Teachers: Does the current political climate upset you? Let's do our jobs better.

2008 was a great year to be a social studies teacher. The excitement over Obama’s candidacy and eventual win fueled an interest in government and history that made it easy to engage students. Students wanted to talk politics and understand how the system worked. We live- blogged debates together and turn out for our mock election was almost 100%. The message of hope and change connected with youth in a way that would be completely absent from any side in the politics of the last year.

The excitement over Obama’s win was fiercely opposed by a demographic that I neither quite understood or felt connected to. As the Tea Party movement began building in 2009, people like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh were whipping their followers into a frenzy over claims of tyranny, communism, and a variety of other charges. Obama was burned in effigy and appeared on protest posters in a Nazi uniform complete with Hitler stache. When Obama made a speech asking students to work hard and stay in school in September 2009, there was an outcry from the anti-Obama movement about the President’s “obvious” attempt to invade our schools and brainwash our students. I remember feeling particularly disturbed by that and felt that the PUSA deserved a certain level of deference. Lately I have been seeing the same level of ridiculousness from the other side and I find it more than a little hypocritical and troublesome.

If the current political climate upsets you, the good news is that you do not have to throw a brick through a Starbucks window or hold a sign in a crowd. You have already chosen a job in which you can make an incredible amount of difference. The key to doing that is to do a better job though. I don’t mean that as in teachers are not doing a good job and our education system is broken type of way. Nor does it mean that if you teach a certain way then everybody will be enlightened and we won’t have elections like the one we just endured. You as an individual don’t have that much power. It does mean that you have a responsibility to engage students in critically weighing ideas and using evidence to support conclusions. It is a lofty goal and we won’t achieve it by living in textbooks and following unimaginative curriculum guides. Engaging students in these ideas is possible and it is something that we all need to be better at.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind:

Understand That Media Literacy = Literacy
The nature of media and the news has evolved a great deal since 2008. When Obama was voted into office, the iPhone was just over a year old and the iPad was still 2 years away. Facebook only had 100 million (3.5% of the current 2.79 billion) users and Twitter was in its infancy. The rise of the mobile app was just beginning but viral videos (mostly through YouTube) were powerful as evidenced by the return of Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on a show that nobody actually watched on Saturday nights. Memes in their current form were yet to catch on as a social media fueled communication phenomenon. The music industry had already been through its grudging CDs, Napster, to iPod/iTunes path to transformation with streaming set to change it even more. The movie/TV industry was just starting down a path that unfortunately has not killed Comcast yet. Most importantly though, the news industry was continuing its slow and painful decline that continues to leave us with a gaping detritus filled void of dubious information from questionable sources.  


What that means is our students are plugged into a dynamic and information rich environment, the impact of which we truly do not understand yet. Our job is to help them navigate and make sense of that environment and not to pretend it does not exist during the 7-8 hours a day they spend in school.

Literacy is the process of decoding and encoding the various forms of communication that we interact with. The connected world that we navigate bombards us with information that needs to be understood, prioritized, acted on, or discarded. Reading and writing remains the basis for that but we cannot expect progress if it is not practiced within the context of connectivity. If adolescents are coming to our classes that do not reflect (or at least acknowledge) the connected environments that they live in, then we are missing a great opportunity.

The most important skill we need to practice with students is sourcing. They need to closely analyze every source to determine where it came from, who created it, what the purpose is, and if there are potential biases or assumptions that underly the conclusions in it. The goal should be getting students to the point where they can determine if a source is a reliable source of information or not. They need to understand that all items in their social media feeds and Google search results are not equal. This should be scaffolded at first using teacher selected sources in the classroom but eventually we need to be assessing students’ ability to source in the wild world of the internet. In order to do this the classroom space should be dynamic and connected to reflect the outside world.

Embed Social Media in the Classroom Experience
Like it or not, social media plays a huge role in the lives of most of us. Choosing not to participate does not change the fact that politics and beliefs are impacted by it. You can dislike the content and tone of Trump’s tweets all you want but he has used it brilliantly to connect with and energize his base. A base, by the way, that loves that his tweets launch you into bouts of righteous indignation.

The use of social media in the classroom opens up opportunities to analyze the messages that are being sent out in a way that students most likely will not unless we train them to. Their use reflects the basic need for human connection but also exhibits the vulgar and lascivious nature of adolescent communication that has always existed. The problem is that nothing done online ever really disappears (even Snapchat) and we need to help them understand this. Engaging them in purposeful activities (KQED DoNow is one example) gives them practice in using it for good. Creating digital work and portfolios and having them share through various social media channels helps them develop a positive digital footprints. Students need to see exemplars of appropriate use and participate in the creation of content rather than the mindless interaction with and consumption of it. Think about that yourself the next time you are about to share or retweet a meme.

Is there a risk with using social media? Of course. Students will have access to uncontrolled space. That can be scary and there will be problems. That needs to be anticipated and planned for. If you are still questioning whether we should be using social media in the classroom then you are asking the wrong questions.

Stop Ignoring the Science of Teaching
The same people who demand that climate change deniers examine the peer reviewed evidence to support their conclusions often tune out when it comes to the science of teaching. When research is presented, the tendency of many teachers is to ignore it because it comes from somebody that is no longer in the classroom and has no idea how things work in real life. There are shysters and opportunists out there but the vast majority of educational researchers are doing legitimate work and we need to partner with them.

Read education journals, review current research, and stop dismissing those that do it. Do your own action research and share your results with your colleagues both within your building and beyond. Strive to utilize and seek to master proven instructional strategies such as the ones identified by Robert Marzano as high yield strategies. Your professional and reasoned judgement shaped through experience has value. As a group though we need to stop talking so much about intuition and feelings and start demonstrating results.

Engage Students in Discussion and Challenge Their Ideas
A good teacher is able to help kids master content and skills. A great teacher connects with students in way that makes them rethink their preconceived ideas of the world. Greatness is not achieved by letting ideas or your teaching style itself go unchallenged. Chances are if you are doing the above things then you are already doing this but it deserves to be continually re-evaluated.

One way way to challenge the status quo is through good old fashioned discussions. It is not good enough to accept black and white answers in the classroom. Political parties and those who affiliate with them are neither good nor evil. Those who want to cut government regulations are not tyrants and those who want to help the poor are not communists. When students dismiss ideas as stupid we need to probe the underlying assumptions both of the originator of the idea and those that are passing judgment on them. Chances are that different perspectives are guided by different but equally valid values and it deserves the investment in time to hash those out. Any time that we accept simple answers we perpetuate an us versus them mentality that is detrimental to civil discourse.

The Choices Program out of Brown University has an excellent lesson idea for exploring the values that guide our beliefs. Use it once to help students understand their own values. Use it again but have them approach it from the perspective of another person and you have the beginning of a great discussion.

Conclusion
It would be overly idealistic and naive to think that we as educators can resolve the rampant divisiveness and ugliness of the current political climate by what we do in our classrooms. We are in a position to contribute in a positive way though and as professionals we owe it to ourselves and our students continually be improving on the way that we address it.

Bellwork in the Blended Classroom: KQED Do Now

The blended classroom in which students have some control over pace and may not all be at the same place should not mean the death of bellwork. An engaging classroom environment should have something for students to do as soon as they enter the room. This is part of a series of posts that offers suggestions for how bellwork can be used in a blended classroom by engaging students in something interesting that develops their skills in a key area while taking the burden off of the teacher to produce something novel on a daily basis. 

Tool: Do Now

Description: According to the Do Now website, it "is a weekly activity weekly activity for students to engage and respond to current issues using social media tools like Twitter."

Students can respond to the weekly prompts using Twitter or the comment section directly on the website. For bellwork I have used it by having students read, watch, and listen to the resources that accompany the prompt on one day, have them compose tweets or comments the next day, and then respond to others tweets and comments the following day.

The current event tie ins are perfect for social studies classrooms and there are also dedicated prompts for  science and the arts provided.

Key Skill Development:  By engaging with social media, students are developing competencies in the positive use of technology to develop and support arguments with an authentic audience. They practice building a positive digital footprint and making concise arguments supported with evidence from a variety of multimedia sources.

In an age where Twitter has become an often quoted source in the political spectrum with the ability to impact elections, having competence in using it for effect has emerged as an important 21st century skill.


*Note: Many districts have blocked access to Twitter and other social media tools. Do Now can still be used for short writing prompts that are shared in the classroom in those districts. Students could contribute their comments to closed discussion boards or shared Google Docs to engage in discussion. 

Bellwork in the Blended Classroom: A Google a Day

The blended classroom in which students have some control over pace and may not all be at the same place should not mean the death of bellwork. An engaging classroom environment should have something for students to do as soon as they enter the room. This is part of a series of posts that offers suggestions for how bellwork can be used in a blended classroom by engaging students in something interesting that develops their skills in a key area while taking the burden off of the teacher to produce something novel on a daily basis. 

Tool: A Google a Day

Description: Google a Day presents 3 new internet search challenges on a daily basis.  Users are awarded points based on getting the right answer and how quickly they are able to find the correct answer by using good search practices. 

Key Skill Development: Students engage in a daily reinforcement of good internet search practices. In most classrooms, search skill are taught once at the beginning of the year or along with a project that may require them. While students are expected to retain the skills taught in a lesson or two, those skills typically are not revisited for the rest of the year. Using Google a Day for bellwork would allow students to practice and develop these skills on a daily basis. 

Adapting to Your New District

Several years ago I left the district that I was at for 7 years and it happened to coincide with the Edutopia post “How to Divorce Your District.” I loved the post and it perfectly summed up how I was feeling about leaving my position at the time. One of the things that I did not anticipate was the difficulty of adapting in a new district and the real sense of loss that I would feel for the comfort that I had taken for granted. I got through it and have no doubt it was the right move but it took a while for the new position to feel comfortable.

This year as we have expanded with 28 new teachers in my current school I can sense the same feelings in them. Many of them are experienced teachers with decades of experience and are outside of their comfort zones for the first time in a long time. It felt like a good time to pass along some suggestions based on my own experience as well as from working with a rapidly increasing staff over the past 3 years.

• Don’t Mourn the Loss of Reputation

Teachers who have been in the same position for years develop a reputation and it makes your life a lot easier. One of the hardest lessons that I had to learn when moving to a new district after 7 years in the same position is that your reputation, no matter how good it is, will not mean anything to the students and parents in your new district. I felt a sense of loss my first year in the new district as students were coming in the first day and it became clear they had no idea who I was and all of my past accomplishments did not matter to them. They were evaluating me based on what I was doing at that moment and taking any time mourning the loss was not going to help. You have to move forward in your new position and trust that your old reputation was based on a reason. Your reputation will develop again quickly in your new role.

• You Left Your Old District for a Reason

We tend to get caught up in nostalgia when remember the past and forget all of the things that drove us to look for a new job in the first place. You may have grown bored with what you were teaching, ran out of opportunities for growth, or had enough of negative co-workers. When you made the decision to move it was for a reason. Trust yourself and have confidence in that decision instead of engaging in revisionist history about your past.

• Embrace the Loss of Your Comfort Zone

Along with the loss of your reputation you are going to be well out of your comfort zone. Learning a new culture, co-workers, community, and instructional methods is going to put you in a place where you may no longer be the go-to person in your new role. The most destructive thing you can do is to cling to all of your old ways of doing things and constantly tell everybody how you did things in your last position. Approach the new position with an open mind and be willing to let go of some of your past ways of doing things. Also understand that you were hired for a reason and that your new co-workers and administrators want to hear your ideas but constantly telling them what your old school did is probably not going to be met with support. You have experience and expertise in what you are doing so let your actions and abilities catch the attention of those around you. Adapting to your new environment will make you a better educator and people will be more open to your ideas once they see you have embraced and understand the culture of your new school.

• Your Situation is Temporary

Any time you switch roles or move to a new district it is going to be like your first year all over again. It is especially true if you are moving from a position with low expectations and a traditional approach into a blended environment. You are going to be learning a new culture and many of your tried and true lessons are not going to work in a new setting. Just like with your first year teaching things will get easier and your situation is only temporary.

Moving to a new school is hard work but with patience and adaptability you will persevere and be better for it. Your new students and school are going to benefit from the continual addition of new staff with fresh perspectives as well. Keep focus on doing the best that you possibly can in your new role and pretty soon you will be the one welcoming a fresh batch of newcomers into your culture.

Reflecting on FlipCon15: I'm Still not a Flipper

This summer I attended my first FlipCon as a presenter at Michigan State University. My wife who is a Michigander and MSU alumni who was thrilled to be able to attend with me and show me around the campus. We also got to hang out with my sister-in-law who is a local anesthesiology student. The first night we met up with her in a college bar and she asked me what the conference was all about. As I began to explain flipped learning she cut me off with:

"Yeah yeah, you look at the material the night before and then you do something interactive with it in the next class. We do that in my nursing program. Why do you guys need three days to talk about that?"

I really did not have a good answer for her and as I spent the next three days sitting through sessions, I often asked myself the same question. In fact, I have an admission to make. Its one that I know I am not supposed to make as a 21st century teacher, connected educator, edtech guy...whatever we call ourselves. But here goes:

I still do not get why flipped learning is a thing.

My theory is that flipped learning is more of the reflection of the natural growth that individual teachers make as they progress through their careers. I recall spending much of my first year teaching giving notes and worthless homework assignments. I did not know any better. I was very proud of myself when I came back the next year and did not spend a single minute of class on notes. We did a lot of group work, projects,  and simulations. I often gave homework assignments that required students to read some background information or develop a character for what we were going to do in class. The class was lively, students were learning, and I quickly became a respected teacher.

When I look back on that second year I suppose it could have been called flipped learning. The homework was preparing them for the class activities but I certainly was not making videos and asking students to use the internet at home was still a losing proposition in many cases. Thinking back on many of my favorite classes I realize that many of them shared that structure long before the flipped movement. Having students come to class prepared to use that class time most effectively is always a sound instructional strategy no matter what we call it.

I do not think the flipped movement is a bad. If teachers are getting hooked on the philosophy of it and becoming better teachers because of it then it is great. I enjoyed spending a few days talking about teaching with a group of my colleagues but three days discussing what should be a simple premise was more than enough. If calling yourself a flipper makes you a better teacher than do it. I probably won't be with you at FlipCon16 though.

A 2 Second Paradigm Shift

Educators often ask their students to take risks but we often miss the mark when it comes to establishing an environment in which to do so. We recently made a switch within my department to a mastery based grading system in which we allow revisions of work and do not take points off assignments for being turned in late. This approach is well grounded in research but has not been without its critics who often say things such as, "How will they learn responsibility?" "If they know they can go back and fix things why would they put any effort into their work?" and "They need to learn to deal with failure."

The switch certainly requires some reflection on the nature of grades and what they should mean. Students are also not used to such a system and have become used to chasing grades instead of focusing on the process.

The following is a 2 second conversation that I had this week that illustrates the process at work though:

     Student: You said here that I need to add evidence to make the discussion post better right?

     Me: Right.

     Student: So if I go back and add the evidence I can earn a higher score?

     Me: Yes.

She went back and added evidence and her score was updated. She didn't have to wait until the next time we did a discussion post to act on the feedback and the score she wound up with reflected her true ability to use evidence to support an argument.

Something in her reaction let me know that a shift had occurred for her and that's all that needs to be said about learning responsibility, effort, and dealing with failure.

Lead a 21st Century School: 3 Steps to Take Right Now

Here is my contribution to Leadership Day 2014....

A lot of talk about 21st century schools is focused on devices and apps. You could be buried in all the iPads and Chromebooks you could ever imagine but the culture at your school will not change until the philosophy of 21st century teaching, learning, AND leading is embraced.

Here are 3 steps that you can take right now:

1. Model the Change You Want to See

If you want to reduce the use of paper or go paperless this year, then don’t have handouts and copies of the PowerPoint that you are going to use at your meetings. Send it out in email or better yet, flip it by asking teachers to review it and be ready to discuss prior to coming to the meeting.

If you want your teachers to be reflective practitioners then start your own blog and share it with them. The best schools have sharing and collaborating built into everything they do and opening yourself up will go a long way towards establishing the trust that must be in place first.

And by all means, if you want to see innovative teaching practices and risk taking in your school then don’t welcome your teachers back with data chats and performance goals. Yes, we all know that it is important but we want to be excited about the possibilities of a new year not rehashing past shortcomings. If we were into disaggregating data we would be making a lot more money doing that somewhere. Give teachers some time to connect with each other and the reasons they got into this line of work in the first place.

This year at my site we opened up our welcome back week with a Top Chef style pizza cook off in the school kitchen and wrapped it up with a team challenge to create the best cheesy, shamelessly self-promoting ad for our departments (see below). We talked some data and SMOs (specific measurable objectives) in between, but it was the team building activities that stuck with me.

What did you do in back-to-school PD this year?

2. Remove the Safety Nets

I was part of an infuriating conversation last year in which a group of colleagues was saying that they could not make the transition to Common Core because they did not have the appropriately aligned textbooks to teach from. My perspective was that the transition offered the perfect opportunity to ditch textbooks altogether and focus on more engaging and effective strategies. In the end administration wound up siding with the textbook proponents and the perfect opening to remove a safety net was missed. A textbook centered curriculum was ensured through at least the next adoption cycle.

People don’t like change. Many will complain. Ultimately, removing safety nets but empowering them to explore alternative solutions will push them forward. That’s leadership.

3. Focus On the Needs of Your Best

The best teachers have a deeply ingrained drive to become experts at what they do. Unfortunately for them, many school initiatives got bogged down in numbing conversations about holding the few bad teachers accountable. This gives the bad apples way too much power and drives the good ones mad.

The mindset has to change from one of accountability to one of growth. Create a professional development framework that will allow teachers to identify areas that they want to focus on. Then instead of requiring everybody to sit through the same sit-and-get traditional style PD, give them that time in PLCs to research and develop strategies in their focus areas. Finally, give them a venue to share their learning with their colleagues. You will grow a staff of professionally fulfilled  experts.

In an era where tenure is probably on the way out, schools and districts are losing one of the main things that motivates frustrated teachers to stick it out through the hard times. Good teachers are also increasingly using social media to develop large networks of other likeminded individuals. Without the barbed wire of tenure restricting the flock to your pasture and the promise of greener grass on the horizon, the intrepid ones you want to keep are probably going to wander off. If the needs of the best are ignored chances are pretty good that schools are going to wind up losing them to those leaders who are embracing the philosophy of 21st century teaching and learning.