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Teachers Hate Pep Rallies!

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 31 Oktober 2013 0 komentar
The following is a guest post by Danielle Shanley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for New Milford Public Schools, NJ.  Here she reflects on what she say in New Milford HS on a Friday before our annual Spirit Week pep rally.

I am sure there will be plenty of people out there who will publicly chastise me for what may seem like my inner Scrooge, but the truth is most Teachers HATE pep rallies!  Let’s be real here.  Pep rallies are disruptive to the school day and to learning.  And I love learning.  That’s my priority.  Teachers have important jobs to do, and the distraction is, well, distracting.    On the day of the pep rally, the students are usually energized to the point where they have no desire to learn, to sit still for any length of time, or to engage in any meaningful academic experiences for the day.  Sometimes the “pep rally effect” begins DAYS before the rally itself, ugh.  

Of course, school spirit, colored shirts, face paint, tattered clothing, grade level competitions, posters, blow horns, drum rolls, cheers and all that good stuff is what the memories are made of for the kids.  I get it.  Don’t send me hate mail.  But trying to teach students on that day is NO easy feat.  Trying to harness that energy in a “spirited” fashion while you are trying to address “CCSS.ELA – Literacy.W.9-10.2” becomes nearly IMPOSSIBLE.  What about that very last dreaded hour of the day, moments before the pep rally is about to begin?  Feel the swell of students moving towards doorways?  Hear the rumblings of chants and distant sounds of horns?  It’s all about to erupt! …EXCEPT in this classroom. This is what Joanna Westbrook’s students at NMHS were doing moments before the insanity began:




Amazing!  These students were creating original documentaries.  They were so engaged in their work, they didn’t even notice I was taking pictures.  Every available technology was “in use” in this room. Most students were in the editing phase on the Macbooks, adding music, photos, video, audio and even subtitles from smart phones.  I hated to interrupt to ask questions, but I had never seen engagement like this.  This was JUST moments before a pep rally; I couldn’t help myself.  Usually, kids aren’t so quick to show their work.  Not these kids.  They rattled-off their methods used in the creative process, their personal experiences, human interest stories, and the inspiration for their pieces.  They were learning, creating, collaborating, applying, interacting, and proudly sharing.  I will guess Mrs. Westbrook doesn’t hate pep rallies.  They have no negative impact on the learning in her classroom.  The best defense is a great lesson.  Hats off to you, JW!  Go Knights!!     

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The Voice: Student Edition

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013 0 komentar
The following is a guest post by Cristy Vogel (@msfrenchteach).  She is a High School French Teacher in Columbia, SC, 2013-14 SCFLTA President, and #langchat Co-Moderator.  She blogs at theslantedapostrophe.blogspot.com.

This post is not about a special episode of teen singing sensations on The Voice. Hope you’re not disappointed! However, the show did come to mind when thinking about student voice. If you haven’t seen the show, essentially, it’s a contest for aspiring singers who must wow the judges and audience with their vocal abilities. The hope is that the judges will hit the buzzer and declare interest in mentoring the vocalist.  The judges are experienced and very successful celebrities who have industry insights from which the contestants can greatly benefit, in theory. 


Image credit: http://www.educationthroughleadership.com/giving-students-a-voice/

Much like our students, each contestant hopes to have his or her voice heard in order to learn, grow, and excel.  The classroom may not be a ridiculously loud contest like what we see on The Voice, but it is a place where all learners should have the opportunity to direct their learning. Recent interactions with my own students have inspired me to reflect on voice and its implications in the classroom. In fact, it has only been in the past couple of months that I have really gotten out of my comfort zone and given students the microphone so as to make decisions about their own learning.  It is my pleasure to share with you a few tips that are based on my personal experience. 

Get informed.
Giving students a voice is not an exact science, especially since each classroom is unique. There are ways to prepare yourself for such a risk-taking endeavor, so I recommend that educators take some time to engage in discussion with others who have done it before putting learners on the stage. Read a blog on the topic, talk to on-site colleagues who have success with it, ask your PLN for ideas, and maybe engage in a Twitter chat. Then, ask yourself how your students might direct their own learning in your particular environment. You know your students best!  

Tell stories.
Our learners need a little direction when we give them voice. In fact, all of us -- not just the learners in our classroom -- want to know how and why we’re doing what we’re doing. As educators, anecdotal stories can help as they have the potential to capture students’ attention and guide them to make meaningful recommendations. I tell my students that there are non-negotiable tasks that we must do in life, but we can suggest ways to tailor them to our needs.

My first anecdote this year was about the professional development sessions that our school faculty must attend every other Thursday.  I told them that the PD is non-negotiable, but that teachers can make recommendations for future meetings. I explained that I shares my ideas with our administration in hopes that we will get to try something different. Then, I transitioned into an explanation of the non-negotiable part of the project that we are doing with students at other schools.  We discussed some aspects that they could direct before I gave them a feedback form to complete. I found that the responses were more meaningful than they had been when I had made past attempts at seeking feedback, and I believe my anecdote and our discussion impacted the results.

Just as the contestants on The Voice are prepped before hitting the stage for their first performance, our learners also benefit from a little coaching. After all, don’t we want to make that empowering moment on the stage as successful as possible? Students might not have a voice in many of their classes, so make this time count!

Listen carefully and empower your learners. 
Now that your learners have spoken, reflect on what they said. Sometimes you may receive several comments that are not helpful, but concentrate on the serious ones. Stay positive! Even if only one or two students provide you with meaningful feedback, do your best to make their voices heard. Most students are going to use the power of voice at some point, and that might be when they are making individual, rather than collective, decisions. At any rate, announce the changes that you are going to make as a result of student feedback. I recommend that you let them know repeatedly how much you appreciate it.  In my own experience, learners are happy to hear, more than once, that their voice was heard and that it made a difference. 

The fact is, there is more potential for buy-in when the learning is student-directed. Let’s let our learners shine with the mic in hand!

I would like to thank Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) for inspiring and inviting me to contribute to his blog. It was my first time doing so!  He wrote a fantastic post on the need for educators to tell their classroom stories, and it inspired me to ask him about guest blogging. As a result, I wrote this post AND already invited one of my own students and colleagues to guest blog. Yet another example of the power of my PLN!

Check out Eric’s post HERE. 

Thank you, Eric, for giving me a voice! 


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Our Doors Are Always Open

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 10 Maret 2013 0 komentar
The following is a guest post by Steve D’Ascoli.  Steve visited New Milford High School on Thursday February 28, 2013.  NMHS routinely hosts visits from outside educators, schools, and organizations in an effort to provide insights on our initiatives.  Below is a reflection by Steve on his recent visit.

Today I had the opportunity to meet with Eric Sheninger before he headed off to the 2013 NASSP Conference.  I reached out to Eric to gain insight into the technologically driven mindset that has encapsulated New Milford High School. It was a great opportunity to not only get to exchange ideas with Eric regarding technology’s role in the classroom, but to see the learning community that has been nurtured and developed at his school.


Probably the most interesting idea Eric shared with me is how his school has structured their schedules to provide time for daily professional development.  In order to foster growth and development, a “PGP” (Professional Growth Period), allows teachers to have time to search for resources, share current practices, and collaborate with one another. An amazing, transformative decision, which can spur innovation and afford teachers the opportunity that no one ever has... time!  I don’t know if Eric was the brainchild behind that idea, but I have to tip my cap to whoever came up with that model.

It is also interesting that at New Milford High School, there are no mandates for teachers to use technology. Eric shared that teachers  are beginning to welcome the role of technology, as they are able to see how it not only makes their instruction more engaging, but also in many circumstances, easier on the teacher!  Through self-directed personal learning communities, and support from administration, Eric shared how teachers are empowered to take a different approach towards instruction because THEY want to.

As we navigated the hallways and classrooms, I was able to experience firsthand the school culture that is fostered at New Milford High School.  The students recognize their opportunities to use devices in school, and understand what the expectations are for appropriate use.  It was eye-opening to see that in a cafeteria filled with high school students that are allowed to use personal devices,95% of them were eating lunch, doing homework, and interacting in the same old fashioned ways!

Reflecting on this experience it is important to see how at my school district, we must establish specific goals that we intend to achieve by initiating a BYOD program at Valhalla Middle High School.  One interesting component that Eric mentioned is that part of the New Milford outlook is that cooperative learning is stressed, and that devices should be connecting students together.

I really appreciated the opportunity that Eric arranged for me to spend time together and demonstrate the educational climate at New Milford. I hope that I am able to use this experience to influence the teachers and students at my school in similar ways. I look forward to meeting Eric again soon and definitely at Edscape in October!

Steve D’Ascoli is a 5th year educator at Valhalla Middle High School in Valhalla, NY.  He has dual NYS certification in Secondary Social Studies and as an Educational Technology Specialist- daily utilizing both skill sets. As part of Valhalla’s Technology Committee, he is one of the leaders in driving the vision for  the District.  Steve is also currently leading Educational Technology instruction as an Adjunct Professor at Pace University and is obtaining a degree in School District Leadership.

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Second Chances

Posted by Unknown Senin, 04 Maret 2013 0 komentar
The following is a guest post from Jeff Fiscina, one of my math teachers at New Milford High School.

Today is the day after a test.  I walk around to hand back tests to the students. Students, who did well, put a smile on their faces.  Students, who did poorly, sink into their chairs in displeasure.   I come back to the board to review the problems which created the most difficulty.  The students who did well are so excited they don’t want to listen.  The students who did poorly are so upset with themselves they can not concentrate.  So, what am I doing?  I’m pretty much talking to no one.  I’m not helping those students who received a bad grade and the students who were successful are now bored.


Image credit: Steven Depolo

After about two and a half years of doing this in my classes, I realized something must change.  Some students were not successful on a test.  The only way they can help their grade is to do better on the next test.  But they need the material from the previous test to help them.  So what service am I providing to my failing students?  How am I motivating them to do better?  I used to say, “You are going to need to learn this to do well on the midterm.  Don’t just put the test away and not look at it.  Study it and learn from it.”  After thinking about how I would take that statement as a student, I realized how little impact it actually has.  Something needed to change in my grading philosophy, and change fast.

Everyone deserves a second chance, right?  You fail your driver’s test; don’t you get another shot at it?  You do poorly on the SAT’s; you can take them again right?  So for a test in class, why are students only getting one chance?  After much questioning, research, and consideration, I decided to implement a re-take policy for my classes.

After students receive their test and are not happy with the score, they can come to me and inquire about a re-take.  I give the student a contract that lists the steps they must follow in order for the opportunity for a retake.  The contract must be signed by the student and their parent/guardian.  The steps are as follows:
  1. Get the test paper signed by a parent/guardian
  2. Attend extra help session for corrections on the test
  3. Complete given assignment on your own (if necessary)
  4. Make an appointment after/before school to take your re-take
(You can see my full written policy and contract HERE)

Once students take the re-take, I look at how much knowledge they have gained, and use my professional judgment to assign a new grade.  Students are appreciative of the second chance and are taking full advantage of it. Students are recognizing how much more work they need to put in if they are unsuccessful.  This gives them some motivation to do well the first time.  And it also gives them an opportunity to right the wrong.

What is our goal as educators?  My goal is for every student to have the best opportunity at succeeding in my class.  If my students have only one chance at every test, then they really don’t have the best opportunity at succeeding.  I want my students to learn and one of the best ways to learn is from your mistakes.  I have a little saying I like to use:  “Failure is not an ending, it’s a beginning.”




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With Students Lagging Globally in Science, the U.S. Looks to Inspire an Untapped Resource

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 20 Februari 2013 0 komentar

The following is a guest post by Westfield Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Paul Pineiro.

Underlying the lagging performance of U.S. students in global assessments in math and science is another troubling statistic: According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, fifteen-year-old girls in 65 countries generally outperformed boys worldwide, but in the United States, boys outperformed girls in quantitative studies. We are left scratching our heads and wondering why it’s only our female students that “can’t do science.”

Image credit: http://www.psmag.com/news/a-new-view-of-why-women-shun-science-careers-19392/

The fact is they can, but culturally, we may be dissuading them from doing so. Consider that even for those female students who do pursue college studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) they are more likely to change majors than their male counterparts, despite relative success. "Women drop out of engineering programs with higher average grades than the men who stay in engineering programs," reported CEO of the Society of Women Engineers, Betty Shanahan, at last summer at U.S. News STEM Summit 2012. And of the women who do earn STEM degrees, the U.S Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration shows their typical career paths diverge substantially from men. “About 40 percent of men with STEM college degrees work in STEM jobs, whereas only 26 percent of women with STEM degrees work in STEM jobs” (August 2011). 

While girls in most other nations thrive in science-related studies, there is a disconnect for them in the U.S. This drop-off of interest in STEM subjects among young female students is typically attributed to how our culture views women who demonstrate an interest or ability in the STEM fields. In subtle but impactful ways, our culture pushes away young women from STEM fields by often painting aspiring engineers as geeks with thick glasses and curious sense of fashion (see Amy in “The Big Bang Theory”). “One of the things that we can do to help disband that stereotype,” says executive director of technical research at AT&T Labs, Alicia Abella, in an interview with U.S. News and World Report, “is to really expose these young girls and young women to role models who are in the field to make them recognize that, in fact, you don't have to fit that stereotype.” 

For this reason there is an all-call out to U.S. industry and educators at all levels to undo the stereotypes that could be costing the country some of its best and brightest future innovators. Young STEM-inclined females need role models, and to this end, “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” was established in 2009 to promote their connection with accomplished women in the STEM fields.

This year, “Introduce a girl to Engineering Day 2013” is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Sally Ride, physicist and first American woman in space. Here is a list that includes links to the accomplishments of Sally Ride and eleven other women and organizations with whom we should want young, STEM-inclined female students to be introduced.  Introduce a Girl to these STEM Role Models:


If that was not enough here is a list to 100 more.

# # #

Sources: 

Hopkins, Katy, “How to Encourage Women to Consider STEM Majors,” U.S. World News and Report.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Sheehy, Kelsey, “STEM Disconnect Leaves Women, Minorities Behind;” U.S. World News and Report.

U.S Department of Commerce, Economics ad Statistics Administration

Bio notes: 

Paul Pineiro is the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Westfield Public Schools (Union County, NJ) and a “Generation STEM” enthusiast. You can follow Paul on Twitter at @paulpineiro.



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Altering the Path to BYOD

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 23 Januari 2013 0 komentar

The following is a guest post by Sherry Spier, a K-12 Media Specialist Coordinator in the Cinnaminson School District (NJ).  In this post Sherry reflects on here recent visit to New Milford High School, which took place on January 11, 2013.

For the last year, myself and four other members of the Cinnaminson School District staff worked relentlessly to start a pilot Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program at Cinnaminson High School. We worked together to create an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and a FAQ sheet for students and parents. We researched how other school districts began their program. We asked for volunteers.  I thought we took all the necessary steps to pilot this program. After meeting with Eric Sheninger and touring New Milford High School, I now recognize that we share similar goals for a successful technology program, but our steps have not overlapped to make the same progress. 

Image credit: http://info.netcenter.net/Blog/bid/230893/Small-Technology-Big-Risks-Top-5-Mobility-FAQs 

The technology committee took all of the necessary steps, but maybe not the correct path in implementing our BYOT program.  Our first steps should have involved our key stakeholders, the students. We did not ask them key questions which should have driven our implementation. We should have asked them what devices do they currently have and what are they using their devices for?  What can they show the teachers and administrators that we don’t already know?  What do students need to be able to do when they graduate that they can not currently doing that involves technology?  All of these questions (and more) should have been our first steps in the path to developing a BYOT pilot program.

As we forged our way ahead, the technology committee should have made a greater effort in enlightening the educators and administrators who are stakeholders in this process.  By not providing adequate support, in-service training, brainstorming, or sometimes an ear just to listen, we may have missed key components necessary for our goals to be met.  Most importantly, a level of trust amongst all stakeholders through proven accomplishments will move the pace of the program ahead by leaps and bounds.

The most important lesson I learned while meeting with Mr. Sheninger that will help guide us back on the right track is that I need to be the catalyst for change. My schedule allows me the freedom to pop into classrooms and assist teachers as needed.  I need to model what I know about technology and share that with administration and my peers.  I need to build enthusiasm for this program. 

Maybe the path we took to get where we currently are in our pilot is not the same path NMHS took to get where they currently are, but you can not change history.  Now is the time to retrace our path, make the necessary changes to continue to journey ahead, and move together to make Cinnaminson’s BYOT program a growing success. 

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Making Teachers' Lives Easier

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 10 Januari 2013 0 komentar
The following is a guest post by Jessica Groff, an English teacher here at New Milford High School.  In this post she discusses her experience with a cloud-based technology solution called ClassLink. Jessica also teachers Digital Journalism and has worked with her students to create The Lance, our school's digital newspaper.



Four years ago, I left a desk job to become a teacher.  In my previous life, I would turn off the computer in the office at 5:00 and go home, not thinking about the files left at the office again.  When I began teaching, my world changed.  Although school ended at 3:00, my work continued.  From extra help, to grading papers, to creating assessments and coming up with activities, my profession reached far into my home life.  

I quickly realized that saving work on my computer at work was not going to be good enough anymore.  How could I open up a document and work on it at home at 7:00 at night when a great idea came to me if it was something that I had saved on my school computer during my preparation period at school?!

The first thing that I did was invest in a good flash drive.  It had lots of space, and it was handy because I kept it on my keychain, something that goes everywhere with me.  I began saving all of my work to my flash drive.  I could easily work on a document at home OR at school.  It was simple, lightweight, and convenient.  And then one day, my world came crashing down.  My flash drive had fallen off of my keychain.

Hours worth of work were lost forever.  

After this traumatic experience, I caved in and started emailing myself documents.  I would have different versions of the same document at home and at school, taking up space in my email, and I was always unsure of which version I had used latest.  It was confusing, but the only way that I could get done what needed to be done!

And then I came to New Milford High School, a school that has invested in and uses Classlink.  My life was saved!  With Classlink, I am able to save my documents to my personal drive on the school’s server, and access them from ANY computer with Internet capability.  I can download the document, work on it, and upload it back into my personal drive at work, even from home or on the go.  

Also, with Classlink, there is easy one-click access to various websites that we use the most often here at NMHS, such as PowerTeacher, SchoolDude (our work order request website), Google Apps, and virtually anything else that we may access on a regular basis.  It is a one-stop shop for all things education and ed-tech.

What I like the most about Classlink is that I can access it from anywhere.  My responsibilities at school do not keep me chained to my room all day.  I often move to different rooms, and sometimes I cannot just log on to the school server using my unique username and password.  At times like this, I can simply go to any computer that’s logged in and go to the Classlink website.  For example, today I was working with my Digital Journalism class in the Mac Lab on the lower level of our school.  A student needed a permission slip that I had drawn up on my computer on the third floor.  I simply logged onto Classlink, found the document, downloaded it, changed it to reflect what he needed, and printed it out on the spot. 

For the Apple users out there, there is an iPhone/iPad application, as well.  With the app, I can download documents into Evernote, or any other compatible processing app, and view or make changes to anything.  I often access my personal drive from the application during meetings to discuss projects and assessments or curriculum with colleagues, which makes on-the-spot collaboration much more interactive.  Instead of saying, “I’ll email you the document,” or running to my classroom to print it out and run back to my waiting colleagues, I can open any document on my cell phone and show it to my colleagues at that very moment, and we can move forward with our discussion.

I really cannot say enough great things about Classlink.  It has made my life so much easier in so many ways when it comes to planning, preparation, and collaboration, the three keys to being a teacher.  I know what life was like before, and I’m so glad that NMHS found Classlink!  

We are also using ClassLink here at NMHS as a cloud-based Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solution.  It is a fantastic resource for schools looking to streamline their BYOD initiatives. 

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Changing Learners, Changing Methodologies

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 01 April 2012 0 komentar
The following is a guest post by Danielle McCartan.  Danielle is a foreign language teacher at Ramapo High School in NJ and currently enrolled as a graduate student at the College of NJ.  This is being posted with her permission.


Society has evolved from the days of the infamous phone call: “Hi, did you get my e-mail?”  Push notifications take care of that problem.  RSS feeds are delivering handpicked news stories directly to people.  Now, documents are put online, where they are live, and anyone with permission has the ability to edit them, each keystroke recorded and color-coded for future reference.  Families, relatives, and friends, separated by oceans, can converse with each other in real-time with a video feed, for free, using Skype.  Technology is evolving, as are our lives.

Image credit: http://21stcenturylearning.wikispaces.com/Hale+School+Workshop

Though I am not too far removed from high school, students today are very different than they were even six years ago, when I was a senior.  High school students are glued to their cell phones, they video chat with each other when they go home from school, they watch television while using their laptops and their smart phones, and they can chop up, edit, and produce a video in under an hour. I fit in this category: “today’s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV” (Prensky 1).  When questions in casual conversation arise, they can easily be answered in about 3 seconds – the time it takes to perform a search on Wikipedia on a smart phone.
            
Two new terms have emerged: Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants.  Digital Natives are people that have grown up using all sorts of technology whereas Digital Immigrants are those who have to learn to use different technologies.  This differential is causing a split among educators.  The Great Divide is especially apparent in high schools across America. “‘Every time I go to school I have to power down’ complains a high-school student” (Prensky 3).  This phenomenon happens in schools all around the United States on a daily basis.  Why? Historian Peter Cochrane has a viable answer: “Imagine a school with children that can read and write, but where there are many teachers who cannot, and you have a metaphor of the Information Age in which we live” (Mundorf).
            
American schools are falling behind worldwide and a major reason for this is because its teachers are becoming archaic.  Technological advances are leaving many American teachers in the dust.  In the age we live, students should not be required to ‘power down’ upon entering the classroom. “Today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (Prensky 1) and teachers need to devise ways to embrace technology, not be afraid of it.  They need to let go of the mindset of: “this is how I learned it.  This is how I’m going to teach it”.  Chances are, in this Information Age, those methodologies are outdated.  “[It is not] that Digital Natives can’t pay attention, … they choose not to” (Prensky 3) and by using old methodologies, teachers run the risk of being “tuned out” by their students.
            
The top medical schools in the United States are combating the change in contemporary students. They are adapting their curricula to fit the needs of their changing learners.  “Today, the curriculum at American medical schools is undergoing its greatest change in a generation” (Pink 77).  It is easy to plug a patient’s symptoms into a computer and have it generate a list of diagnoses.  At Columbia University Medical School, future practitioners are now being trained in ‘narrative medicine’ to compliment the power of computer diagnostics (Pink 77).  Even more cutting-edge, and in addition to their normal coursework, students at the Yale School of Medicine have to study paintings.  This “smart curriculum” holds the belief that “students who study paintings excel at noticing subtle details about a patient’s condition” (Pink 77).  Who would have thought?  When will the administrative trickle-down theory reach mainstream public education?  Teachers must be proactive.
      
It is easy to get lost in the virtual world of apps and websites; therefore, instead of having information and technology overload, teachers must thoroughly research and plan, in advance, to use different technologies. “As educators, we need to be thinking about how to teach … in the language of the Digital Natives” (Prensky 4).  Teachers must plan to integrate technology piece-by-piece into their classrooms.
            
That is why I am planning on and using Edmodo in my classes.  Edmodo is a social network, strongly resembling Facebook, built by the creator of LinkedIn and the senior vice president of product management at Facebook, specifically for the education field.  Its privacy settings are strong and it “has emerged as the engine in the classroom for content sharing, collaboration and assignments” (Guynn). 
           
Both my students and I are familiar with the layout without even having to explore it too deeply.  Initially, I plan on using Edmodo as a homework tool.  Instead of giving students mindless worksheet exercises to complete for homework, where they have to wait until the next day to receive feedback and can easily copy off each other, I am planning on using the quiz function on Edmodo.  I plan on transforming these worksheets into an online-quiz, where students can receive instant feedback about what they are doing wrong and why. 
            
In one of my Italian classes, I have a clothing unit coming up.  I am planning on assigning students a “long-term” (week-long) homework assignment in which they will respond to my video prompt asking them to describe their clothing with a video of them rummaging through their closets, using the vocabulary to describe articles of clothing.  Students will post a video response via Edmodo.
           
A goal of all world language educators is to have students use the language outside of the forty-two minute period within the four classroom walls.  Edmodo facilitates this contact.  In the Edmodo interface, there is a selection called Badges.  Teachers are allowed to assign badges to students for any different reason, but I plan on awarding “SMS Badges” to students that communicate with each other via (appropriate) text messages and upload the conversations to Edmodo.
            
Studies show that “students with smart phones study more than students without” (Flacy).  There is also a free Edmodo app that students can use on their smart phones (even I have downloaded it!). Students can mupload (mobile upload) pictures, post videos, and even complete their homework on-the-go.   Hopefully, students will start posting things to our class’ Edmodo group on their own – without me telling them to.  Imagine that!
            
Psychologist Jean Piaget states: “The principle goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done” (Mundorf). It is the role of the teacher, who must be up-to-date and well versed, to utilize cutting-edge technology to teach the Digital Natives in their classrooms.  Students should not have to turn off and stow their devices for the duration of a class period.  There are many great resources available, but I believe Edmodo has it all.  Its social networking interface and app are tools that students are using daily.  Why shouldn’t they be using this in the classroom?  This echoes a sentiment from John Chapin: “We can no longer afford to educate today’s students for tomorrow’s world with yesterday’s schools” (RTC Handout). There is a major paradigm shift occurring.  The American education system must stay ahead of the curve to produce the most capable world citizens.

Works Cited

Mundorf, J. Universal Design for Learning:  Reaching all learners in the digital age. Randolph,    
     Regional Training Center.

Flacy, M. (2011, December 3). Study: Students With Smartphones Study More Often. 21st          
     Century Fluenct Project.  Retrieved from:             http://www.committedsardine.com/blogpost.cfm?
     blogID=2474

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     advisors”. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from:             
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     15-million-top-advisers.html

Pink, Daniel H. (2006). A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York:    
     Penguin Group.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.


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How to Create and Use Benchmark Assessments to Improve Student Achievement

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 18 Februari 2011 0 komentar
The following guest post was submitted by April Davis.
Schooling is as much about learning as it is about testing how much we’ve learned. Benchmark assessments are testing tools that are used throughout the year, as opposed to final examinations, which are taken at the end of each school year. Also, benchmark assessments test much more than academic knowledge – most of them test skills and knowledge in subjects like Reading and Mathematics, and some even test proficiency in oral and written communication skills, analysis and interpretation of logical problems, a basic understanding of how to carry out laboratory tasks, dramatization of certain scenarios, how to create memory maps, and even testing typing and keyboarding skills. In general, benchmark assessments are conducted many times in a year (once every few months or even once a month) to help educational authorities to assess the level of proficiency of a student, and compare their performance on these tests to others of their age group and academic level in the district or the state. The exams and tasks are standardized, as are the methods for grading and marking them.
Benchmark assessments were introduced as a way to help improve student achievement – those who were found to be lagging behind after each test could be given extra coaching or taught additional skills, depending on their performance in the different categories of the test.
Benchmark assessments like the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) are designed to:
  • Follow student progress
  •  Identify strengths and weaknesses
  •  Identify gaps in curriculum and instruction
  • Fine-tune curriculum alignment with state (or district) wide standards
  • Gather information that can be used to improve student performance
  • Identify students who may need additional support services or remediation

So if assessments are to be really helpful in improving students’ proficiency and achievement, the following points must be remembered when creating, administering and drawing conclusions from the exams:
  • The tests cannot take into account all the variables involved in a school setting – according to researchers Sue Henderson, Anthony Petrosino, Sarah Guckenburg, and Stephen Hamilton, all of Learning Innovations at WestEd and authors of a study that led to the publishing of two reports by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), “Measuring How Benchmarks Assessments Affect Student Achievement” and “A second follow-up year for Measuring How Benchmark Assessments Affect Student Achievement”, variables such as leadership, student motivation, teacher training, and how schools use the benchmark data meant that a minimum of three to four years of testing was required before any student achievement (or lack of it) can be measured with some degree of accuracy. 
  • The tests must be unambiguous, with each question clearly understandable and relevant to the student’s level of knowledge and learning.


This guest post is contributed by April Davis, she writes on the topic of Accredited Degree Online . She welcomes your questions and comments at april.davis83@gmail.com

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Seriously…Revising Huckleberry Finn?

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 14 Januari 2011 0 komentar

The following is a guest post by Linda Keesing, the Media Specialist at New Milford High School.  Below are her thoughts on the recent revisions to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Feel free to comment below and she will respond.  Linda can be contacted directly at lkeesing@newmilfordschools.org

In February, there will be a new edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, minus any appearance of the "N" word.  Note that the new book is called a new edition, not a revision.  This news has caught the attention of people all over the world.

On January, 6, 2011, New York Times book reviewer, Michiko Kakutani wrote:  "Authors’ original texts should be sacrosanct intellectual property, whether a book is a classic or not...Efforts to sanitize classic literature have a long, undistinguished history...Whether it comes from conservatives or liberals, there is a patronizing Big Brother aspect to these literary fumigations. We, the censors, need to protect you, the naïve, delicate reader. We, the editors, need to police writers (even those from other eras), who might have penned something that might be offensive to someone sometime." 

Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a treasured classic that many students read in high school, as they have for generations.  It is also one of the most frequently banned books in the United States.  Many people object to its dealing with racism and the use of the "N" word.

Please know that I am appalled by the use of the derogatory "N" word by anyone alive today (or at all during my lifetime)!  However, we are talking about a classic work of literature that was published in 1885 in the United States, a very different time in history.  During the time that Huck and Jim rafted on the Mississippi, use of the "N" word was common and accepted.

First of all, reading literature provides readers a chance to think about, discuss, and even challenge ideas presented in the text.  Literature is often provocative, and I believe it is a positive event when readers are engaged in the art and struggle of finding meaning in it.  For our 21st century students to appreciate with sensitivity how times have changed, and how the connotation of the "N" word has changed through the reading of this classic book, means that they have engaged in a teachable moment.  With insight, they can realize the context of the times - both then and now.  

As our world gets smaller, and people of different cultures need to work and live together, don't we need to examine the very perceptions and misperceptions that we have about each other that may interfere with the reality of needing to get along?  Certainly the "N" word is offensive in today's world.  Can we parlay a discussion about the outrage that use of that word sparks into a broader discussion about other words and images that are used today that are hurtful and offensive?  Can we learn something that will inform our interactions and behavior for the better?

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