Tales of the Unexpected - 5 things I did NOT expect when introducing the IDEA of change in my school:

1. Strong support from the start

After presenting to our school council the plans we have to improve the quality of instruction for our students I truly did not expect the school council and staff to broadly support them. They did so with few questions. I was pleased to see that the preparation I put into the presentation was effective.

2. Change in staff behaviour

Even resistant staff are now making modifications to the way they use devices and technologies in their classroom. The narrative we are providing through regular PLT meetings and discussion is having some impact.

3. Change in staff behaviour at the last minute, just when I was about to give up.

This has happened twice now, and both times I have been amazed.

4. The difference between knowing and feeling.

I knew about the implementation dip, and was expecting some push back. What I didn't expect was the way I felt when the push back descended into personal attacks and "kitchen sinking". At least two individuals opted for character assassination over face to face discussion with me. Having always prided myself on my ability to develop positive relationships within the school community, this behaviour was unexpected and extremely upsetting. I expected pushback, questions and argument about curriculum issues. I did not expect personal attacks on my integrity and professional conduct.

5. I have changed.

Since the beginning of the year I have introduced a number of changes, and suggested a number of programs. In the past I would have beaten myself up if they did not work out, or if they needed to be tweaked as time passed. Now I recognise that change is a process and that there is room for mistakes along the way. I also understand that everything I try does not HAVE to be perfect.

Busting some of the myths about using technology in the Early Years Classroom

This is another in a series of blogs from my Early Years classroom. For the USA this is Elementary school (ages 5 - 8), for Victoria, Australia it is called Primary School - Foundation, Grade 1 and Grade 2 and in England Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

When I began teaching in this classroom I had come from teaching upper primary for many years. I was told that Early Years students could not use technology for a variety of reasons.

I did not agree with this and I wanted to find out how to make it work. I also wanted to find the balance between traditional "Early Years" teaching methods and beliefs and 21st Century pedagogies.

So lets see if I can bust some of the myths!

1. Young students can't read, so they can't log in.
My students have iPads to use for reading storybooks and practising sight words, alphabet, phonics and spelling (just to name a few areas of early literacy curriculum). They are not required to log in. This is an example of substitution and the students are able to find the correct app in the same way that they can find a box labelled 1 if they are reading at Level 1. Another example is Skoolbo - a site where students can log in by clicking on their name, then a colour and an animal.

2. It takes forever to train them how to use a computer.
It takes the same amount of time to train them in school routines. I can't see the difference between using an iPad and sharpening a pencil or finding a book box.

3. You don't know if they're actually doing the work set.
You don't know if they are doing any of the work you set unless you sit next to each student every second of the day. This comment tells me that some teachers do not trust that students can learn or are motivated to learn. This is a problem of educational philosophy not of student ability to complete computer work.

4. Technology is a distraction that disrupts learning.
Life today is full of high stimulation environments where there is music, television, computer, tablet and phone screen activity occurring each day. Our students are born into this environment. They cope with it better than adults do and can be taught how to manage distractions, in the same way that students in the 1970s were taught to concentrate on the work in class, rather than look out the window. Students also respond to the model their teacher provides when responding to distractions. A teacher who "loses their cool" when something doesn't work will have students who do the same thing.

5. Early years students can never find their log ins
Students can find their log in cards (laminated with pictures and logins) in the same way that they can find their bag or lunchbox with their name on it. An organised teacher can resolve this perceived problem pretty quickly.

6. Students these days have too much "screen time"
Digitally rich early years classrooms like mine have students working on a variety of activities - tech based, paper based, group based, using hands on materials and providing regular movement breaks. An effective 21st century teacher will provide this so excessive screen time is not an issue.

Do you have any other myths about digital learning to share?

Digital tools for physical education with GoNoodle

This is the third in a series of blog posts about how and why we use digital tools in our school to enhance the learning experiences of our students.

Go Noodle was recommended by another colleague and I was hooked from the first moment.

Go to www.gonoodle.com to sign up...it is FREE!

Check out the ways we use Go Noodle:

1. Movement or brain breaks between learning tasks where students have been sitting.
2. Wet weather physical education classes focussing on fitness.
3. Relaxation breaks.
4. Warm ups for PE before lessons (thank you Koo Koo Kangaroo for Pop See Koo)
5. Pop See Koo will be an act in our school concert this year.
6. Students have signed up their families at home and do it at home!!!!

I invite everyone to comment and add to the list of ways to use GoNoodle in our school!

Whooos Reading on Learn2Earn.org

This is the second in a series of blog posts about how and why digital tools can support learning in a small school environment.

This post features www.learn2earn.org


By chance I came upon it in a Twitter chat. When I read a testimonial which said "Our students have improved more quickly using Whoos Reading than Accelerated Reader" my interest was piqued. I have a core of high performing students (up to 2 years ahead of expected level) and was seeking a way to keep them engaged and keep them reading.

Check out the timeline of implementation:

Mid-May 2015 -

Signed up 8 students in Grade 2 and taught them how to complete a reading log, answer responses to their texts and explore how to create their avatar. Engagement was almost instant, but we negotiated to trial it until the end of the term in June.

 Key observations 1

• As students read their books and logged the minutes they earned coins to spend on their owl avatar.
• Students were given their login and password to take home and use in class.
• Each day the Grade 2 student group scrambled to Read to Self (Daily Five)
• Some boys who had stopped reading at home, read for 2 hours the first weekend, logging each minute and earning more coins. (information from parent comment) 
• I was able to see what they had read and assess their reading comprehension based on their answers to reading response.
• Students were able to "like" and comment on their classmates books.

End of May 2015

Eight Grade 1 students demanded to use Learn2Earn and Prep students also wanted to log in.

Key observations 2

• Those who could log in independently did so
• Those who were learning how to were more motivated to log in.
• Grade 2 students mentored Grade 1 and Prep students to complete reading logs.

June 2015

Students in the upper primary classroom (Grades 3 to 6) asked for log ins to be created.
Their biggest question was "Does it let us talk to each other and share our reading?"

Key observations 3

 Upper primary students spend 5 minutes daily completing reading logs.
The potential for using Learn2Earn to support the teaching of reading comprehension is enormous.

July 2015

School purchased a premium subscription, which allows access to content like Lexiles and detailed reading data.

August 2015 and beyond

Teachers invited to Learn2Earn so they are able to provide students with feedback.

I plan to explain the reading data available on Learn2Earn.

Reflection and review scheduled at end of 2015.

If you knew of a way to motivate your readers and excite them about reading would you try it?

 

A journey into collaboration with parents using Class Dojo

This is the first in a series of blogs about how and why we use particular technology and devices in our school. This blog is a way of sharing and reflecting on the steps we are trying out with our school community. It is my hope that it demonstrates the value of and provides evidence for using digital tools in small schools.

A bit about us
We are a small rural school of 37 students. We are seeking ways to communicate and share school life and student learning with our parents.

Check out this week's

Class Dojo is still in the implementation phase where we are working out the best ways to use it to share your children’s learning and school life with you.

First and foremost it is a way for you to see how your child is going at school!

BUT here are some examples of how some of our parents are using Dojo at our school.

·         Messaging reminders about Sporting Schools

·         Looking at pictures of work done in class.

·         Getting broadcast messages from teachers about upcoming events (eg Friday is PieDay) (PS these are also broadcast on Facebook and in the newsletter)

·         Messaging teachers about things that have come up at home.

·         Making times for Parent Teacher Chats.

·         Giving feedback to teachers and children about work done at school.

·         Asking teachers questions about what’s coming up in class.

At the moment one teacher is testing Class Dojo messaging to parents by:

·         Broadcasting messages about upcoming events

·         Sharing pictures of children working.

·         Sending messages about learning done in class – for example “Ask your child about counting by 5s”

 
In a few weeks we will do a brief survey to see if Class Dojo is a useful way to communicate and then roll it out across the school.

Collaboration..the journey begins...again.

You know that feeling you get when your wonderings and gut feelings are vindicated, but not really in a good way? Well, the first step in the journey to know more about teacher collaboration has begun....again


Teacher collaboration can take different forms and I have also discovered that it means different things to different people. This has led me to mapping out the steps I am taking to learn more.


Step 1:
Introduce concept of teacher collaboration to colleagues.
I started with a staff meeting discussion which brought out these points:

• Using Google Docs was considered to have positive potential for planning whole school initiatives, but planning across grade levels was not viewed as useful. Indeed, there appears to be a belief that planning for literacy and numeracy across grade levels and sharing same was not acceptable.

"Why google docs?" rather than school intranet server?

• Accessible anytime anywhere.
• Can edit simultaneously.
• For sharing across grades, we can use teaching activities from each other's plan.
• Builds a culture of understanding different teaching approaches and an appreciation of colleagues' strengths and weaknesses.

Step 2: Input teacher response and adapt plan for next meeting 


In light of initial responses it is clear that we need to clarify and consolidate our understandings about teacher collaboration. Step 2 also involves gathering evidence:


What do other teachers do?

1. To cast a wider net we have contacted all of the small schools in our network to gather some ideas about how they collaborate.
2. Access resources and evidence online, for example

Making the most out of teacher collaboration
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teacher-collaboration-strategies-ben-Johnson


Pathways to collaboration - across grade levels
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2012/10/18/pathway-to-collaboration/


Looking at student work collaboratively
http://www.essentialschools.org/resources/60


The Seven Principles of Highly Effective Professional Learning - DET Victoria


This highlights the value and the expectation that teachers will participate in professional learning together and collaborate.


3. Talk to my PLN - Twitter will be ablaze this weekend

What I read on the holidays

Kept reading about teacher collaboration
Supporting hesitant/resistant colleagues.
Leading others to unlearn
Specific tech tools to use in class and working on developing a way to bring the traditional approach of paper recognition and acknowledgement alongside the digital format of CD. This is in the name of honouring the opinions/beliefs and perception of others.
Collected a range of thoughts from Twitter to help my own thinking

Did a chat with #BastowLSDA ppl

You're quoted in: How can schls use social media to help their schl community feel better connected? http://sfy.co/h0on4

Josh Stumpenhorst‏@stumpteacher Jul 1

We need to be asking less "how do I get tech" and more "why do I need tech". Intentional use and purposeful integration. #ISTE2015

 

edutopiaVerified account ‏@edutopia 4h4 hours ago

Meta-collaboration = thinking with one another: http://edut.to/1NS4UGf .

 

Read about coaching as well.