This year has been incredibly fulfilling. Every conference and every district wants to hear the same topic: Mattering IS the Agenda. While I enjoy delivering  my other topics, mattering draws the most emotional response, and […] The post #EdisonK12 Lights Up My Life appeared first on Angela Maiers.

  I had the honor of speaking at #CASLCECA2015 Below you will find the resources I shared and ways to keep abreast of developments from me and from Choose2Matter. I look forward to continuing the conversation! […] The post My Resources for Teaching Digital Literacy: Let’s Do This! appeared first on Angela Maiers.

Four years ago, we imagined a classroom where passion driven work was the norm; one in which students were invited and expected to experiment with ideas, discover possibilities, and make epic things happen. This dream is now […] The post My collection of resources on #GeniusHour appeared first on Angela Maiers.

I had the honor of speaking at #GaETC in Atlanta, GA today. What an audience!!! Below you will find the resources I shared. I look forward to continuing the conversation! Contact me at AngelaMaiers [at] Gmail [dot] […] The post Georgia On My Mind: Resources Shared at #GaETC2015 appeared first on Angela Maiers.

  Earlier this week, I read a Tweet from Matthew Goff, which included the above picture. It read: "Rocks in our backpack lesson - the invisible weight we carry when we forget we matter." #FoxHollowFlyers I […] The post Are You Carrying Rocks in Your Backpack? A Lesson in Mattering, from the #FoxHollowFlyers appeared first on Angela Maiers.

We are so thrilled to hear from student blogger Kendall Haines again on the impact of YOU MATTER. You can read her first piece here. You are amazing Kendall and thank you for sharing your […] The post Realizing Your Vision for Your Life appeared first on Angela Maiers.

We are so happy to introduce a post from guest blogger Alexis, of The Fearless Classroom, Press Elementary, McKinney, TX ***** Boom! Crash! Spark! Fireworks decorate the sky with their illuminated showers of color. The smell […] The post Inner Fireworks appeared first on Angela Maiers.

I have been trying to be authentic to my beliefs about learning. Hence the students are working on projects of their own design around the Vietnam War and the Cold War. My one class has five groups of 2-5 students each building a Tumblr feed, making a game, writing a children’s book, creating a rap video, and filming a documentary. The other half of the class (about 20 students) is working together to make a Choose Your own Adventure style videos on YouTube. This is a very mixed group with students who have previously performed well and struggled in my class. Let me just say that they have blown me away. First of all a couple of them took charge and organized the group’s research assigning everyone a topic which they then decided to make into a timeline. Next on the whiteboard they started mapping out the paths of the "choices" in the video. Later they divided into roles as writers, directors, actors, artists, props, editors, and computer designers for special effects. We are putting an addition on our school for next year and the construction workers put up a temporary wall as they literally tore off the outside wall over holiday break. What opportunity did students see with this wall? A place to draw scenes for their videos. Even after being so impressed with their efforts I saw some of them shooting some scenes outside. I watched them for a few minutes. They were not in costume. They were not organized. The video camera was sitting to the side on a stand. They weren’t even using it! They were obviously not using their time wisely. I went outside to redirect and Jake told me that he was using his phone since it had an app that added some special effects. I said ok and went back inside. I guess I forgot about that part of the conversation because I started class the next day by complimenting them on their organization, their creativity, and their efforts. Then with the memory of them running around in a field yesterday, I gently reminded them to focus on the quality of their video. I told them their "process" of learning was great, but that all people would see would be their end product: the videos. They quickly assured me that they were taking steps to address this including some costumes and props. A few minutes later they were begging me to come watch their movie trailer. Once again they showed great things in what they were doing. I have blogged alot about giving students a chance to own their learning and they will do great things. The truth is that this project has been very hard for me for fear that the students will "fail" and not learn anything. It has not been easy to give up control. My teacher eyes see kids running around in a field and I momentarily lose my trust in their efforts. Then they show me what they are doing and prove that they deserve it. Letting go as a teacher is so hard…

We offered our first professional development this week to local teachers on PBL (project based learning). Since we are a lab school at the county level it was determined from the planning stages of our school to offer PD to the local districts. One of my colleagues and I ran the PD session and I was struck by a couple of things. The teachers who attended did not ask very many basic questions about what PBL is or why it is a good pedagogical choice. Many of them had already used it in their classrooms in at least one project and were looking to further develop their understanding and practice of it. They did not need to be convinced to try PBL. In their districts they were the early adopters. They did ask questions about student motivation, managing the projects and groups, and grading. The questions that hit me the most were questions about testing and assessment. They wanted to know how we assess; how we measure student growth (i.e. what standardized tests do we use and how often); were we concerned about how our students will do on the 11th grade state test (you know the BIG one).  Lifted from Trendblend These teachers were obsessed with testing and assessment. But to be clear these questions were not asked in a skeptical or judgmental way. They were asking these questions because that is the climate that they live in back in their home districts. It was very clear to me that testing was very emphasized in their schools and although they wanted to shift to student-centered PBL they were concerned about how their students would do on tests. They were looking to be assured that if they went all in with a PBL classroom that their students would perform better on standardized tests. To me, test results are not a very important part of PBL at all. I believe in PBL because I think it encourages a better way to learn and develops important life skills such as collaboration and communication that won’t be on any test. Even though I taught in one of these districts two years ago, I have forgotten how dominate the testing culture is in most schools today squeezing out everything else. I am truly blessed to be free from the fear of these tests. My students will take the tests and I sometimes worry about how they will do a little bit, but I do not teach in a climate that obsesses about them non-stop and makes them a key factor in every decision. Other PBL teachers, how do you encourage teachers who want to shift to PBL but feel pressured by a test obsession culture?

From http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/164728-t-minus-and-counting/page-74 I have been thinking a ton lately about the start of the school year including what I want to do on the first day, but especially about building culture. I really think many teachers underestimate the importance of culture in schools and classrooms. In my opinion everything about the experience is culture: what we say, how we say it, what we never say, architecture, furniture, lighting, tone of voice, body language, what we do and don’t do, what students do or aren’t allowed to do. Every interaction and activity is a part of our culture and creates the "norms." Many teachers have shifted from a syllabus and the "rules" the first day of class to community building and things like designing social contracts together. I applaud this, but it is not enough! If we all agree to be responsible, but you never trust students then you are undermining the culture. If we agree to respect one another but then you micromanage every part of the class then you don’t really respect your students. What students need from us is trust. Too often we start off the year with an assumption of negative behaviors from students that we need to cut off before they happen. Students will be off-task, misbehave, and waste time. The truth is that they probably will sometimes. But the danger of starting the year with this assumption is that it starts with a negative expectation. The other truth is that students will do amazing things that you never expected and teach you things, if you let them. Let’s try focusing on this instead the first day. An example from my room is that I always tell students (10th grade) that they are not allowed to ask to go to the bathroom or get a drink in my class. I always say it in my most serious tone with a dramatic pause. Then I say, "Just get up and go if you have to go. I am not here to babysit you for basic human needs." My starting point is assuming trust and responsibility. I understand that this example might not work for your specific situation, but what can you do to communicate a starting position of trust, respect, and responsibility rather than expectations of poor behavior?