
This is what I believe is at the heart of this book. Ideas and techniques to make sure that that you answer yes to this question.
The one passage that stands out to me over the rest and is one I continue to reflect upon is that idea that if you were videotaped all day for a documentary to showcase your day how would you behave and act? What things would you cut out of your "regular" day? So, with this in mind why do we not live that way and spend time wasting moments?
I think I honestly highlighted more words than words not highlighted. There is just so many great pieces of advice and wisdom laid out.
It does not matter your business, lifestyle, age, or goals in life. This materials applies to all of us and that is why this book is successful. You don't need a successful company, you don't need money, you don't need connections. What you need is a change in your mindset which we are all capable of doing.
I have already begun to test out some small experiments to improve my productivity. The goal is to end each day answering yes to the question above and leaving nothing in my tank! I don't want to be mediocre.
This is a must read to help get your mind right with not being too preachy. Toddy Henry has delivered again! This book is worth your time, your application of the ideas, and money to buy the book.
One of the top 10 reads of the year so far!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
You're Not That Innovative(and that's okay) by Adam Bluestein and Converting Ideas to Education
You're Not That Innovative(and that's okay) by Adam Bluestein - http://www.inc.com/magazine/201309/less-innovation-is-better.html
Below are excerpts from the article in bold with my thoughts applied to education. Always open for your thoughts.
What if innovation is not the panacea it's said to be?
Innovation and Creativity is a huge push in education right now. I push it more than anyone and live my life on the Edge of Chaos continually trying to come up with new ways of doing things. However, not everyone is like me. And that is okay. Do we need every educator to be this way? I don't think so. Schools need a wide flavor of teaching styles and mindsets. I did not always think this way, but am starting to realize the importance of variety of a staff to ensure quality education.
How much disruptive innovation do you really need to advance your business goals?"
Schools need disruptive innovation. You need educators pushing the boundaries to make new things happen. BUT, you don't need your entire staff. You need a few out exploring the new frontiers. Much like history. Countries did not send their entire population to new uncharted territories. They sent a few to figure things out and once established sent more. Education and schools need to be the same way with new crazy ideas.
On average, the most successful companies devoted about 70 percent of their innovation assets (time and money) to "safe" core initiatives; 20 percent to slightly more risky adjacent ones; and just 10 percent to transformational, or disruptive, ones.
I love this excerpt. Perhaps schools should be the same. A majority of the staff should be "safe" and tweak existing practices in small steps, but nothing too crazy. 1/4 or so of staff should be a bit more risky taking on new ideas to see what happens that eventually the "safe" group could adapt once things are worked out. You need just a small group to be the crazy disruptive ones. They are the ones that are way out there doing things that challenge the status quo and things that have never been done. They are two steps ahead. Then the next group adapts their ideas over time and the safe group implements.
This seems like a safer approach to ensuring quality education while still pushing the frontiers of education. I think this keeps teachers grounded without feeling like a failure while still challenging everyone within the confines of where their comfort zones exist. Schools cannot be too overboard with disruptive innovation, but on the flip side schools cannot just sit back and be happy with how things are going.
Core innovation involves making incremental changes to improve existing products for existing customers
We don't always have to be drastic in decisions. Look at any successful company or product and it is just a minor tweak on existing platforms. Education should be the same. Educators should never be satisfied, but we cannot lose our focus on what we need to accomplish.
Transformational (a.k.a. disruptive) innovations involve inventing things for markets that don't exist yet--say, iTunes or Starbucks. Of course, when a disruptive innovation succeeds, the returns can be enormous.
Love this passage as well. When the educators who are way out there do get a hold of something special it is going to be awesome. Yet we cannot expect all teachers to be out there hoping for their ideas to be the next greatest thing. Students lose out in the end. Consistency is still a must for their day to day routines.
Coming up with ideas isn't nearly as hard as determining which ones are any good and figuring out what to do with them.
Educators are just like students and we don't like to be criticized. Sometimes we have to put our big boy pants on and accept that our ideas are not the best. That is life. We adapt and learn. We adjust. We learn from the ideas and tweak them to make them better. Don't get pouty and give up. Be open and honest and adapt to make the ideas good. Feedback is essential. Have a backbone. Be ready for criticism. If you never get any feedback, then you really know your idea is bad.
A cool idea that excites your engineers should never become a working project until someone can articulate how it actually solves a pressing problem that your customers have.
When we come up with ideas we must have time to have conversation about the idea. We need feedback and suggestions. Educators should project tune. They should also do the project or idea before implementing with students. We have to ensure the idea is a good one before entering the classroom and impacting student learning.
"You never have enough resources and time to attack all your opportunities," says Sher. "You want to focus on the best ones, so you can finish them first. Two nonessential ones get done, the important ones don't, and there's no value created."
Time is always a complaint in education. It is a complaint in all aspects of life. The goal should be to figure what is the most important idea to tackle and tackle it. We cannot spread ourselves so thin that we never really get anything accomplished. This is a major flaw of mine that I am working on currently.
Doblin found, companies get the highest return on investment when they focus on things such as improving business models, internal processes, and customer experience.
Education for students will increase when schools focus on their education models and organization, communication among staff and taking care of their educators, and ensuring the students have opportunities to learn.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
I want to drink coffee with @alexisohanian ! Book Review Without Their Permission
This is a light read. It is not intense. It comes across like a conversation with Alexis. I think many people were hoping for a clear cut path of lists and bullet points to plot out how to do "X".
Instead this is far from this. What I took away from this book is more of the style and personality of Alexis that has allowed him to be successful.
As always I took down notes into Evernote that I found interesting and tried to convert the ideas to the platform of education.
Reading many reviews online I think that had Alexis crafted a plan on how to live without permission would go against the grain of the essence of the book. The idea is go for it and had he laid out a plan, then you would have received permission.
Here are some key parts of the book that stood out to me.
1. Global connectivity is not just changing the way we do business, it is changing the way we think of value.
This holds true even more so after watching the 60 Minutes segment on Amazon.com and Amazon Air and their drones.
2. You have go to be willing to disrupt and be disrupted.
We have to remember that once we make statement people will disagree. This is what causes a lot of fear in people. We have to be strong and believe in our change.
3. These three questions are perfect for education and the classroom. When we talk with students about their work/projects these are great conversation pieces to have.
1. Why is your idea something that people want?
2. How will you sell it to your intended audience?
3. How you will do this better than your competitors?
4. When I find myself doing something that I know the normal person is not doing, then I know I am on to something.
In education we cannot all be alike. Teachers must develop projects and learning opportunities for students to shine and students must embrace the chance to celebrate who they are. We don't need test taking robots. We need innovators and creators. Time to celebrate the disruptors.
5. "The only advice that I can give that I guarantee is true is that you will never succeed unless you try. Just please start. You don't need anyone's permission."
This is my mantra for life. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
6. Here is the thing about ideas: ideas are worthless. Execution is everything.
This is something I am working on along with helping educators and students. We must begin to act. Talking is no longer enough. Discover, develop, and dive in to make ideas happen.
I liked this book. After reading this book I really want to meet Alexis. I would love to have him on my podcast. I look forward to following his journey. The book is one you can read quickly and take away some key tips. Don't expect a game changer and don't expect specific strategies. That is for you to develop and create!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
I Lied! I am sharing Caffeine For The Brain Issue 2
So, last Saturday I shared out via blog post my first issue of my newsletter that I have created to share out every Saturday morning.
In that post I said I would not blog about future issues, but today I have decided to lie and share out my second issue.
Why? Because it is loaded with some good tidbits for thinking as we wrap up this holiday weekend.
I just did not want you miss out on the goodies shared in the newsletter.
Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on future issues.
Enjoy http://eepurl.com/Jp91f
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Living on Edge of Chaos Podcast - Episode 6 - Clive Thompson
Holy Cow! Did I just type in the title that I chatted with the writer and author Clive Thompson? The writer for New York Times, my favorite article in every issue of Wired magazine, and the author of my favorite read of the year Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds For The Better (click the book icon below to buy)
Yes, I did just name drop that. Clive took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me for about 45 minutes to talk about how the new literacies and emerging technologies are shaping our world with a lens on education.
I feel quite honored to be able to present this podcast.
It was a chat that left me tweeting
Go ahead and give it a listen, leave me some feedback on iTunes and let me know what you thought of the conversation. I did have some audio recording issues so my last question where I ask Clive to speak about predictive technologies was lost. That is a bummer as he gave such an awesome answer. I think the rest of the podcast will leave your brain full and you will finish listening excited to know more.
Yes, I did just name drop that. Clive took time out of his busy schedule to chat with me for about 45 minutes to talk about how the new literacies and emerging technologies are shaping our world with a lens on education.
I feel quite honored to be able to present this podcast.
It was a chat that left me tweeting
Just had a great conversation with @pomeranian99 for upcoming podcast. He melted my brain and has opened my eye to new thought.
— Aaron Maurer (@coffeechugbooks) November 26, 2013
Go ahead and give it a listen, leave me some feedback on iTunes and let me know what you thought of the conversation. I did have some audio recording issues so my last question where I ask Clive to speak about predictive technologies was lost. That is a bummer as he gave such an awesome answer. I think the rest of the podcast will leave your brain full and you will finish listening excited to know more.
Show Notes
Follow and listen to this podcast on iTunes and please feedback and ratings. I would love it if you listened to it on iTunes also. Don't just follow, but listen as that is more important than anything!
iTunes link to the show
Listen to podcast on Podomatic.com below
iTunes link to the show
Listen to podcast on Podomatic.com below
All Social Media for Clive Thompson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pomeranian99
Websites
http://clivethompson.tumblr.com/
Please let me know what you thought. Any questions, feedback, suggestions, etc.
Please let me know what you thought. Any questions, feedback, suggestions, etc.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Living on Edge of Chaos Podcast - Episode 4 - 5 Questions on Passion Driven Classroom
Follow this podcast on iTunes and please feedback and ratings.
Show Notes
This show will focus on the following 5 questions based on my prior podcast on Passion
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/coffeechug-cafe-episode-1/id438001112?i=162564070&mt=2
Questions/thoughts I have been thinking about:
1. How can I balance a passion with reality? Seems like when I have a passion, it can turn in to an obsession where I am thinking about the topic and wanting to work on various tasks related to the topic all of the time, which can then take away from time I need to be spending with my family and the mundane chores (dishes, laundry, etc.) that need to be done. I've been trying to think of ways to balance the two.
2. If I am in one of the "valleys" where I don't seem to be passionate about anything, how can I get "fired up" again? Maybe watch motivational videos, reading blogs, keep up on the latest and newest technologies?
3. Can passion turn into stress if I get too absorbed? (Back to the whole finding a balance idea)
4. How can I address 100+ students' passion in my classroom? I am brainstorming ideas for projects where students can work on a topic that they are passionate about.
5. I am still thinking about the question, "What is my wow?" I am wondering if it would be beneficial to do an activity with my team where we share with other team members what we see as their strengths. For me, it is easier to see other people's strengths than my own. This might help to identify my wow.
Theme Song: All credit goes to
https://twitter.com/BigRonCrowley
https://twitter.com/schink10
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Why thinking about Design is vital for Education! Part 1
The other day I tweeted the following
I have become fascinated(alright obsessed) recently with the whole notion of design and how important it is becoming in the business world and the landscape of innovation. Design is becoming so important as people realize the whole complete package of any idea or product is essential to being one unit from the packaging material to how the product actually fits into the package.
As I read one of my new favorite magazines Fast Company the whole issue just so happened to be the 10th Annual Innovation by Design Issue(my first issue sent in mail for my new subscription).
Below are the key ideas I marked and highlighted this issue that I feel are vital to not only innovators and business, but more importantly to education as we prepare students for the job market that will require this type of thinking. I have taken the information and shifted the angle to meet the perspective of education. These ideas are not directly quoted from the articles, but read, adapted, and modified to fit the world of education.
Really questioning why topic of "design" is missing in landscape of education? #coffeechugpln
— Aaron Maurer (@coffeechugbooks) October 30, 2013
I have become fascinated(alright obsessed) recently with the whole notion of design and how important it is becoming in the business world and the landscape of innovation. Design is becoming so important as people realize the whole complete package of any idea or product is essential to being one unit from the packaging material to how the product actually fits into the package.
As I read one of my new favorite magazines Fast Company the whole issue just so happened to be the 10th Annual Innovation by Design Issue(my first issue sent in mail for my new subscription).
Below are the key ideas I marked and highlighted this issue that I feel are vital to not only innovators and business, but more importantly to education as we prepare students for the job market that will require this type of thinking. I have taken the information and shifted the angle to meet the perspective of education. These ideas are not directly quoted from the articles, but read, adapted, and modified to fit the world of education.
- Design is not just about creating new products, but new ways of working, leading, and seeing. I think that in terms of education that "products" are the students where we must infuse new ways of working, leading, and seeing to develop more advanced and visionary students.
- The best teachers are effectively designers - those who grapple with ambiguous challenges, probing for creative solutions,
- "This is what I'm thinking." I might gut-check that with him and say, "Is my gut right or wrong?" (Nike article, page 90) This is vital. This once again fits with education. We have to stop teaching in isolation and network with others to find the answers. We as educators can do a much better job of collaboration. We think we do this, but really so much time is wasted complaining and comparing barriers.
- "It's important to have a culture that doesn't punish you if you make, eventually, a mistake. It's part of the innovation process. I always joke, saying, "What scientists call experiments, marketers call failures or mistakes."" (Pepsico, page 92) Love this! We have to have a culture in our school for educators and students to make mistakes. We live in such high stakes environment that all of us are afraid to make a mistake so instead of pushing the envelope we just stay status quo to avoid any potential conflict.
- "But every time you try to infuse a new culture into a very successful and efficient organization, it's going to try to reject the new. You need the sponsorship of the CEO." In the case of education we need the support of administration and for educators to be willing to try something new. How else can we model learning to our students if we don't shake things up ourselves?
Friday, November 8, 2013
Book Review: The Passionate Teacher by Robert Fried #coffeechugPLN #bookreview
Title: The Passionate Teacher
Author: Robert Fried
Doing some research into the merits of passion and how far you pursue this mindset lead to this author Robert Fried.
I had never heard of him or any of his work. I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book at one of the libraries here in the state of Iowa. The book is 12 years old, but was such a breath of fresh air to my mind.
This book brought a lot of new ideas to my mind and challenged some of the things that I was developing on my own.
I found this book to be quite important to my reading and development as an educator. What I liked best about this book is that he offered practical ideas, units, and forms to use to help transform our thoughts and teaching.
As I work to develop my own book on education I realized that I must do the same. If I am going to challenge a system, I must come up with how I would actually go about making the change.
I took about a half of a legal notepad full of notes. I would be willing to share my thoughts and ideas. If interested let me know and I will send the link to my Evernote.
At the end of the day, there has to be a balance between the passion of the teacher and the interest of the students. If your passion is in education, then the role of student voice must play a part.
This book drove home many new ideas for me, but more importantly it reinforced some key concepts that I have been focused on personally.
To have passion grants us a way of honoring our life's work. We must show our students what it means to be passionate learners.
We are role models for what we are still learning, not what we already know. This is a monster mind shift for many educators.
Teachers wear success so hesitantly. We need to broadcast and share. Students need us to help them discover the right questions.
Change must be quality and not just a trend.
Teachers need to go for it. It is time to go with our hearts and gut instinct and make it happen.
How are you going to be stay out of trouble? This should be the question for teachers. We should be experimenting more and testing out new ideas and ways of teaching. If we feel safe, then we are not really pushing ourselves as learners and teachers.
Challenge yourself as a learner so you stay passionate
In closing this was a great read. One that I am so happy I found. Rarely do I go back and read books more than a few years old, but this one exception made me realize that perhaps I should change this reading rule. If you are looking for some ideas about changing your ways and more insight on passion driven teaching, then this one must be on your nightstand.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Developing a Staff Brain Trust #coffeechugPLN
I would like to announce my latest idea that I believe will greatly enhance teaching, idea development, staff morale, and overall culture of teaching in any school.
I call it the Brain Trust. You can call it whatever you like. Perhaps Justice League or some other clever name.
Here is the idea
We have educators who are amazing in all types of ways. We have big picture/big idea people. We have educators who can flat out deliver any project, idea, or plan. We have educators who are amazing at crunching numbers and data. We have educators who see and outline all the small details of day to day activities to make things happen.
On the flipside all of these amazing gifts teachers have also have the opposite where they may not have the confidence or talent to fulfill all of these components.
As our building merges to a Project Based Learning Model we have many teachers who are busting their butts to develop a high quality and engaging project that will deliver on content, student choice, higher order thinking skills, and an end product that blows the minds of everyone. However, some just cannot get the ball rolling. We are stuck in our molds of current thought. We are trapped in the confines of the ways things have always been. We are being persuaded by the negative voices in our heads. We are drowning in all the things that educators must balance on their shoulders. Despite social media and all the amazing networks available to everyone these days, many educators still operate in isolation.
The Brain Trust will help overcome these obstacles.
I really believe that once teachers get a true taste of Project Based Learning they will never look back. This is where the brain trust comes in.
This small team will consist of the the Big Idea educators in the building. Once every two weeks this group will get together and simply brainstorm ideas, projects, driving questions, etc. for educators who are stuck. The educators who are stuck will write me a little brief design spec on what they are working on, where they are stuck, and what they are trying to achieve. The Brain Trust will not create the whole project, but instead sit in a meeting and come up with as many ideas as they possibly can. From there I will deliver the results back to the person to absorb and reflect. I will follow up a week later with a one on one meeting where I will work with the educator on what they like/disliked and how to make the project come alive.
At this point they will either be off and running or perhaps will have time to craft some more thought so that a project tuning can happen to really cement the plans.
I believe that giving teachers opportunities to help one another will create teacher support and raise teacher morale. It will also help those that are really working hard to have a resource to go to when they are stuck and just need some whacky ideas to get moving again.
In the end it becomes a win win situation for everyone including staff, admin, students, parents, and the community.
What do you think?
More importantly, who needs some help from the Brain Trust?
Send me your Design Spec of your project that you are working on and where you are stuck. I will work on developing the Brain Trust Team and hopefully be able to meet by the end of next week. Let us help you!
I call it the Brain Trust. You can call it whatever you like. Perhaps Justice League or some other clever name.
Here is the idea
We have educators who are amazing in all types of ways. We have big picture/big idea people. We have educators who can flat out deliver any project, idea, or plan. We have educators who are amazing at crunching numbers and data. We have educators who see and outline all the small details of day to day activities to make things happen.
On the flipside all of these amazing gifts teachers have also have the opposite where they may not have the confidence or talent to fulfill all of these components.
As our building merges to a Project Based Learning Model we have many teachers who are busting their butts to develop a high quality and engaging project that will deliver on content, student choice, higher order thinking skills, and an end product that blows the minds of everyone. However, some just cannot get the ball rolling. We are stuck in our molds of current thought. We are trapped in the confines of the ways things have always been. We are being persuaded by the negative voices in our heads. We are drowning in all the things that educators must balance on their shoulders. Despite social media and all the amazing networks available to everyone these days, many educators still operate in isolation.
The Brain Trust will help overcome these obstacles.
I really believe that once teachers get a true taste of Project Based Learning they will never look back. This is where the brain trust comes in.
This small team will consist of the the Big Idea educators in the building. Once every two weeks this group will get together and simply brainstorm ideas, projects, driving questions, etc. for educators who are stuck. The educators who are stuck will write me a little brief design spec on what they are working on, where they are stuck, and what they are trying to achieve. The Brain Trust will not create the whole project, but instead sit in a meeting and come up with as many ideas as they possibly can. From there I will deliver the results back to the person to absorb and reflect. I will follow up a week later with a one on one meeting where I will work with the educator on what they like/disliked and how to make the project come alive.
At this point they will either be off and running or perhaps will have time to craft some more thought so that a project tuning can happen to really cement the plans.
I believe that giving teachers opportunities to help one another will create teacher support and raise teacher morale. It will also help those that are really working hard to have a resource to go to when they are stuck and just need some whacky ideas to get moving again.
In the end it becomes a win win situation for everyone including staff, admin, students, parents, and the community.
What do you think?
More importantly, who needs some help from the Brain Trust?
Send me your Design Spec of your project that you are working on and where you are stuck. I will work on developing the Brain Trust Team and hopefully be able to meet by the end of next week. Let us help you!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Coffee Chat Tuesdays - I am creating Tinker Time in my school! #itlchat #coffeechugcafe #coffeechug{:N
Well, the title is a bit misleading as I don't really have coffee to serve.......yet.
With a shuffle in things here at BMS I will get coffee up and running soon, but for now the title remains.
I am trying to find a time in the day that is easygoing, but a place to share out ideas, ask questions, and brainstorm.I know plates are full and meetings are rampant, but here is what I am going to put together.
Tuesdays 6th, 7th, and 8th period if you have nothing going on please come down to my room.
During this time we will develop BMS Tinker Time - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/teacher-tinker-time-where-is-it.html
You can read the blog post linked, but these things are not allowed to be brought into the room.
Those that enter will come with crazy big ideas to share, celebrate their successes, or come down play with legos and other nerdy things.
No complaining, no excuses, no whining, no negativity.
Time to just chill, brainstorm, chat, and leave refreshed and and excited to try something unexpected.
So feel free to stop down. I will be there. I will have some things set up in case we have nothing to talk about. I have always wanted to build a herd of Lego elephants that communicate with each other :)
Maybe I will see you Tuesday, maybe I won't. No worries either way!
Coffee will be around sometime in the future!
With a shuffle in things here at BMS I will get coffee up and running soon, but for now the title remains.
I am trying to find a time in the day that is easygoing, but a place to share out ideas, ask questions, and brainstorm.I know plates are full and meetings are rampant, but here is what I am going to put together.
Tuesdays 6th, 7th, and 8th period if you have nothing going on please come down to my room.
During this time we will develop BMS Tinker Time - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/teacher-tinker-time-where-is-it.html
You can read the blog post linked, but these things are not allowed to be brought into the room.
- grade papers
- lesson plan
- destress about students, life, school
- do paperwork
- attendance
- PD
- etc.
Instead during this time they enter an Innovative Studio, Tinker Lab, whatever you want to call it and just
- play
- color
- experiment
- engage in conversation about wild ideas
- design
- build
- draw
- brainstorm
- act like a child
No complaining, no excuses, no whining, no negativity.
Time to just chill, brainstorm, chat, and leave refreshed and and excited to try something unexpected.
So feel free to stop down. I will be there. I will have some things set up in case we have nothing to talk about. I have always wanted to build a herd of Lego elephants that communicate with each other :)
Maybe I will see you Tuesday, maybe I won't. No worries either way!
Coffee will be around sometime in the future!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Teacher Tinker Time - Where is it? #coffeechugPLN
This idea has been stuck in my head for about a month.
Teachers need a Tinker Time block built into their schedule.
Just one period of the day where they are not allowed to
Teachers need a Tinker Time block built into their schedule.
Just one period of the day where they are not allowed to
- grade papers
- lesson plan
- destress about students, life, school
- do paperwork
- attendance
- PD
- etc.
Instead during this time they enter an Innovative Studio, Tinker Lab, whatever you want to call it and just
- play
- color
- experiment
- engage in conversation about wild ideas
- design
- build
- draw
- brainstorm
- act like a child
I wonder what amazing things would develop if this was built into the day.
The next big WOW moment would be to add a time for students to do the same!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Technology Travels with Coffeechug: Backchannel Notes and Responses #ITEC13
I have finally found time to answer and respond to all comments shared on the backchannel for my second presentation at ITEC13. I have shared the information below, but constructed all responses in Evernote: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s31/sh/e05b6a6c-d282-4ac9-9279-651cb7c27351/c91e2160d8b9ddbc3e1d92d9a1c3e7d1
If you have further questions, resources, or ideas please share. I will continue to add the Evernote page from this point forward.
Here is the link to my slides - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/itec13-conference-presentations.html
Here is the link to my backchannel notes from my Speedgeeking Session - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/speedgeeking-notes-from-itec13-via.html
Here is the link to my reflections on the two presentations - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/reflecting-on-my-presentations-from.html
A lot of my students don't have access to technology outside the classroom.
If you have further questions, resources, or ideas please share. I will continue to add the Evernote page from this point forward.
Here is the link to my slides - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/itec13-conference-presentations.html
Here is the link to my backchannel notes from my Speedgeeking Session - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/speedgeeking-notes-from-itec13-via.html
Here is the link to my reflections on the two presentations - http://coffeeforthebrain.blogspot.com/2013/10/reflecting-on-my-presentations-from.html
A lot of my students don't have access to technology outside the classroom.
My thought is what are you doing within the classroom to help have a chance to use technology in ways that challenge their thinking?
Is there a link for this presentation somewhere?
Blocking programs and websites creates more fear for teachers--especially for teachers who know little about the programs. "Blocked"="Bad"
Could not agree more. It is time to bring in freedom and allow teachers and students to have real conversations and teaching opportunities about how to handle all the information and issues that come with so much information at our fingertips.
Best advise: Do not care what the person down the hall thinks about what you are doing.
YES! It is all about what YOU are doing. Are you developing an atmosphere for learning, freedom to fail, and challenge new thoughts.
maturity of a group of students helps teachers trust students more which helps alleviate fear
Maturity plays a huge role in things. We are currently dealing with students who lack of maturity hinders what we are trying to achieve. Hopefully we can provide guidance and sometimes more structure and limitations that allow them to have some success. When dealing with immaturity and/or younger kids they need confines to have creativity develop. Wide open range with no parameters will just make them spin in circles.
Fearful of losing precious time trouble shooting problems
This is a valid concern. I think that overtime if more and more classrooms and schools provide this environment for learning through failure, then students will need less "me" time and try to solve problems on their own. We are dealing with this right now. They will just sit and wait forever instead of trying to problem solve. What this statement alludes to is the notion of changing mindset and the culture of learning in schools. Until that happens this troubleshooting concept is an issue.
Fear comes from the fact that I can't control everything, but am still held responsible by parents, admin, etc.
It is not our job to control everything. We are one person. A powerful person with an amazing job, but at the end of the day one person. We have to begin to expand this conversation to the bigger idea that what we are talking about here and in previous questions is that this shift in thought and education is a community effort. We need to bring not only students on board, but educators, admin, parents, community members, etc. While the fear is relevant the conversations need to start happening about how we ALL play a role and the teacher is one part of this much larger puzzle.
I have had to help teachers overcome fear of learning new technology. So what if the kids know more about it than you do?
AWESOME! Create a genius/dream team board where kids declare what they are an expert in so people know who to go to whether it is an adult or student. Student voice is so powerful. If students get a chance to share their knowledge that that provokes more incentive to learn more and develop those skills. I love it when I learn from my students.
Never feared - my teacher parents taught me to embrace!
State of fear - the "what ifs" win too much.
The "what ifs" are something we all deal with in all aspects of life. Sometimes we just gotta take the plunge to see what happens. Scary, but when something clicks there is not a better feeling.
Teachers are fearful of giving up losing/control
The day has arrived that we are no longer in control. Education is a process not a place. Our jobs today are to guide, motivate, and provide the next challenge to the students. Our jobs are not to run the show and prove our knowledge.
As a high school teacher, I have the same fear as that student...
Which is what? I would love to know more!
PLNs help with digital interaction
My PLN is the greatest resource of EVERYTHING that I need. I am so glad I have taken time to develop a strong PLN because I am becoming better every single day learning from others.
Besides fear, teachers also have a problem with letting a student take control. Sometimes a kid knows more than the teacher.
Valid point. Please see answer above
If a student shares a file with me, I can project it from my PC, & he can work on it from his while explaining to the class what he's doing.
How cool is this that technology allows this happen. We can now be a facilitator and give students more chances to share their wisdom
Atomic Learning to help differentiate!
Another great resource shared. Thanks for mentioning this.
Explaining your thinking and thought process out loud.
Perfect! We need to share how we think and process. How cool would it be to go back from this conference and share with students all the things we did. How we took notes, talked with others, wrote blog posts, made lists, experimented, etc. Students need to see how we are constantly learning as adults. We don't share that enough.
What are other examples of modeling?
We should model how we develop lesson plans. Have you ever taken time to show students what goes into preparing for a lesson. They would be amazed. I think so many still believe we just read a book from somewhere that is hidden from plain sight that tells us exactly what to do. Show them how you use your PLN, develop ideas, brainstorm with others, make a million drafts, adapt lessons throughout the day, change ideas for next year. They need to see how we work and operate.
I use the Promethean Board to create an example in real time. I also have a finished product ready to share...like a cooking show!
I love this and would love to see an example of this!
I have a blog. I show kids how it works and teach them to make blogs for journaling and linking sites that help learn the lesson
Love it! Also, would love to see an example.
Real, active (invisible) audience - we just talked about this in class!
What else did you learn? It is such an interesting topic that I want to know more about personally.
Is there a link for that video? I'd love to show my students.
Check the link above for the slides. The link is in the notes.
I love coffee.
Me too!
Can a person really chug coffee? #notacoffeedrinker
Yes, but I am guessing it is not enjoyable!
coffeechug..., not sure what this session is about, but I love the name.
And I hope you enjoyed it!
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