by Shelly Blake-PlockSo, I penned an Op-Ed on 'Connected vs Not-Connected Classrooms' and it ran today in The Baltimore Sun... click after the snippet to read the whole thing. And please do share, comment, and help me understand how you think about these things.A gap will emerge between those schools that can offer the capacity for network building — represented by their own network of connected teachers and administrators — and those that will not make the connection. This is not an issue of public versus private school or wealthy versus impoverished school. Plenty of wealthy schools are deciding not to make the connection, while many teachers in cash-strapped schools are pursuing a real grass-roots effort to make it happen. This is about connected schools versus not-connected schools.Read the whole piece.

by Noah GeiselI was introduced to QR Codes by Kevin Gaugler's presentation at the 2009 ACTFL convention, when he showed off the Robert Downey Jr. cover of Esquire magazine that employed QR Codes. Simply put, I was wowed. Since then, I've seen a dramatic rise in the use of QR Codes in magazines, on busses and in classrooms but often find the application of the tool to be uninspiring. Marketers (and we educators are in the business of marketing knowledge and skills) employing QR Codes are limited only by their creativity in the uses of this tool and I, for one, would like to see people thinking more outside-the-box.For example, I recently attended an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and saw that in addition to descriptions of the art and artists on the placards of each piece in the show, there were QR Codes. Excited for a socially appropriate opportunity to break out my smart phone at the museum, I scanned the code and voila: the same information that was on the placard now appeared on my phone's screen, only many times smaller. Value added: zero. Last week, I went to what was billed as a QR Code art show. More than 20 QR Codes had been enlarged and hung on the walls. When scanned, the codes linked to a cell phone screen-sized picture of each artist's work. Somewhat snazzy, but again there was no value added. Personally, I'd rather see the full-sized works.An example of an inspired, outside-the-box approach to using QR Codes is in the photography show of Denver math teacher and travel photographer Paul Knickerbocker. Each picture in his show is named after the town and country where it was taken. Additionally, each picture's placard features a QR Code that, when scanned, links to a Google Map that Mr. Knickerbocker created on which the pictures have been geo tagged and annotated with brief descriptions of the shots. This is a use that adds value! It allows people to learn more about each picture and have multiple ways to connect with them. It opens the door to art patrons conversing with the artist without his having to be at the gallery every day. The QR Codes are used in order to bring something new to the table, not just recycle the same content to a mobile device. As we seek out ways to engage our 21st Century learners, QR Codes are an attractive option. The challenge is not to find opportunities to integrate them but to do so in ways that, like Mr. Knickerbocker's travel photography show, enhance content and users' experiences. Failure to think outside-the-box can lead to presenting the same information on a smaller screen and that is a tough sell for the learners in our target market. _____________________________________________________**Cybraryman's resource page is a great starting place for educators to explore ways to utilize QR Codes in the classroom**

by Shelly Blake-Plock Been having a lot of facetime recently with folks out there in the education world and have noticed a few misconceptions that keep popping up regarding the conversation we've been having about social tech integration and networked classrooms. So I thought I'd write this brief post concerning some of the issues folks have had.1. Networked education will not improve test scores. This is a 100% true statement. Networked education will not improve test scores. Personally, I have no interest in improving test scores because I hold them to be by-and-large a poor reflection of the actual learning, growth, and understanding of our students; that's just me. Other teachers feel differently. And that's fine. I like debate. But as for networked education, improving test scores is not the objective... therefore, do not expect results. You are going to have to redefine what "assessment" means if it's real networked learning you are trying to gauge.2. Technology will not fix education. This is a 100% true statement. All along, we've been stressing the fact that technology -- and the digital age broadly speaking -- is the context, not the goal. Having computers in your room will not make your kids understand Shakespeare better. But denying the connection in your room will limit your students' capacity to use the connections and resources of the web to better learn, grow, and understand in a personalized and context-savvy way. Eventually, there will be two types of students: connected and not-connected. Connected students will have the power of broad personal and professional learning communities at their fingertips. Not-connected students won't. You are the teacher: decide what kind of student you think is going to have the skills and understanding to make it in a connected world.3. Smart kids don't need networked learning, because they'll pick it all up along the way. This notion demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of what networked education is. It's not about the "end result"; it's about the process. Networked learning isn't a goal; it's a way of being. It's not analogous to getting the "A" or the "5" on the AP exam; it's about learning to be a thinker, citizen, and engaged person within a connected global network. And that's a life-long ongoing process that doesn't end just because you got into your top choice college. It's not another accolade to pick up at the podium.4. Wealthy schools will always be the best schools. I get to visit many schools and have walked the halls of some of the most august. And I have seen in some of these schools only what I would consider at best a complete lack of recognition of the reality of what is happening in the broader culture, and at worst a complete mis-reading of what the digital paradigm means for the future of our society. There are many, many so-called "top tier" schools that you could not pay me to send my own children to. In the connected age, the quality of a school will ultimately have less to do with the size of the endowment than with the capacity of the program to produce engaged and creative thinkers who can handle a variety of complexities and types of connection. The future doesn't care about your reputation.5. Inner-city schools have bigger issues than whether or not their students are using Twitter. While schools of all types face a multitude of challenges, this statement betrays a deep lack of understanding of what social networks represent. I can't help but hear such a statement and not glean the anxiety that social networks might prove to represent the greatest challenge to present and status quo hierarchical systems of authority in education, business, government, and beyond. I could imagine no greater issue facing any school district than whether or not their students are connected and engaged in an empowering and culture-redefining network.

by John T. SpencerI am not a Google Fanboy.  I promise this.  I am not crazy about any transnational corporation poised to redefine the way we organize information.  However, in using Google Plus, I'm thinking that we could learn a few things in terms of rethinking and redesigning public education:User Interface: FormIt finally feels like Google has a "look," with the new Google search pages and Gmail user interface.  It's  clean and minimal in an online world filled with slick, shiny icons.  Unlike Facebook (which has become a cluttered Wal-Mart-style mess), Google Plus makes use of a balance between negative and positive space.  The result is both a calm and active ethos, creating a "place" where I want to hang around.I'd like to see schools pay better attention to this.  In my dream school, we have space, open space, negative space.  We have murals.  We have art.  We have bold colors, but also places where things are calm.  We have windows.  Instead of looking slick and professional, school would look like a place where students want to be.User Interface: Function I like the use of muted icons, as if any color chosen is intentional alongside the bold green, blue and red that gently guide me toward what I'm looking for. The end result is a user interface that is intuitive as much as it is logical.  Google Plus is easy to navigate from within the system and easy to access from outside (adding the plus one button, seeing the red update box next to my name, the share box, etc.)  The result is a system that has a ton of integrated features while still feeling simple.Schools could learn from this by designing curriculum that allows for fluid integration while still creating a sense of natural boundaries between subjects.  Both in physical and in intellectual space, schools wouldn't have to be free of walls, but rather open to half walls, open doors and open windows.  Schools wouldn't have to be entirely project-based or independent work, but they could be open to a balanced, nuanced approach of integration and specialization.LanguageLanguage reshapes the way we define reality.  The unspoken metaphors create a semantic environment that both create and reflect our values and norms.  Google chose human metaphors.  Instead of using "video chat," they have "hang outs." Instead of saying "customized search," they use sparks.  Even the emotive, harmonious symbol of a circle (and the common use of spheres and circles to describe relationships) has a much more human sound to it than "lists."Schools could learn from Google as they push reform.  It has to be real, though.  We can't use "common" and then create "standardized."  Nor can we speak of "learning" and simply mean "achievement."  However, if we begin to move toward more human, organic metaphors, our values, norms and structures will eventually change. FeaturesGoogle Plus offers sparks (a customized way of searching and sharing), circles (a chance to direct your communication to your personalized groups) and easily embedded media within status updates.  Plus offers hangouts, where small groups can interact on video.  And the best part? It's not cluttered full of third party apps trying to spam me into a mafia or a pretend agribusiness or a make-believe coffee shop. In the process, it's both interest-based (sparks) and relationship-based (circles) in a way that feels very human.  School could function as a flexible community while still allowing students to engage with the outside world (plus one approach).  Students could engage in community with concentric circles while personalizing their learning according to their own interests (sparks). Students could meet based upon shared social status (age-based, ability levels) while also letting them share in interest-based formats (multi-age classes based upon interests). We could recover recess (hangouts) and we wouldn't have to depend upon third-party apps invading our curriculum and forcing us to interrupt real learning with incessant testing updates.  We could learn from Google in some of the smaller features, too.  Maybe wait a little longer in student response time and in discipline.FlexibilityGoogle Plus allows users to interact in a way that resembles both Facebook and Twitter.  Thus, it's easy to embed media, but it's not cluttered with media updates.  I can choose to follow you, but you can choose to limit your updates to specific circles.  In addition, while social media often defines relevance for the users, Google Plus lets the users define relevance for themselves. Instead of being differentiated, it's truly personalized.  Instead of offering choice, it offers freedom.  I can sort by medium, by interest or by social communities.  Schools need to shift from differentiation to customization/personalization.  They need to allow students to define relevance and meaning, to sift through multiple media choices, to organize information according to the meaning they create rather than the teacher-driven transmission of conceptual systems.  Schools could also learn to create fewer options and provide more freedom, relying on the power of freedom and simplicity to generate creativity and authenticity.Bottom LineGoogle learned from the failures of Wave and Buzz as well as the structural problems with Twitter and Facebook.  The response was a certain humility that education reformers could learn from. They worked toward creating a social network that feels more social than networked.  In designing an online community, they seemed to ask, "How can we humanize this?" rather than "How can we get people to follow this format?" John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink.  He recently finished two books, Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and Drawn Into Danger, a fictional memoir of a superhero and he's working on Sustainable Start, a book for new teachers. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer

by Shelly Blake-PlockI am not a great teacher. Many of my former students would probably agree. I'm at times flaky. And I can certainly be absent minded. I tend to ask students to do too much work all at once, probably because that's the way I do things.I'm a terrible test-prepper. When I do give lectures, I tend to go on tangents. Sometimes I mix up names, dates, events; this happens at family BBQs, too.I keep my gradebook relatively up-to-date, but tend to prefer talking directly to students about what we've been learning/doing rather than just mark up assignments. This works for some students, it doesn't for others. And thus, I often find myself in the position of doing what I'm "supposed to do" as a teacher when I feel and I know from experience that there is a better way to do things.When I started teaching, I was absolutely terrible at classroom management. A decade in, I realize that my classroom management issues stopped being issues around year 3 when I stopped trying to control everything going on in my classroom. I don't think any of us really realize what classroom management is all about until years into teaching when we've realized that we haven't thought about classroom management in a while.I try to talk candidly with parents. And I will argue my point. But I'll also listen to yours. As a father of three elementary school kids, I value conversations with their teachers where they are open and honest with me even if I disagree with what they are saying.Sometimes I've gotten into trouble because I've been too open or outspoken about things. I know there are many folks on the faculty who don't like me. I've let certain grudges go on too long.But at the same time, I feel like there are people who get an idea in their head about what you represent, and from there on out, there is no changing their opinion.Happens in my head, too.I am not a great teacher. I'm not always prepared. Though I do think I am a pretty good improviser. And I think that is an essential, but over-looked skill. I like the idea that any kid can bring up any point about any subject and within seconds we can be talking about something that could potentially change a life in a way my prepared lesson never could.I tend to hate most professional development. And yet, I like to design new kinds of PD.A lot of people confuse me with someone who thinks technology is the answer to all of our problems. Those people are probably people who don't like to read long blog posts.Fair enough.I always hated working in groups as a student. But now, I work with groups all the time. In some ways, I couldn't function professionally without my network. That network -- that group ever changing and evolving in thought and substance -- is the circulatory system at the heart of what I think about when I think about education.I'm not a great teacher. I can't teach you how to be a great teacher. You are probably a better teacher than me. I don't know.What I do know is that I'm a pretty good learner. I like learning. I'm also a pretty good share-er. I like sharing. When I am learning and sharing, I don't feel like my back is to the wall. I feel comfortable. I feel like my motivations are honest. I feel like I can be myself. And I feel a bit more useful to other folks.I am far more interested in being a conduit for ideas. A conduit for conversation. A conduit for debate. For real learning. Connecting. Rethinking. Reframing debates. Debates and discussions. The stuff of humanity.I don't remember off the top of my head what year Napoleon became emperor. I'd have to look it up. I guess that makes me a pretty lousy history teacher.But I'm willing to not know.I take a lot of solace in the example of Socrates. Not because I think I'm like Socrates, but because I think deep down Socrates is a lot like all of us. Socrates was a guy who both boastfully and intimately explained that in the end, he really didn't know anything.And that was enough to change everything.

By Mike KaecheleThere is a Save Our Schools March in Washington D.C. this week. I can't go but here is my contribution to the discussion.

by Shelly Blake-PlockA lot of talk recently about 'best practices'. Best practices for using the iPad in the classroom. Best practices for social media in schools. Best practices for dealing with kids more interested in Angry Birds than in schoolwork.Trouble is: There are no 'best practices'.In fact there is no 'best' anything when it comes to teaching. There is no 'best' in teaching any more than there is a 'best' way to win a football game.Now, there will be those pundits who claim that one team's Super Bowl victory means less than another's. Pundits make a career of saying what is 'best' for someone else. But we all know that teams win games based on preparation; on the ability to adapt strategy -- often in the middle of a play; on the way their unique culture expresses itself as teamwork. Teams don't win because pundits say what's best.And student's don't learn because of what the educational equivalent of pundits say is best.Students learn based on the relationship that exists between themselves and their teacher; they learn because of the preparation, strategies, adaptations, and teamwork involved. And there is no standard way of producing success. That preparation, those strategies, those adaptations, and that teamwork will be different in each class -- or at least should.Because no two kids are the same. No two teachers are the same. No two schools are the same. We're all working with what we've got. And what we've got -- to slice through all the murk on all sides of the Ed Reform debate -- are relationships.Great coaches and great athletes know that it is relationships, not 'best practices' that win championships. Love of the game inspires kids. Love of passion and hard work and determination and grit and love of love itself.No kid wants to grow up to be a pundit.And no kid is inspired by 'best practices'.In the end, 'best practices' are just another form of punditry. They inspire nothing but further standardization.And standardization is the opposite of passion. It's the opposite of joy, motivation, love of being part of the struggle -- the pathos -- of sport and learning alike. Standardization tells you that making a mistake is a bad thing. Standardization suggests there is a clear cut measure. A process that works. No gray.'Best practices' tell you that there is a 'Way'; and if you just follow that way, you'll find success.This has never worked. There is no Way in teaching. There are only teachers looking for a way on one hand and those making their own way on the other.If you really want to inspire learning, you don't need 'best practices', you just need practice best.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

by Shelly Blake-PlockWas in DC yesterday for the SOS March.Nice mixture of people (and opinions) on the Ellipse. Still getting my head around everything I heard and saw and I promise a post soon. In the meantime, here are some photographs I snapped; thanks to everybody for the kind conversation throughout the day.

by John T. SpencerI have a student who wrote a creative masterpiece as an alternate ending to a story about a woman in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In the end, she is caught and faces life in prison because she accidentally wears a pair of white socks (they were forbidden). As they take her away, she cries out, "Cursed white socks! They let me down again. But I would rather die than be loyal to the Yankees." I chose to affirm it by laughing and writing a note reading, "nice satirical look at the situation." Yes, I want him to take injustice seriously. Other teachers would have lectured the student on the need to "take the assignment seriously."  However, I know that humor can be a powerful force on demonstrating the absurdity of those who are in power. By mentioning the ridiculous rule about white socks, he not only makes a baseball reference but also shows that the Taliban is entirely illogical.  As a result, he begins writing deep satire about standardized tests, immigration, war and balanced budgets.It starts an entire unit called Satire for Social Change."I think I’m thinking more about issues in the world by writing satire," he explains. "Why’s that?" I ask."It’s like Jon Stewart, right. He is able to take the world more seriously be laughing at the insanity of other journalists," he responds."I think people miss out on how much goes into writing satire," I tell him. "Stewart and Colbert are often more honest with their audiences than mainstream media.""Humor gives us the opportunity to say what no one is saying," he adds. I think there are a few more academic benefits to humor that are often unnoticed:Humor provides a chance to be creative. When a child can truly create something humorous, synthesis is occurring. Look back at the baseball joke. It proves that he knows a Taliban rule, the ridiculous nature of it, the future history of what happens and the notion of Yankee being a term applied to the United States. Humor is a skill students will use in life. I can't think of a profession (perhaps a mortician, though I can see a place for dark humor there, too) where humor is not an asset.Humor is a deeply human endeavor. I need students to feel safe and humor adds a safe, human aspect to an often intense level of thinking I ask of my students. It's not so much "comic relief" (because humor is not in any way a relief from thinking) as it is a reminder of the human side.Humor is a relational skill. If I want to have holistic learners, I need my students to see the value in relationships. Humor is a necessary part of relating to one another.Humor requires deep thought. I can argue that teachers are not overpaid. Or, I could write a satirical piece as a teacher who works 9-3, visits Bali, has a polo-playing zebra and owns a yacht (as The Nerdy Teacher did).Humor helps us with empathy. A class that uses humor learns about crossing lines, hurting others and apologizing for careless language. Students learn to anticipate how others will feel rather than blindly hacking away with arguments.Humor allows us to be vulnerable. To me, that’s critical. There is a risk in every joke. The silence can be deafening. It’s risky.I use humor often in the classroom. Oddly enough, it wasn't until I was able to laugh that students took me seriously. When I pretended prototypical "mean teacher," students despised me. However, when I lightened up, used some self-deprecating humor and introduced a little irony, I earned the respect of students. I opened the door for deeper humor on a regular basis. Students need humor if the classroom community is ever going to be creative, empathetic, thought-provoking and fully human.I recognize that we need to teach students about respect in their humor.  I try and push kids away from sexual innuendo, "yo mama" jokes and pooping references and toward a deeper sense of irony.  However, I've also recognized that humor I might not appreciate (physical humor, puns) can play a critical role in the class growing closer. Case in point: Many of my students, being English Language Learners, struggle with idioms. I realized that one afternoon when I made a kid cry after writing a positive note about how he goes the extra mile. "I already run enough in PE. Why me?" So, early on in the year, I teach my students about the difference between literal and figurative language using a comic strip from The Oatmeal. From there, students begin brainstorming idioms and illustrating figurative versus literal. Here are a few samples:"Dude, would you quit dropping to the ground?" "I’m falling for him." "I’m still struggling to see why you are asking for a heart transplant?" "I told him I would literally give him my heart." "Would you stop that?""Your sign says it up there. It’s KFC. I have every right to lick your fingers." "Well folks, it looks like the games over. The Packers had a literally explosive offense today and that seems to be the real issue." The humor in this exercise helped bond our class together. We grew closer as a community from the shared laughter. Yet, it also forced students to be creative and to think at a higher level. Humor is difficult to pull off. It’s why I had students write their own satire after watching clips from The Onion News Network. They ranged from silly (a riot at Macy’s after school announced it was a Free Dress Day and everyone showed up to get their free dresses) to cutting (a satirical piece about the standardized test that gets people to Heaven). I used to see humor as comic relief. It was that "extra" that some teachers were able to use. I’ve learned that it’s a vital part of classroom leadership. Something magical happens when a group feels safe enough to laugh together.John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink.  He recently finished two books, Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and Drawn Into Danger, a fictional memoir of a superhero and he's working onSustainable Start, a book for new teachers. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer

by Noah GeiselEarlier this week, the following headline popped up on my daily stat app: "Twice the R&D Budget Doesn’t Get You Twice the Innovations" The study of around 100 semiconductor and related companies revealed that when companies double down on Research & Development, the effort "leads to just a 22.5% increase in new-product announcements." The language in the interpretation of this study ("leads to just...") implies this is not an acceptable return on investment. One person I can think who might beg to differ is baseball player Ken Griffey, Jr. Had The Kid been able to reap a 22.5% benefit from putting twice as much into R&D on his home run swing, he would have retired with 771 career home runs, 9 more than all-time leader Barry Bonds (Hmmm...). One man's interpretation of diminishing returns is another's immortal legacy.How does this relate to teaching and learning? Research & Development are closely tied to risk-taking. As an educator, I am constantly challenging my students to push themselves in the 21st Century Skill of risk-taking, a key force behind invention, innovation and, I believe, general success in 2011 and beyond. Risk-taking is the lone subjective component found in every rubric students receive in my class - to the tune of at least 20% of the total grade. Risk-taking is also the only way a student may earn extra credit on any given assignment. It is one way of showing the students the floor and not the ceiling: show students the ceiling of expectations and some heads may bump the fan; show students only the floor and some will touch the clouds.

by Mike Kaechele I wrote a short article for the Grand Rapids Press today explaining/defending Problem Based Learning. It was in response to a commenter ripping PBL and innovation in the classroom. I think it is important for all of us to promote authentic learning at the local level whenever we get the chance. If you are interested in PBL check it out.

and less like a prison(Click on the short podcast below)

by John T. SpencerThe IssueWe say we believe in differentiated instruction. We say that we want to meet the needs of all students. However, too often in professional development, schools require teachers to learn the exact same information. It might be quality training, too. However, for a teacher who has already mastered the concepts, this type of training feels irrelevant.Why learn this if it's not an issue in my classroom?Why learn this in a way that treats first grade and eighth grade teachers as though they are the same?Why can't I learn in a way that relates to the direct needs of my own classroom context?Differentiated Professional DevelopmentOftentimes schools take this reality and shift toward differentiated instruction. It sounds like a great idea. The staff might have five or six options for a weekly professional development. They become mini-classes that allow teachers to delve deeper into a particular concept. However, this model tends to fail for the following reasons:It doesn't relate to what each teacher needs The focus is on teacher interest rather than student needs There are too few options The PD planners are trying to guess what teachers need rather than allow them to make their own decisions Customized LearningA better solution would be for teachers to create their own professional development based upon an identified need in their own classrooms. For example, a teacher might struggle with classroom management. This teacher could attend a differentiated professional development class. However, he or she might also choose to embrace a coaching model (if another teacher could model it in the classroom), peer observation, a book study, a video and a Twitter chat on the subject.Instead of offering a menu of options, administrators could create a format where teachers could develop their own professional growth plan. This could then set up new structures for book studies, small group classes and peer modeling (give up a few preps and then get your preps back during formal PD times).The idea here is to keep it student-centered and empower teachers to take ownership of their own learning.*     *     *John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink.  He recently finished Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and he's working onSustainable Start, a book for new teachers. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer

by Shelly Blake-PlockBeen talking to a variety of folks recently -- from ed school professors to urban middle school principals to teaching interns to tech entrepreneurs to professional development pros to cutting edge engineering firms to high school presidents to third graders. And one thing keeps popping up in all of the discussions: technology isn't an option.There used to be a time when digital technology was optional. This was in the era before the Internet. Before social media. Before mobile tech. That era is gone.This is obvious to most people.Unfortunately, it is not obvious to enough people in education itself. It is partly a matter of curriculum not keeping up with the times. If you have been successfully teaching the same thing for twenty-five years without tech, you sure as heck should be questioning why you need tech now. And your colleagues and students should be questioning why you've been teaching the same thing for twenty-five years, as well. Refusing to create curriculum relevant to the world our children live in is not an option.Likewise, it is a matter of a broken tradition of resource management that makes schools subservient to textbook manufacturers and the makers of various software. Hint: if your tech folks aren't able to use, make accessible, and mentor teachers on the use of open source material and applications, it is time to find new tech people. Hint number 2: a teacher who knows how to locate and use the public domain and open resources and apps available on the net is worth her weight in gold.Failing to identify and implement resources that make tech accessible to all is not an option.Lastly, technology is not about devices. Technology is about context. To focus on the device at the expense of the context is to set oneself up for failure and heartache. Our purpose in educating children is not to prepare them for college, it is to prepare them for the demands of whatever life throws at them. Likewise, the purpose of our integration of technology into learning is not to prepare students to be better consumers of devices, but to be more engaged and connected citizens in a world in which technology is the context. Missing the context is not an option.- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

John T. SpencerPeople often mock me when I talk of paperless math (and rest assured, I still believe in using paper within a math class) and using mental math.  However, I see a real value in using student discourse, mental math and multimedia tools within a math lesson.  I used the following with a group of fifth graders and the students have been moving further toward meaningful dialogue and conceptual thinking. Math Discourse / Mental MathTypes of Apps:Drawing AppVoice AppComic AppCamera Survey / FormsBonus: SpliceStep One: Mental math problem:317+764Step Two:Have students write out their answers afterward using a drawing app. Let them explain, verbally, their process using a voice app.   Step Three: Explain the discourse process and then have them record the discourse with a partner.  Sample Questions:ClarifyingWhat process did you use? Why did you choose to use that process? Why did you choose that step? (find a specific step)Can you explain what you were thinking?What part was challenging for you?  How did you get past the challenge?Analytical QuestionsWhy does your process work? Is there a scenario where that might not work? What can you do to prove to me that your process was correct?Is there another way to look at this?How did you arrive at that conclusion?  Is there a more efficient way to do this process?Diagnostic Questions (If You’re Stuck)What did you do to get to that point? What part are you struggling with?  Is there another strategy you can use from another math process? Can you predict the answer and work backward? What do you already know? Can you build on this? What information are you missing?Step Four:Students can "bump" the audio with one another.  Then, individually, students now listen to the discourse and rate themselves on how they did as a pair (using a survey app) Falls Far BelowApproachesMeetsExceeds Clarifying Questions: How well did you do at asking clarifying questions? I asked one of the questions. I had a hard time figuring out what a clarifying question was. I asked multiple questions using the guide that you gave me.  I tried to use a follow-up question.I used the questions in my own words and asked follow-up questions. I had a full conversation where we each talked about our process with questions and answers in our own words. Analytical Questions: How well did you at asking analytical questions?I asked one of the questions. I had a hard time figuring out what an analytical question was. I asked multiple questions using the guide that you gave me.  I tried to use a follow-up question.I used the questions in my own words and asked follow-up questions.I had a full conversation where we each talked about our process with questions and answers in our own words. Diagnostic (If You’re Stuck) Questions: How well did you do at helping one another when you were stuck?I wasn’t able to determine when or how my partner was stuck.I tried to ask diagnostic questions, but I couldnt find the mistake. Or I solved it for my partner.I asked diagnostic questions that helped my partner figure out his or her mistakes.My partner and I both used diagnostic questions to have a full conversation about how to solve the problem differently. Answers: How well did you do at answering questions?I used one-word answers. I used complete sentences. I used complete sentences and gave a reason why. I used complete sentences and asked questions as well. Math Vocabulary: To what extent did you use correct math vocabulary?I didn’t use any math vocabulary.I used one math vocabulary words.I used several math vocabulary words. I used math vocabulary words without even thinking about the fact that they were vocabulary words. Step Five:Try it again with a new partner.  This time, don’t use the rubric. Step Six:Reflection Option 1: Using e-mail or a word processing app, describe, in a sentence how your process was similar or different from the process of your neighbors.  Option 2: Using e-mail or a word processing app, describe why it’s important to think through one's processStep Seven:Using a video app, take your notes, images and audio and put it altogether into a presentation about how to solve this type of problem.  Send the final product to your teacher. Or you can create a slideshow using comic program and show the mental process with thought bubbles and character dialogue. John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink.  He recently finished Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and he's working onSustainable Start, a book for new teachers. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer

by Mike KaecheleI have read various people online pointing out that students are ignored in much of the reform talk in the United States. We rarely ask them what they think or want out of their education. I will be part of a new school opening this fall run by the county wide intermediate school district. In correlation with our "grand opening" media day winners were announced to a student contest. Students had to make a short video of what they would change about education or what their dream school would be like. Here are my two favorite ones: "If I could change education" and "What you want" (sorry I can not embed them here)The students did not know that a new school was being launched. It was very cool to see how much of the philosophy of our new PBL school was in the videos.What will you do to listen to students this year?

by Shelly Blake-PlockReader Mrs. Stanley left a comment on an earlier post that I wanted to put in front of your eyes as we are all getting started with a new school year. Words to live (and learn) by:This fall I enter my last year of teaching, and I have one overwhelming goal -- to shut up and listen more to what my students have to say and to continue to be a better teacher by being a better learner with my students as teachers. 

by John T. SpencerJohn T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink.  He recently finished Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and he's working onSustainable Start, a book for new teachers. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer

By Noah Geisel Facebook is rolling out a flurry of changes and some of them relate to privacy. From what I read at AllThingsFacebook it's not hitting all users at once so I don't know how many of you have already had a chance to explore. So far, my own clicking around hasn't revealed anything that reduces your level of privacy. In fact, some changes could make it more secure for you, depending on your current settings. The most notable new feature is that when you update your status, you will see a drop down menu just to the left of the "Post" button. This allows you to choose between Friends (only your friends can see it), Public (this used to be Everyone) and Custom. If you've created groups, then Custom allows you to send the status only to the specific users you choose. Whichever audience you select, it will be the new default setting until you change it. Also, Facebook says that any changes to your security settings automatically update with your mobile app. If you're the type of person who wants their profile to be on lock down, choose Friends or take the extra step of setting up groups. If you're not sure what your settings are or want to do a quick double-check, The 10 Facebook Privacy Settings You Need to Know is a great resource to walk you through it. (Caveat: Posted in February, so it may not be up to date.)

by Shelly Blake-Plock ...and I am just getting the chance to shoot off a quick post about it. Lot's going on around here. I know my fellow contributors have been busy getting classes underway; I myself find myself starting the school year in a way that's new for me. That's because this year, I am teaching my high school students almost entirely virtually. I have been putting a lot of time recently into my professional development and ed tech pursuits -- such as the Baltimore EdTech Forum which will be on September 20th and will be an awesome beginning for a year-long conversation here in town on what the future of education and technology could look like for Baltimore City school kids -- and thus have been spending more time with teachers than with students.In a way, this is good; because over the years, I have seen my role developing into more of a facilitator than a "teacher" per se, and I am particularly compelled by being able to help other teachers do what they want to do. But I do think it is extremely important to keep one foot in the classroom, so as to have a daily reminder as to what this whole endeavor is about.And so, I've created what is the first virtual hybrid curriculum at my high school and I am very excited to see how things work out.I chose (and paid for) WebEx as our online meeting place (mostly because of it's ability to handle everything from PCs to iPads to phones seemlessly -- even students without smartphones can participate on-the-go via a traditional cellphone call); it's also way slick. I really love Edmodo and that's our place for assignments, calendars, grades, and everything else. For ongoing communication and news gathering we're using Twitter, and for quick chats we've got a TodaysMeet room staked out.I'm running "office hours" on Google+ using Hangouts. We'll see how that works. I think I'll post office hours for students and general Google+ Hangout time for general conversation among peers and colleagues both at school and with all of you.I am looking forward to fully step into this mobile world. Seems like a lot has happened since that day back in 2008 when I decided not to use paper anymore.On that note, I've caught some flack recently from people saying that by promoting online media over paper media I am helping to destroy the environment.Hmm. All I have to say is, yes, data centers and server farms are terrible for the environment; so are poorly recycled laptops and monitors. This is true. My hope -- idealist that I am -- is that the connections allowed through 1:1 Internet access will provide for people to develop new technologies that fix these problems; I tend to think we work better when we are connected and when we have access to the Internet. And real-time collaboration and the ability to search and share volumes of information worldwide is essential.In short, when it comes to tech, I think we work better and learn more when we base our commitment to education in the context of what's going on.It is true that technology can be dirty. It is true that technology itself isn't going to fix our problems. Technology really isn't a "tool" anymore. Technology is a context. Context produces culture. This happened before back at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. The context of industry produced all sorts of pollutions and evils; it also produced the medical revolution and eventually gave lift to the social mobility of the lower and middle classes to attend colleges and universities. In the end, it was the decisions people made that -- both for much better and much worse -- shaped the century that was.Industry used to be the context; Digital is now the context; and yes, there are still so many connections between the two and so many assumptions we all make and so many places in the world where none of this seems to apply and so many places in the world where it all seems to apply. It's confusing. Difficult. It should make you uneasy. And excited. And nervous. And it could all be a mistake.And if the entire world collapses because of war, disaster, energy crisis, and famine, I am sure I'll be the one to blame <<< snarky alert!With any sort of technology there really is no easy answer. And therefore, I decline to offer one. Still too busy digging up questions.All that said, I just wanted to say "Thank You" publicly to all of the readers who make writing for this blog worth it. It's going to be a great year and I look forward to sharing with you all.

by Shelly Blake-PlockTechnology is not making life easier.And the tools we use in the classroom do not make life easier. Going paperless won't make your life easier. Going paperless won't solve your problems and it won't "really" clear up that clutter on your desk.And I say, "Thank goodness."Because by striving to make things simpler, by striving to make things more manageable, we put ourselves in the mind-place where we might just wind up making the same sorts of decisions with regard to networked connections and personalization that led to the very things we hate about bureaucracy and standardization.We have to fight the inner urge to make our lives easier.Life is not easy. Neither for the individual nor for the society. Life is complex. It takes the ability to solve problems and the ability to face problems that can not be solved; it takes the ability to recognize both beauty and ugliness and to know that you can't have one without the other.We are living in an age of connections. That does not mean we are living in an age qualitatively "better" than any other. Technology itself is ethically neutral.And that is the way it has to be.Technology is not making life easier. We know this. Fundamentally, we understand that we are awash in an alien sea. And to we -- including myself -- who have stated at one time or another how simple a certain app makes something, or how much more manageable a certain device makes something: to hell with us.Life is not simple. Life is not something to simply be managed.Our kids get this. Our kids are still of an age where they aren't impressed by the technology they use so much as they are satisfied by it. We teachers are old enough to understand the shift in context and we therefore are amazed and at times overwhelmed. But few 15 year olds on Earth really care about how innovative Spotify is; the 15 year old just wants to listen to music.They don't want to celebrate the simplicity of the e-music revolution. They don't want to specialize in the management of audio data.They just want to rock out.To the 15 year old, Spotify -- and the whole of the technological vista -- is pretty obvious. And pretty simple.And yet not simple at all. Because what Spotify -- like the radio stations of our youth -- represents is one's identity. And there is nothing at all simple about that. And it is identity that our kids struggle with -- identity within the context of technology.And so there is really nothing simple about it at all. Nothing simple about it when you put it in the context of identity formation in a 24/7 connected pluralistic society. What's simple is just thinking about the matter from the point of view of technological innovation and dealing with the end result -- the product -- the user interface.And that's emblematic of the problem with technology in schools. We tend to think about technology in such a way that we divert our attention from the social aspect -- the formative aspect -- and instead look for the easiest-to-use user interface. So often we fall into a pattern of behavior that either obsesses over or ignores the interface because it seems to present itself -- and the "life" it represents -- in such an easy and simple way.But there is no simple way.And there never will be. And there shouldn't be.You can pull up the most easy listening Milquetoast music you could dream of on Spotify and it does nothing to diminish the complexity of the process that is bringing that music to you -- a process equally economic, technological, artistic, labor-intensive, political, and cut-throat competitive. It does nothing to diminish the social and psychological intensity of the process of identifying oneself culturally for or against an aesthetic. It does nothing to diminish the very life-stuff and joys and tragedies and wealth and poverty and salvation and abuse behind every note of music and every blip of byte to byte.We are teachers. And we know that when it comes to assessing the intellect and understanding of a student, there is no "simple".Technology itself will never do anything to change that.In fact, the power of personalized observation into formative development that technology does provide will probably only make the whole thing more complex.Complex.Maybe that's what we should be focusing on. Maybe that's what we should be calling this age -- not the Digital Age, but rather the Age of Complexity.Simple.

by Noah GeiselToday marks the 10 year anniversary of one of the most important moments in our nation’s history. It also marks the 10 year anniversary of my first day of teaching.To turn on the television during the last week has been to be confronted with the networks’ attempts to help us figure out what 9/11 meant and what it continues to mean. I heard a story on Colorado Public Radio this week about a history teacher’s recollection of that day, companioned with his former student’s version. The former student was so inspired that ten years later he is a teaching candidate, enrolled in his former teacher’s methods class. Touching and inspiring stuff.9/11 was my generation’s Kennedy assassination: we all remember where we were, what we were doing, what we were thinking and how we coped. All of us who were in the classroom that day dealt with something for which we were not prepared. I had first period planning and spent the hour before the first class of my career starring bewildered at the television while my coffee got cold. I tried to get more information on the internet but every news site had crashed from the traffic of a world full of people trying to do the same. I checked my email and saw a message from administration explaining that something had happened in New York City (We still didn’t know what...) and to please not alarm the students, several of whom had relatives who worked in or near the World Trade Center. I marched upstairs to my 9th grade World Literature class, guarding this enormous secret, and began my life as a teacher by posing my first essential question: What is art?With each anniversary, I think back and try to reflect on what happened that day. For me, the confusion and sadness of the attacks are inseparable from the fulfillment and inspiration I felt as I began teaching. While I cried every night as the details emerged and we learned that what had happened was no accident, I spent my days elated by the new experiences I found in education.In the Jewish faith, we celebrate a new experience by saying a prayer called the Shehekianu. It is our way of commemorating doing something for the first time. It is in this tradition that I memorialize September 11th each year. I seize onto all of the firsts, remembering them and being grateful for them. The first day of school. The first eager student to raise her hand, ask a follow-up question or show self-advocacy. The first activity that seems to engage the whole class. The first student to walk in after the bell or to use profanity. The first phone call to a parent. Whether it lifts your spirit or frustrates your soul, it is valuable at this time to honor and celebrate the firsts and to appreciate them for the meaning they provide us.Please leave a note in the comments. What firsts do you celebrate each new year?

by Mike KaecheleToday has been a reflective day for me. I have thought more about what that day felt like than I have since the actual day. The numbness, staring at the TV for hours and feeling like it was not real...I will talk with 9th graders who were 4 or 5 years old at the time, about it a bit tomorrow. I am guessing they will have a few questions. But I will not teach about it.My own son who was born less than a month after that awful day asked me why they did it. My wife said it was because they hate us. But that is not the real answer, not a complete answer. The next obvious question is why do people hate us? Many would bring up religion, power, and economics. These are all part of the answer but the truth is so much deeper.by JasonePowellThe truth is that 9/11 is the result of a complicated story involving the United States, Europe, Israel, Russia, and the Middle East going back to World War II and before. It is a story of war, imperialism, greed, oil, hate, Cold War, and propaganda. There have been many innocent lives lost in this story, but there are no innocent nations.And the story continues in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and beyond. There have been many individual heroes and villains in this story, but the United States (unfortunately) is not the hero of this story but just another self-interested party. The story of 9/11 and the following wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is complex, messy, twisted, and historically based. It can not be summed up in a few words of a 5 minute YouTube video. What happened on September 11, 2001 was an incredible tragedy and I mourn with all of the families of victims this day.I will never excuse or defend the actions of the terrorists on that day. But the terrorists did not act for no logical reason (at least from their perspective). It is important that we understand the background of this story and their reasons for attacking. Only then can we decide an appropriate response to that day.Tomorrow will be the fifth day of school. My students are not ready for all of this. Most adults students have little background knowledge of the Middle East and the politics there. So I can't really teach about 9/11 tomorrow, but perhaps by the end of the year students can learn about it in its proper historical context and begin to try to make sense of it themselves...

by John T. SpencerWhat did I do during my week away from Twitter?Pretty much everything I do without Twitter, just with a little extra mind-wandering, more doodling and maybe a little less distraction.  I didn't write more, run more or watch a foreign movie. What did I miss out on?Not much.  I had the same types of conversations I have on Twitter, but I was limited by time and place. What does this tell me?That Twitter is an everyday part of life.  It's a place I like to be, but it isn't home.  It's a method of communicating, but it's nothing as vital to me as blogging. What does this have to do with teaching?Sometimes techies gush about social media as a transformative tool.  This week reminded me that it hasn't transformed much of my life, much less my approach to teaching.  It has, however, become normal -- and maybe the normalcy is precisely why it's powerful.  When the novelty fades and I find myself drawn toward it again, I am reminded that the place/tool of Twitter has a place in my world.