PBL-U

Project-based learning was included in the list of approaches in Goal 2.2 of our Strategic Design document.  

Provide a variety of relevant experiences, including technological, kinesthetic, visual, “hands-on”, project-based learning, to engage students

I have been surprised at how much attention Project-based Learning has garnered among teachers, sometimes to the detriment of the other strategies listed above. Project-based learning now has its own acronym, PBL, one of the first signs that education has fully embraced it.  

I first learned about Project-Based Learning two years ago through my PLN on Twitter.  I visited the Buck Institute website (bie.org) and pre-ordered the PBL in the Elementary Classroom early last school year.  I read it cover to cover and found the concept very interesting.  An assistant principal and I tested one of the example units from the book with our technology club last year.  

I decided I wanted to learn more about Project Based Learning and enrolled in the courses with PBL-U hosted by the Buck Institute.  During the classes, I have gone through the development of a PBL unit from launching to showcasing the project. 

I have to admit that I am jealous of teachers who get to try this out in their classrooms.  I have collaborated with several teachers to create and implement project based learning units in their classrooms; however, it is quite different to be a part of the daily happenings in the classroom.  

Below are the certificates of completion for each class I have taken this year.  

Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time

A member of my PLN Kyle Dunbar @edtechdunny invited me to participate in a virtual book study of this book with members of her school district.  Several others from outside her district also took her up on her invitation.  We are reading several chapters at a time and then meeting to discuss our reading via Blackboard.  

After reading just the first two chapters, I am already hooked.  I love that the authors have included QR codes, links to outside resources--including their NING 

An important quote from the book that I am reflecting on is from Dr. Eric Brunsell, College of Wisconsin. "We need to educate the 'net generation' differently not so much because 'they' are different, but because the world is different."  This made me think about another excellent book I read recently Understanding the Digital Generation.  

The world is different and it continues to change at an astounding pace.  My son is 25 years old; my daughter, 21.  When they were starting Kindergarten the Internet was just in its infancy.My kids and I were talking recently  about all the things that were invented since they entered school. We talked about the Internet and Web 2.0 tools/Social Media sites, Smartboards, iPads, Smartphones, etc… I asked my kids which of these tools they got to use in their classrooms. I was shocked at their response…”None.” They said the teachers got to use some of these, but not them. They had to wait until they got home.

I am sad to think about the lost opportunities my kids had to reach out and connect globally while they were in school. They had wonderful teachers, and while they have both grown to be very successful adults, I do wonder how much more they could have grown with these opportunities.

I am looking forward to reading more, participating in the challenges in the upcoming chapters, and collaborating with my colleagues through our weekly book chat.  I will continue to blog through the process.  

This book is part of my Book a Month Challenge.

The "C" Connection

Celebrations*Challenges*Change*Coaching*Collaboration

I was excited to about spending the day with Francis and Vicky from Coaching for Results Global.  These ladies facilitated our Leadership Coaching for High Performance earlier this year.   

We started the day by focusing on our celebrations.  This was an excellent way to start the day.  It helped us to focus on the positive things that has occurred since we were together in August.  We created posters listing  the successes we have had.  As we viewed the posters different groups made, we could identify trends and were able to celebrate numerous successes we have had as a district team.

Our focus then shifted to the challenges we have faced.  Before we began, our facilitators framed the conversation by cautioning us  "We don't want to let the challenges override the celebrations."  In small groups we brainstormed some challenges we have faced as a group on index cards.  The small groups then combined with other small groups to synthesize our data using an affinity diagram.  This was an excellent way for us to identify root causes and draw out common themes.   While we were unable to resolve all of the challenges we are facing, this was a positive experience that helped us realize we are all facing similar challenges and if we continue to collaborate as a whole group we can help support each other. The affinity diagram proved to be a useful tool that led to meaningful discourse.  This is one tool I will want to add to my growing toolbox.

Change is a topic we are all immersed in on a daily basis.  Our facilitators asked us to read an overview of the book Immunity to Change.   This book is actually in my cue to read for a future book of the month challenge.  After our discussions today, I will want to move it up a bit.  I was intrigued by the unconscious ways we as humans resist change and mistakes leaders make in approaching change.  Our reading left me with many questions and a desire to learn more.  

After a quick review of the elements of coaching, we quickly moved into coaching traids with feedback from our colleagues.  I was so appreciative of this time.  I truly believe in the cognitive guided coaching process that has been shared with us.  As I observe our facilitators collaborate with us as thinking partners, it is apparent that the coaching mindset must continually be revisited if it is to become a natural form of collaborating.  I was reminded of an article that I read earlier in the year, Are You Coaching Heavy or Coaching Light?  I need to be mindful of the power coaching conversations will have with the colleagues I learn alongside of.

As a wrap up to our day, we participated in collaborative groups using the Mastermind protocol.  This proved to be very a highly productive time and we each definitely walked away with ideas/solutions/encouragement.  The group I worked with has decided to continue to collaborate using this protocol on a regular basis.  

As always, our colleagues at Coaching for Results provided a safe environment for us but continued to challenge us to move forward.  My goals as result of my learning include the following:

• Read the book Immunity to Change.
• Continue to collaborate with my Mastermind Group.
• Recommit myself to the coaching mindset and continue to practice my skills.
• Reflect on ways to to celebrate successes while facing challenges.

Who Owns The Learning?

November's book outlines his Digital Farm Learning metaphor to advocate how teachers can seize the power of technology to empower students to take control of their own learning.  Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book and my take aways.

1.  “Unlearning is more difficult than learning something new, and one of our most important challenges is to let go of existing structures in order to build more effective ones”   The quote, early in the book, stuck with me during my entire reading.  Often teachers feel overwhelmed with everything that is already on their plates.  In order to move forward, we need to let go of some of the things we have always done.  

2.  "We typically blame students for being unmotivated and for under performing, but many of our students have very little autonomy and are rarely allowed to direct their own learning."  Looking in the mirror is a very scary thing.  As educators we must reflect on our practices actions when are students are not engaged.  If we do not, positive change is simply not possible.

3.  "As for mastery, many students have little opportunity to master subjects; the curriculum is covered and the class moves on."  This is challenging for many teachers. Districts have pacing guides and our state has testing dates; however, we have to remember that we teach students and not curriculum.  One practice that I had to abandon was my over reliance on whole group instruction.  At first,  I have to admit this was difficult.  While I had utilized small group guided instruction in guided reading, I had to learn how to apply this in other content areas.  I often look back at my early years of teaching and think how much time I wasted trying to apply a "one-size-fits-all" approach to learning in my classroom.

4.  "Rather than diminishing the role teachers, this shift makes the role even more critical to the educational process."  I have heard teachers who are working toward shifting their instruction to inquiry say that they feel "empty" or "guilty" because they are no longer the focus of the lesson.  We need to remember that the role of educators has not diminished.  In fact, it is even more vital.  In our world where answers to just about every question we can ask can be answered by Siri or Google, our role will move from the holders of knowledge to designers of learning where students interact with knowledge at higher thinking levels.  As we move off the stage, we can move from focusing on transferring knowledge to our students to providing students with more complex tasks that include critical thinking, problem solving, as well as time for targeted and individualized feedback.   

5.  "Students teaching students is a powerful method for building learning and driving creativity and innovation."  I have found peer collaboration as a powerful learning method in my own practices.  November advocates students creating video tutorials, podcasts, and blogs in which students can explain concepts with other students as the intended audience.  With the emergence of the flipped classroom model, how might the responsibility of video creation be shifted to students? (see www.mathtrain.tv)  However, the most important way for teachers to teach students innovation and creativity is for us as educators to embrace theses in our own learning.  

6.      "Beyond earning a grade, many of our students see no higher purpose in their work efforts."  Grades are often the only feedback our students get.  I can attest from my own experience as a mother and a teacher that often student work moves from the student to the teacher, back to the student, and then into the trashcan.  When we allow student work to have a larger, global, audience, it provides an authentic purpose and becomes more meaningful and relevant for our students.  This provides opportunities for autonomy, mastery, and purpose--the three most important predictors of high quality work as identified by Daniel Pink in his book Drive.   

7.  "In adopting a new educational model, superintendents and principals must lead the way."  As an aspiring administrator this is an important take away for me.  It will be important for me to continue to stay abreast with advances in technology and use them in my own practices.  If we truly want to inspire lifelong learning in our students, we must model it ourselves.  Additionally, I will need to continue my own professional development as well as continue to deepen my understanding of curriculum.  


My district offered a Who Owns the Learning series of workshops for district assistant principals this academic year.  At our first session, we collaborated with our colleagues to brainstorm what we would expect to see in a student centered classroom where students truly owned the learning.  Since then we have been walking classrooms and reflecting on our own practices  in order to create our vision in our schools.  

Who owns the learning in your classroom, school, and district?  

This post is part of my Book A Month Challenge

Social Media for Social Good

I recently read the book Social Media for Social Good.  It wasn't on my radar as a book to read, but my daughter recently completed a internship as a social media director for a nonprofit organization.  She had shared with me some of the ways they were using Twitter. I saw the book laying around, and one thing led to another.  The next thing I knew I had read the entire book.  

While the topic at first glance had nothing to do with education, I began seeing connections to how districts, schools, and teachers might use the power of social media to spotlight the amazing things going on our schools.  In today's world, social media can be a powerful way to help schools reach out into their community.  

I decided to try some of the suggestions in the book.  My district has recently embarked on a Strategic Design Process.  I took a different Core Belief each day for one week and tweet out articles, videos, and other tidbits of information all centered around the specific day's Core Belief statement.

The book indicated that "prime time" for tweets was between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.  Since I am at work during that time, I decided to utilize HootSuite and schedule out my tweets for the entire week.  I was surprised by not only how easy it was but also by the number of retweets and new followers I had at the end of my experiment week.  

This book ended up being an unexpected treasure of ideas that I will keep tucked away for future experimentation. 

P.S.  I do not endorse Hoot Suite nor do I receive any compensation for this recommendation.   It was just easy to use and the Owl is cute.  :)

This post is part of my Book A Month Challenge

Lessons from the Ctrl-Z Generation

Ctrl+Z is best known as the Windows keyboard shortcut for the undo command; however, I recently heard this terms attributed to our newest generation of learners. The students in our classroom are used to being able to undo their actions with the click of a keyboard.  Don't like the outcome of your video game?  No problem, just hit reset.  Don't like what your friends are saying on Facebook?  Unfriend them.  

In an age where we can easily undo, unfollow, or unfriend, some say this current generation is constantly on the look out for quick fixes and as a result do not take responsibility.  I do not I agree with this view of the digital generation.  I think this gives them an edge that many of us from other generations are missing.  The ctrl+Z generation students are risk takers--at least they are when they come to us.  Sadly, many enter classrooms and hear that there is only one answer to a problem. 

For so long our schools have been environments of compliance.  The world is changing and our classrooms are as well.  As we begin to look for ways to innovate our classrooms and schools to transform into learning organizations, we need to be willing to take risks and learn from our efforts. 

Taking risks is something I am learning to be more comfortable with.  It requires me to step out of my comfort zone and try things that I have never even dreamed of trying before.  I have had to let go of my perfectionist tendencies and adopt a failure is a possibility mentality; however, I have adopted a new way of looking at failure.  FAIL = first attempt in learning. 

What are steps are you taking to innovate your classrooms, schools, or districts?  How are you taking risks to acomplish your dreams?

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."

— Robert F. Kennedy

In Hot Pursuit of the Wrong Questions

I recently read Seth Godin's blog post Soft and Hard.  It was one of those posts that just hit me between the eyes.

My district, in collaboration with our community, has recently begun a tranformative process to innovate how we educate our students in preparation for the 21st century through our Strategic Design plan.  

Author Simon Sinek wrote the book Start with the Why, to serve as a synopsis of the theory to become effective leaders who inspire change.  If you are unfamiliar with Sinek's work, you might want to watch his TED talk below.  

When I began my work this year, I was convinced that I needed to start with the Why questions (what Seth would call "soft stuff") ; however, as I have begun my work, I realized that I have started focusing on the What questions (what Seth would call "hard stuff".)  

In essence, I have been spending my time in hot pursuit of the wrong questions.  Seth is spot on.  The "hard stuff" does easily distract us.  The What questions are important, but if we focus on them before the Why questions, we will continue to reform rather than transform.   So grateful for the redirection.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddiemalone/2226758867/

Related blog:  Strategic Design Boot Camp