Oregon Trail Analogy: Are you a leader or dysentery?

I used to play Oregon Trail in elementary and middle school and loved the game.  It fostered great problem solving and decision making.  It had historical relevance as well, so it taught content.  I think the game itself can be a great analogy about education, as a whole though.  Which one are you?

Main Character (Leader)

This/these individual(s) is in charge of leading the wagon and making big decisions.  This does not have to be administration, just a person who is motivated and passionate about what they are doing.  This individual may have to make some tough calls, but if it’s for the good of the cause then most will understand.  They do care about everyone’s well-being, but feelings may get hurt along the way, but hey, that’s what leadership entails.

The Family (Support System)

This/these individual(s) assist with leadership decisions.  They are there for the long haul and support the leader.  They may also play a role in decision making.  These individuals are important because they keep things moving.  Without a support system, leaders fall to the wayside.  Like a covered wagon cannot move without wheels, an institution cannot move without these people.  

The Ox’s/Mules (the indifferent individuals)

These individuals just sit back and go with the flow of things.  They don’t really care about the decisions, but will move along as long as it means they are getting food (paycheck).  Though it would be nice for these people to move up in the ranks and give a little more, at least they aren’t dragging others down.  They do assist in moving things forward, but every once in awhile they get worn out and need to slow down.  It is up to the leaders and support system to keep them moving.

Disease (The Naysayers)

There are always going to be people trying to slow things down or put things to rest.  In the game characters catch diseases, break bones, etc.  In the school these people are there to disregard the information, argue the opposite, or just ignore.  These people are typically negative and feel they are doing everything right.  The leaders, support system need to stick together to prove what they are doing is effective.  Disease gets in the way and is hard to cure, but it takes powerful and innovative minds to wash it all away.  Sometimes a simple antibiotic can help subside the symptoms, but may not rid the diseases altogether.  Unfortunately, there may be nothing one can do to get rid of this disease so it eventually keeps attacking.  Just as the leader is trying to get people to hop aboard in a positive way, these individuals are trying to get people to hop aboard in a negative way.

If you have ever played the game there is a goal, a destination.  I think that destination, for education changes year to year.  We want students to achieve, to be successful, and we want to provide them with the necessary skill sets.  That is the destination.  The only problem with this is I think it is more of a process than a destination.  The great part about this is, there are multiple ways to reach it, just as you may have to go around a landmark, or cross different rivers, or the path is adjusted in the game, the same can happen in education.  We start the trip gathering supplies and resources, and use those to our advantage.  The game itself reminds us that we can’t rely on these resources by wiping half of them away in a flood or having them taken by a gang of outlaws.  Every once in awhile we gain new resources or supplies by stumbling across an old wagon, a new town, etc.  In education, we can’t rely on the tools we have, but we have to use to better our experience.  Every once in awhile we stumble across new tools to use and we try to put them to use.  

Weekly Tech Tool: Gmail Chat

I had this idea on my drive to school this morning (most of my great ideas spawn while I am driving) to start blogging once a week about a tool to use for your classroom or beyond.  This will be the first post and just so everyone knows each week I may present something very basic or very difficult depending on my mood.  I am going to start with something pretty basic.  The tech tool of this week is Gmail Chat.

I started using gmail sometime in college just as a separate personal account from my college account.  Once I started teaching I was still using gmail, but the school I was at was not using gmail, until my second year.  Once our school went Google, I became borderline obsessed with the possibilities.  One of the small tools I use on a daily basis is gmail chat.  When you open up gmail, on the left hand side of the window under the labels you have (inbox, starred, spam, trash, etc.) there will be an option to chat.  You may have to add specific people by email or from your contacts to chat with them.  By hovering over someones name you have options, but if you simply click on a person's name you can chat with them.

The nice part about this chat feature is it lets you know who is available and who is unavailable based on the little circle or video camera by their name.  If the color is green, then they are available, if it's orange they have been inactive for a while.  If it is red, then they are busy.  You can change your color to let people know your availability as well.  I use this feature if I need to send just a quick message that really doesn't require much length.  It is less annoying than receiving an entire email devoted to maybe one question or comment.  You can copy and paste links to YouTube videos and pictures and they will embed into the chat itself which is a nice feature.  When chatting with someone everything you type will be saved in an email label called chats which is somewhere under "Inbox".  You can change this by clicking "more" when you are in the chat window and clicking "go off the record".  Another great option is inviting multiple people to chat at once, you can do this by clicking the little guy with a plus sign and typing in people's names or emails.

The main reason I use this feature/tool is the convenience.  All too often I get emails that are annoying to open up and read and then eventually delete because they were useless little bits of information that could have been communicated so much easier through a chat.  If you have Google+ the chat option is the same, so if you are on gmail and google+ the chat will pop up in both locations.  For teachers this is especially great if you have students that are staying late in your class, you can simply chat with the teacher whose class they will be late to just to communicate quickly.  I don't like it when my phone rings, especially in the middle of class, so the chat feature is a great alternative to communicate quick information.

Here is a link to a help page for this tool: https://support.google.com/chat/answer/161880?hl=en&ref_topic=2386086 

Focus on What You Have

My classroom is pretty basic, but I try to modernize it as much as possible.  I have your typical book shelves and cabinets filled with books and materials.  I have two whiteboards that span the length of two walls.  I have an empty bulletin board because I hate decorating.  Instead of desks I have tables set up to foster collaboration.  I got rid of my own desk not too long ago, which has prevented me from sitting down throughout the day (I like walking around and interacting with my students), and provides more space for my students.  I got rid of my SmartBoard not too long ago because I wasn't utilizing it, but I still have a projector that simply points at one of the whiteboards.

In my classroom, I personally have a MacBook, a Chromebook, and an iPad.  I also use my iPhone here and there to check email and twitter throughout the day.  My students all have Chromebooks.  I have textbooks for every single one of the students, but I don't hand them out since we have an online version.  If we are reading a novel, all the students have copies of that.  I have an Apple TV which allows me to wirelessly project my MacBook, iPad, or iPhone to the projector.  All of these things in my classroom are great, but this post is not all about what I have in my classroom so please continue reading so you don't think I am simply bragging about what I have.

Often times I wish I had more.  I wish I had tables painted with WhiteBoard Paint (Still have to work on that, the principal said it would be great).  I wish I had better chairs for students to sit in.  I wish I had some different books.  I wish I didn't have to store all the textbooks that are just gathering dust now.  I wish I had Google Glass (basically because I think they would be cool).  I think you get the idea, I wish I had a lot of things for my classroom.  The bottom line is, I don't have all of these things.  This is kind of a blessing in disguise though.  I have learned to work with what I have, and I know I am fortunate to actually have quite a bit to work with.

When I started teaching I had all these grand ideas for my classroom.  I wanted this and that, but reality struck and I couldn't have all those magnificent things.  So I started experimenting.  Other teachers would come into my classroom week in and week out surprised that I had changed my classroom again and again.  I was never satisfied.  I tried setting my desks up in pods, in rows, in a semi circle, back to rows, back to the pods, back to semi circle.  I moved my desk to every corner of the room.  I have tested and experimented with different forms of technology.  I found that I was never fully satisfied and always had this urge to change and was always thinking about ways I could change to make things better.  Then I started to realize something.

I needed to really focus on the "things" I had not the "things" I didn't have.  See, I could sit and tell you all the wonderful things I could do if I had this and that, but it really doesn't amount to much if I don't ever get those things.  I have to focus on what I have and use those resources to the best of my ability.  A desk is only a desk, but if I can arrange multiple desks in a way to foster better learning opportunities that desk becomes more than a desk.  I hear a lot of teachers talk about furniture in their classes, and how great it would be if they had bean bag chairs and soft seating.  Bean bag chairs and soft seating don't create better learners.  I think they can, but often times we simply focus on the "things" and fail to focus on how they can transform the learning going on.  We need to focus on what we have first and use those to the best of our abilities.  We still need to put some effort in to get other resources, but the emphasis needs to switch from "I want this" to "I can use this in this way."

I can complain and whine about all the things I don't have in my classroom, but they won't magically appear due to my frustrations.  I need to ask and present it in a way where I am showing the reasoning.  I think bean bag chairs could be a valuable addition to my classroom because they are comfortable and when I have students reading I want them to be as comfortable as possible, and when people are comfortable they work a lot better.  I know that receiving 15 bean bag chairs, though possible, probably won't happen, so I have to focus on what I have and how I can make the environment the most comfortable for my students.  It's not an easy task, but all it takes is a little thinking and creativity.  The bottom line is, if you spend too much time focusing on what you don't have in your classroom, you're wasting time improving the classroom you already have.

Resources are Here to Stay

• Cell phones are inappropriate
• Spark Notes is cheating
• Google gives all the answers
• Social networking is bad
• Using books on tests is giving kids the answers
• Talking equals cheating

The above are basic observations made in a typical classroom when it comes to resources.  When students write a research paper in a "typical" classroom, they are allowed to use print sources and teachers would be very cautious about online sources.  When students take a test they have to rely on their memory alone.  When students work in class they are not allowed to expand and use multiple resources.  This bothers me...a lot.

Here is a breakdown of why we need to open up resources for students to use:

• I have a cell phone with 3g or wifi capabilities at all times.  I have the world at my fingertips, which means I always have a resource available if I need to look something up.  Your students are never going to be in a place or time where they don't have a resource available, whether it be an iPad, laptop, cell phone, or another person.  With networks expanding and businesses opening free wifi hotspots you cannot use the excuse "well what if they don't have access to the internet?"  That just doesn't fly.  We aren't fostering a generation of helpless individuals that rely on these resources, we just need to ask the right questions.
• Most employers want people who can work independently and collaboratively, meaning they want the whole package.  Offer situations where students can work with partners or in groups to complete assessments.  Students need to be able to think for themselves and come to conclusions by working with others.  Balance this out.  As teachers we spend most of our day working on things alone, but we also need to work as a unit in the building to provide the best experiences for our students.  Let the kids talk, discuss, and work together.  The added bonus, it gets kids off of their cell phone and they actually have to communicate face to face.  I will have kids work together on the same document, but I still have them sit together because there is still value in good old fashioned face-to-face communication.
• We have to embrace the technology of the here and now in order to adapt to the technology of the future.  Technology in education is not a fad, and it is only going to get tougher if you can't embrace it now.  I can stand in front of my classroom every year when we start reading Of Mice and Men and tell the kids Spark Notes is not an option, but I will never prevent students from using Spark Notes no matter how much I threaten them.  The solution, I embrace this form of technology and welcome it.  I tell the students if they need extra assistance and need a place to help them understand the reading that Spark Notes is an excellent resource.  What I have noticed is that students are less apt to use the resource if I present it to them, and as an added bonus the students actually understand the material better if they are using Spark Notes.  Welcome in the "cheating" resources in your classroom, because as I have argued already...you will never prevent students from using them anyway.  When you tell a student don't use this, and don't use that the first thing they want to use is that website you told them not to use.
• Get students to use the technology they are already using and adapt it to your class. Who says twitter cannot be an excellent resource.  I have had students interview people via twitter for research papers.  Snapchat can be a great way for students to submit vocab words or terminology.  Instagram can be a great resource for students to complete multimedia presentations.  Pinterest can be a great way for students to create visual resource boards.  The added bonus to this is high engagement.
• Google gives us so much information and creating material and questions that kids can't google the answers to is difficult, but it is possible.  We need to move past regurgitation and memorization and focus on critical thinking.  If your students can google the answers to your questions, you are asking the wrong questions.  We want students to be able to find the relevance, analyze material, connect material, and focus back to importance.  You can't do that with a multiple choice question.  Here's the catch, let your students use google and see what they find.  If you ask the right questions they shouldn't be able to simply find the answers, but they should be able to find resources that direct them to answers, while they use their mind as well.  That's the goal.  We want kids to actively answer questions while building conculions using resources and their own brain.  To me, that's more valuable than having my kids memorize who said what in "Romeo and Juliet".

I have been giving tests lately where students are allowed to use any resource they see fit, with the exception of me (because I won't always be there to hold their hand through tasks).  I am getting a better understanding of what my students have learned and the knowledge they have not only gained throughout the unit, but in the moment while they take the test.  Do not make the excuse that your content is exempt from this style for whatever reason.  Attempt and think about how you can embrace resources in your classroom instead of limiting or banning them.

Professional Development: Change Relies on Attitude

Peanut Butter and Jelly, Macaroni and Cheese, Oreos and Milk, Schools and Professional Development.  Some things go together better than others and my guess is many look at the list above and think the last one really doesn't fit.  This post is about professional development and how as teachers, we can change the way professional development looks and feels and it all develops off of attitude.

My first of year teaching, which ridiculously enough seems so distant now, I remember sitting in staff meetings and professional development sessions bored out of my mind.  Now this is not to say I didn't do my job, or that I didn't like teaching.  I loved my job and still do to this day.  I wasn't finding a purpose in what I was being trained in.  I found the source of the problem though one day.  I was at a training of some sort and had this negative attitude toward the entire session and sat there, probably with a glum look on my face.  After the training I remember driving back to the school reminiscing about all the information and then it hit me.  I actually got something out of this, I actually learned something.  All it took was a little reflection and an open mind.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think professional development can be bad, but many times it's the audience that needs to change not the presenter.  I started to think about this a little more in depth.  These presenters were spending time preparing and presenting and many of us teachers automatically discount what they are saying because we would rather be in our classroom cleaning, organizing, planning, or grading.  These presenters and these sessions are trying to make us better teachers.  Are we that conceded to believe we are already the best we can be?  Even if we can walk out with one or two bits of information that make us think and make us better, I think that's enough to prove something stuck.  Too many times this doesn't happen.

Attitude plays a big role in professional development.  If you are walking in with a negative attitude and already discounting what this person is going to present, then of course you won't gain anything from it.  Walk in knowing you can pull something away, and walk in thinking you will learn something and I guarantee something will stick.  Teachers often times can make the worst students, but that doesn't have to be true.  We have to model good behavior, even when our students aren't watching.  Having a positive attitude and trying to gain something out of a lecture/presentation is modeling good behavior.  If the presenter is not very good, or bogs you down with busy work, then reflect on your own teaching practices.  Do I do the same thing in my classes?  Now I know how my students feel.  If you don't like busy work, or boredom, why would your students?  Use professional development to gain something, and at the very least use professional development to reflect.

The hypocrisy frustrates me, when a teacher complains that the presenter was not very effective and then that teacher goes and teaches their class the exact same way.  Or the presenter hands out a worksheet for everyone to complete and you see the moans and groans on people's faces, and then those teachers go back to their classrooms to make copies of packets and worksheets to give their students.  How do we become better teachers if we refuse to believe someone out there might be able to teach us something?  Many teachers like to think that just because they went to college for 4-8 years that they are the best at what they do.  You show me any teacher and I can tell you there is room for improvement.  We need to get over ourselves as teachers and accept change for what it is.  A lot of what we are doing now will change in the next 3, 5, 10 years, but that doesn't mean it isn't important.  I often hear that argument, "why learn this now, when it is going to just change next year?"  That's the beauty of teaching and education, it's always changing.  But the big picture here is that every job field is changing, but I don't see doctors complaining when some new treatment is introduced, or police officers complaining when they have a new method to track down criminals.  Why don't they complain because they accept and know that these things make them better.

It all comes down to attitude.  The teachers that come into PD with a positive attitude are the ones talking about it afterward over lunch, over coffee, or over twitter.  The ones with the negative attitudes are the ones shyly going back into their classrooms to continue with the monotony.  Change begins with attitude, but it also relies on attitude.

Teaching Technology vs. Teaching Teaching

Every other week, on Friday's, I present at our staff meetings.  Originally these bi-weekly meetings were devoted to technology, and to a certain extent they still are.  At the beginning of the school year I would come in, open up my computer, and teach the staff how to use Googles Apps, different websites, etc. and I noticed something.  The teachers I was presenting to, for the most part, were disengaged, and failing to find a purpose in what I was presenting to them.  I was showing them great tools, but that was it.  I wasn't explaining the tools, I wasn't aligning the tools to the content, I wasn't presenting in a way that made the teachers want to use these tools.  I adapted to the reception I was getting and started zeroing in on something entirely different.

Instead of teaching technology I am now teaching technology integration.  A lot of what I am presenting about is built upon SAMR and TPACK.  Throwing strategies and theories out for teachers to grasp a hold of.  It get's teachers to think about and reflect on their teaching practices.  There is still some reluctance to change and incorporate technology for certain individuals, but as a whole I am seeing a great shift within the walls of this building.  Our school went 1:1 in January of this year (about a month and half ago) and things are going well.  Many teachers have adjusted and embraced the technology for what it is.  Many are still struggling and are still using the devices to simply substitute what they were doing before.  I think the process is interesting though.  I knew going into this that it wasn't going to be an overnight shift, so watching the process of a school slowly change is great.  

These staff meetings are, for me, a great reassurance that teacher's still want to change the way they are doing things in the classroom.  Though the reluctance is a bit frustrating, for me if even one teacher can grasp a hold of some new concepts and ideas, that's one teacher closer to impacting our students in a positive way.  I talked about assessment the other day and how we need to evaluate how we assess our students.  The old habit of simple regurgitation is not cutting it anymore and is an injustice to our students.  We want higher level thinking, analysis, evaluation, questioning, reasoning, adapting, and by giving a paper/pencil, multiple choice test, you cannot get all of that.  I was annoyed by a response I got that dealt with standardized tests, that we would not be preparing our students for things like the NWEA's if we create projects and higher order thinking essay tests that speak towards relevance and skill sets over content.  My simple response to this is, we are not here to prepare kids for a test they will take a few times in their life, we are here to prepare them for life.  

When you scan through your classroom can you honestly say your students are engaged?  If your students are not getting their work done, what is the true source of the problem?  Can your students see a purpose?  Is there a purpose?  Ask all these questions and reflect, change the way you are doing things.  When your students grasp a hold of something it is amazing, and many people have lost that feeling due to comfort and sameness.  This is what my staff meetings encompass, a sense of change, a sense of engagement.  I talk about technology but the focus has shifted to talking about teaching more than talking about technology.