I don't want you giving any more homework!

Do you check your student's homework? No, not check.... I mean give feedback on their homework. If you're not giving meaningful feedback on the work they've done and simply marking it as "done" than..... "I don't want you giving any more homework!"

The purpose behind homework is to give students the opportunity to try applying a skill that they've learned in school. For many this is a difficult task. So difficult that they often seek help from adults or peers. Many times the assistance they've received is unreliable compared to what you have done in the classroom.

....and now they bring their work back to school.

Some (few) students return with a confident understanding of what they learned and applied. The rest, without any feedback, haven't benefited from the activity. Without meaningful feedback (You know... the kind that goes beyond writing "good job" on the top of the paper) to add clarity..... the homework is pointless.

Your reaction?

Doodling about Education... A Perspective from Sir Ken Robinson

Please take a moment and watch this video created by Sir Ken Robinson. He details his opinion about the current state of our education system through a very unique and engaging presentation. My brain surely was jumpstarted by some of his comments.

I know he moved a bit quickly, but take a moment and reflect on any part of the video that may have resonated with you. You may comment below or send your comment via email. (if you comment below please make sure your name is included)

If you have trouble seeing this video please click the link below and watch directly from youtube.

Sir Ken Robinson

Lessons from a Dancing Guy.......

I have always found it amazing how we can derive meaning from sometimes the most simple moments in life. Take a moment to watch this 3 minute talk given by Derek Sivers on the topic of "How to Start a Movement." How can his apply to how you manage your classroom?

"How to Start a Movement" (Sorry for the commercial at the end....ignore it).

Screaming Eggs!

When do we loose perspective? I was with my son the other night and I often allow him to search widely (under supervision) through youtube. Since he's only 3, you can imagine the wild tour we usually take. This particular night I was struck by a video that got me to reflect on something I had witnessed while at work. I saw a teacher yelling at a student to get a point across. I know I didn't like this approach when I was that student. So, now I don't do it as an educator. I try to be aware of each perspective that I need to interact with. Watch the video below by clicking on play.

Screaming Eggs

Now that you probably think I'm crazy, try to imagine when you were that student (egg). How did you view school, learning and your teachers. Now reflect on your role as a teacher. Is it important to use our experiences as students to guide how we teach and manage our class? Do you use your experience as a student to guide how you deal with your students? Or do you just cook eggs?

I just give them an extra worksheet when they're done....

What does differentiation look like? Seriously! Is it something you can put your hands on or is it something in the moment. What I do know is that for some teachers differentiation is natural and in the moment and for others it might take some planning. What we as educators need to grasp is that differentiation is most definitely not an extra worksheet at the end of a lesson. While we all hate to hear that we need to do something else, differentiation does not need to be a burden.

I have two examples of lessons that as a teacher I found were prime examples of how some preplanning allowed me to differentiate. Also the preplanning allowed me to not have to put a great deal of energy into focusing on it (then and after). After all, the students should be the ones doing the extra work not the teacher.

The first lesson was a long term project in Science that counted as a test grade (I never gave sit down tests because I feel application of concepts taught, truly demonstrates understanding). The project was called the "Creature Paper." It was given just after we had discussed 6 different systems of the human body. It begged that the student create a creature of their choice and develop a system of the body that reflected each system in the human body that we reviewed. The students were not only asked to invent a system, but justify why that stem would work in the environment that their creature would live and then compare it to the human system that it would be most compatible to (cool right!). They were also asked to draw a picture of each system. As you can imagine I received some amazing products! One of my favorites was a creature that was born in a rain drop and its whole life passed in the time that the rain drop fell (It was intense!) Because in this project I was looking for some basic comprehension of the human body, the design allowed me to gather if any particular student had the right level of understanding and at the same time let any learner explore, at which ever level they wanted, their wildest ideas. Once I developed the lesson it was done! No extra work. No sleepless SAIL nightmares.

The second lesson was a quiz style that came to define me. When students in my class took quizzes, they participated in a unique experience. Quizzes to me should be a formative assessment that gathers quick feedback on whether or not your class got whatever it was that you where teaching over the last week or month. My design was to have all of the desks in a circle. The students wold all take a seat and each would have a question at their seat. When the quiz began they would flip the question and have 2 minutes to answer it. After 2 minutes I would say "Okay.... Switch." At that moment all of the students would stand and move to the seat to right of them and have 2 minutes for that next question (after all if you don't know it in 2 minutes you probably didn't know it!). Each question allowed a student to respond based on their strength, which could have been writing, drawing, diagraming, etc.... In addition I would play music in the background and introduce the artist with some background before we started. This practice awarded me a fellowship from the Developmental Disabilities Counsel for excellence in practices in inclusive education (Not to mention it was a lot of fun!).

Again, some of us are naturals. We do it without a second thought. However, in a time when less support is being offered by the district to support our most advance students and students who need the most support, we need to develop a classroom model that will both address their needs and not give us more work!

Help us out and share! How do you differentiate?

Are You Ready to Flip the "Switch"?

Over the summer I had the distinct opportunity to read the book "Switch"by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. In this book the authors analyze what approach produces effective change (switch) in individuals. I found their analysis applicable to administration and teaching. The book discusses our internal motivation being personified as an "Elephant" with a "Rider" on a "Path". The "Elephant" represents the emotional side of us that needs to be connected to change in order to focus its energy towards it. The "Rider" represents the logical, numbers-based part of us that finds comfort in a clear message and organization. And of course the "Path" being the road that needs to be shaped for the "Rider" to guide the "Elephant" down (I know ... sounds very circus-like so far!).

Some of the most compelling highlights of the book were these three points;

• First, when you are looking to produce change, don't try to change the person, rather change the situation. A practical example from the book is instead of spending endless time trying to convince someone in your house to switch from whole milk to 2% milk, simply only have 2% milk in your refrigerator.

• A second conclusion was, "Resistance is often a sign of lack of understanding." Too often when we initiate change we run into resistance. This is the logical "Rider" being asked to step outside their comfort zone. The "Rider" will only effectively guide the "Elephant" down the "Path" if they completely understand where they are going and why.

• The third aspect of the book that I found compelling was the concept of "Bright Spots". You may remember Dr. Alvarez speaking about this briefly during the opening convocation. Sometimes we are doing so much that we don't truly know what works. Finding the "Bright Spots" means to examine your practice, find what works and replicate it to initiate positive change. Unfortunately, our past practice has been when we see a problem we just throw something new on top of what we are already doing (Overwhelming to say the least). The authors of "Switch" would suggest we do not have a clear "Path".

So as professionals, I ask you ... "What do you do to initiate change in your practice?"