Blogush

This post is really dedicated to everyone who is a lurker in the edtech world.  You know who you are.  You are reading lots of blogs but never leave a comment.  You joined twitter but really only post links or re-tweet.

I am driving up to Boston next week to attend Edubloggercon.  If you take a look at the attending page and you are a edtech groupie you will recognize many of the faces.  There are some pretty seriously smart people that are attending.  Two years ago I did not attend Educon in Philadelphia because I looked at the attending page and was way to intimidated by the faces.  There were so many people who had contributed so much and I had well…contributed nothing.  It took me over two years of blogging and twittering before I felt ready to go to a national conference and not be intimidated…let me re-word that…it took me two years of quietly blogging and following other people twittering before I finally attended my first national conference.  I was scared stiff but I made it through and went on several months later to attend another conference and survived it.  It was around this time last year that I really started to have some confidence and get involved in twitter conversations and comment on people’s blogs.  I didn’t become any smarter, just more confident.  In some ways I feel like I lost two years of learning by whimping out of conversations and conferences.

So if you are new to the edtech world and are looking to start contributing, I invite you to pick a post on this blog, any post and leave a comment(or anyones blog).  No one will know you are making your one of your first comments, it will show up just like all the others.  Feel free to follow me on twitter @paulbogush and comment on anything I say.  Again, no one will know you are just testing the waters. Point is, you have to jump in, or at least dip your toes. I know it’s kind of intimidating, I can remember very clearly NEVER wanting to comment on anyone’s blog or make a comment to someone through twitter, and I only practiced safe blogging and twittering.  Writing posts and tweets that were simple and safe and wouldn’t expose myself to someone disagreeing.  That whole afraid of failure and looking silly thing…

(I know someone won’t like this but it’s what I did last year that really helped me) One thing I did last year that helped me alot was purgingn my twitter list and blogroll of all the big shots.  I deleted almost everyone from my twitter list that was on the “A” list and filled it with a lot more people just like me, and slowly built up with others that were just as impressive as all the big famous edtechheads but took an interest in helping me.  It simply made me much more comfortable.  I think the world of blogs and twitter is powerful stuff and everyone should take the leap.  I also know that almost everyone who visits blogs doesn’t get involved in the conversation, and most of the people that I have followed over the last several months stay awfully quiet when they are on and just lurk.  So to all the lurkers I want to leave you with the words Linda Nitsche wrote to me today–” We all have amazing things to share and ideas to move change forward. Never question your power!“  Please take a leap of faith today and join one conversation, make one comment, write one tweet or plurk one response to someone.  Never question your power to make a contribution.

So if you promise to make comment or tweet, i will promise to not sit in silence at the conference Tuesday and walk out at the end of the day feeling like I missed out on another opportunity to make a contribution.  Seriously, If I can do it, so can you.  Deal?

Lisa Thuman wrote a post that still has me thinking about how to best convince other teachers to start using more progressive methods in the classroom, and the perception edtechvangelists have of the people they are trying to convert. It sometimes seems that edtechvangelists expect to just tell or show someone something and expect them to become a convert. If they don’t, then they are “bad” teachers or don’t posses the same common sense as the converted-they shouldn’t be teachers if they won’t change.  I have often found myself saying negative things and giving up on people who resist using technology, project based learning, and other progressive methods. I do and say things that I would never say about a student who is resisting making a change in my classroom. Struggling with the words here…somehow all of “those” teachers that are unwilling to change when we say change become dehumanized and sometimes become not worthy of our efforts. It becomes us vs. them.  I stumbled upon a quote today that made me re-think my perception of the folks who don’t “change” when I say “change.”

A major hang-up affecting educational change is the image we hold of ourselves. Too often we regard ourselves as incapable of effecting change and this apprehension keeps us locked in stereotyped shells incapable of displaying our real humanity. As we understand better the nature of change, we shall likely be unafraid to be genuine, authentic, and real human beings. When this transformation takes place, as it must, we shall then be ready to face the realities involved in change with complete honesty. As real people, we shall learn to prize the learner—his feelings, his opinions, his person. We shall then be able to admit and act upon our admission that it is caring for the learner that counts. Then it is that we shall be able to practice acceptance as the most fundamental law underlying the learning process. Until we are committed to the belief that the other person is a somebody, not a nobody, and that somehow he is trustworthy—until this belief is actualized, we likely will have little interest in effecting worthwhile changes.

Dr. A Craig Phillips, North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction 1969-1989

I became intrigued with his use of the phrase “Prize the leaner.” It is a great position to put your students, or collegues in.  I think Dr. Phillips must have read Carl Rogers who also belives that one must “prize the learner” before change will occur:

The attitudes that Rogers believed facilitated learning as set out in Mark K. Smith’s 2005 article on the Infed website are as follows:

Realness in the facilitator ~ The most basic attitude is realness or genuineness. An educator is a real person who enters into a relationship with the student. Educators are more effective if they do not present a front or facade to the student. There is direct personal encounter on a one to one basis where the educator is being himself or herself, and there is not denial of the true self.

Prizing, acceptance, trust ~ The effective facilitator or educator must prize the learner, and prize the learner’s feelings and opinions. This is a basic trust that shows acknowledgement of the other person having worth in his or her own right and that the other person is fundamentally trustworthy. In addition, this reflects the facilitor’s general trust in the capacity of individuals.

Empathetic listening ~ When an educator has the ability to understand the way the process of education and learning seems to the student, the likelihood of significant learning is increased. This creates a climate conducive to self-initiated experiential learning.

I think I for one need to adjust my attitude.  I have forgotten what it was like for me when I first started my journey into being a more progressive educator.  The change did not happen overnight.  I have forgotton that, and the next time I am in a position in which I am trying to get someone to “change,” I must have a bit more patience, and will remember to “prize the learner.”

My wife had book club at our house last night.  When I sat down at the table to get on my laptop this morning there was a bowl of M&Ms sitting on the table that apparently never made it to the living room for her guests.  I just reached in for one more and realized that I had eaten ever one.  Try an experiment–sit in front of bowl of M&Ms and try to eat just one.  Chemists at Mars Candy Company have worked extremely hard at coming up with the perfect recipe that does not leave someone satisfied after just one…or two…or a bowl.  Without boring you about the science of sugars, they have created a recipe that make you want more and be able to eats lots of them without ever feeling satisfied.  Even after a couple of handfuls you still want more.

So I wonder if a student’s experience in school should be more like eating a bowl of M&Ms…

If a teacher creates a unit that allows the students to feel as though they have completely covered the topic, does that lead to the death of new learning on that topic.  I lead tours on root cellars in the 1830’s at Old Sturbridge Village. I have found that when I give a very “complete” tour there are no questions at the end.  I love talking about how people utilized root cellars and the “science” behind them and if I don’t keep myself in check I can go on and on and everyone leaves satisfied.  But when I have to rush through it or if I am short on time and I leave lots of stuff out there are tons of questions and lots of stragglers continuing to ask questions as the next group is entering.  I have also noticed that when I give an “incomplete” tour a lot more people leave saying “I have to try this at home.”

Maybe we shouldn’t be evaluating teachers simply by what their kids can do and know. How about at the end of a unit we ask a single question–Do you want to know more?  I am more interested in that answer than if they know why the Battle of Saratoga is important.  The phrase “life long learner” has had its meaning changed to creating students that “can” learn new things.  We should be graduating students that “want” to learn knew things. Mystery and curiosity is that secret ingredient that should be used in recipes for great units.  They are the ingredients that allow for learning to occur outside of the school.  A student who possesses all of the knowledge, but lacks any curiosity can succeed in the future.  But they will have to fit into a future that is created by our curious students. An intelligent student will know all of the answers, but in order to gain wisdom they must possess the curiosity to ask questions.

This year I need to figure out how to make each unit not end the learning on a topic, but act as a beginning.

Scott McLeod has a call out to folks to “blog about whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs, wants, etc.”  It was due two days ago, but I am pretty sure I can change the time stamp on this post and sneak it in After reading many of the other #leadershipday09 posts I think you will find mine…ummm…a bit different.  I am one of those people who could cut the electric wire leading to my house and live happily ever after.  I could easily live in a shack with an outhouse 500 miles from the nearest road.  I could go 3 months without ever opening my cellphone.  That usually surprises people because we infuse technology into every unit that we do.  While my post might seem a bit anti-technology, between the lines it is very pro-technology.  I am for using it to make things, not do things.  I am for giving it to kids to improve learning, not to improve teaching.   As I look around, I see too many people recommending using technology to make things more interesting so the kids will be engaged and more interested in “learning.”  It’s how Juan Bobo would use technology if he became a teacher. For a list of other #leadershipday09 posts please see Karen McMillian’s list that she has complied.

Dear Administrator,

I don’t like being known as the teacher who uses technology to motivate their students. I don’t like people looking at the products my kids produce and only focus on the technology we used. I don’t like it when someone suggests that kids like my class because of the technology, or that we are a computer class first, a social studies class second. I have never inserted any piece of technology into a unit to make my class more interesting, engaging, or fun.  I did not start using technology and web 2.0 tools to help my units become stronger, more conceptual, or more authentic. I did not start using technology to put the STORY into our hiSTORY class. I did not start using technology to increase my kids desire to learn, grow, and become more independent.  That was all happening before we started using technology.

I do not use technology to coerce students into learning.  I don’t include a backchannel to make a boring movie more engaging.  I don’t make their presentations more interesting by recording them for a podcast.  I don’t have them blog so that they become excited about sharing their summary of chapter 6 in a post with someone in Fiji.  We don’t skype with people across the world so we can listen to THEM talk to US.

Technology does not change the way I teach or how I plan my units.  Without any technology we were making products for authentic audiences, thinking deeply about solving problems, and realizing that we can change the world.  We dreamed big, walked tall, spoke-up, listened carefully, interviewed professionals and collaborated with one another well before the first computer entered my classroom.  Believe it of not, I don’t need to use technology to get a group of 13 year old digital natives eager to come to class everyday.

Technology is not the answer to the problems facing the educational system.  When it is placed in the hands of traditional teachers in an average school it reinforces the institution.  Spending $4000 in that type of school on a Smartboard will just stunningly reinforce a unit that has no concept, no goals, no connection to the kids life, and is not authentic, problem based, or performance based.  Moving to 1:1 laptops will improve teaching, it just won’t improve student learning.   It is not about what kids are doing or what is being done to them, it’s about what they are making and creating.  It is not the “answer” to why my kids leave at the end of the year ready to build a better future. 

I don’t want to be known as the class that uses technology because technology is not the not the answer to raising test scores, motivating students, and creating “life long learners.” Technology is just tool. If you give a tool chest to someone who can’t build a house, they are still not going to be able to build a house. We can use technology to build a solid foundation of learning for our kid’s future, but first we must recognize that it has to be put into the hands of folks who know how to use it, or how to let their kids use it. Technology must be used to get the kids to be more independent of the teachers, not increase dependency.  Where I live, new building technology is being used to create massive areas of McMansions. I hope with all the technology being infused into education that we don’t find in ten years that all we have built with it are massive numbers of McSchools.

So before you go and invest all those 1000s of dollars in IT, maybe first send a little bit of it to PD.

Yours truly,

Paul

I was cleaning out the garage today and found a copy of a letter my mom sent me in college–she sent me a copy, she didn’t write it
Dear Son,
Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alive. I’m
writing this letter slowly because I know that you cannot read fast.
You won’t know the house when you come home . . we’ve moved.

About your father . . . he has a lovely new job. He has 500
men under him. He is cutting grass at the cemetery.

There was a washing machine in the new house when we moved in,
but it isn’t working too good. Last week I put 14 shirts into it,
pulled the chain, and I haven’t seen the shirts since.

Your sister Mary had a baby this morning. I haven’t found out
whether it is a boy or girl, so I don’t know whether you are an aunt
or uncle.

Your uncle Dick drowned last week in a vat of whiskey in Dublin
Brewery. Some of his workmates dived in to save him, but he fought
them off bravely. We cremated his body, and it took three days to
put out the fire.

Your father didn’t have much to drink at Christmas. I put a
bottle of castor oil in his pint of beer. It kept him going until
New Years Day. I went to the doctor on Thrusday and your father came
with me. The doctor put a small tube into my mouth and told me not
to open it for ten minutes. Your father offered to buy it from him.

It only rained twice last week. First for three days, and then
for four days. Monday it was so windy that one of our chickens laid
the same egg four times.

We had a letter yesterday from the undertaker. He said if the
last installment wasn’t paid on your grandmother within 7 days, up
she comes.

Your loving mother,

P.S. I was going to send you $10.00 but I had already sealed the
envelope.

A little thought popped into my head while watching my kids swimming the other day…

Depending on which source you look at, about 10% of kids drop out of high school (that is a bit conservative, some sources peg it much higher).  Now asuuming that not a lot of kids drop out of elementary and middle school, you could probably fairly say that at least 10-20% of kids drop out before they complete 12 years of school.

More than 50% of all teachers drop out of teaching before they finish teaching for 12 years.

You can probably see where I am going with this…

I just started to wonder that if we focused decreasing the teacher drop out rate, then maybe the student rate would also decrease.

If anyone happens to know the exact stats for teachers and students please leave it in the comments.

“Work like you don’t need money,
Love like you’ve never been hurt,
And dance like no one’s watching.”

Design lessons to meet each individual’s needs.

To engage kids create units that will focus on their interests.

Have options for assessment that allow for student choice.

You have probably heard or read the above lines.  When you first hear them they make a lot of sense, but the one thing that they all imply is that the teacher is still in control. In the end it is still the teacher who has designed, created, and chosen the options.  What would happen if you just gave the content and allowed students to have total control over the end result?  What would happen if you said present it any way you would like to?  Maybe you don’t have to create, maybe you can let students create activities that will engage themselves and meet their needs?

One of the ways our units shift towards the second half of the year is more towards present “however you would like to” at the end of each.  I should say there is a lot of work that goes on in the beginning of the year to get the kids to make the shift, they don’t just walk in and and get told to “do whatever you want to.”  For the last unit on the Civil War, they had to create a thesis, support it with at least four reasons and turn in a “traditional” research paper.   Kids drew conclusions and created thesis statements on topics that ranged from propaganda, spies, battles, the impact on women left behind, and the Emancipation Proclamation.  Then they had to make a presentation on their thesis.  Instead of giving every detail that they researched, they are allowed to more or less capture the “essence” of their thesis.  Some kids do come up and give every detail, but some might work really hard to just drive home the single most important point.  I’ll often say, if you meet up with a classmate 10 years from now, what is the one thing you would want them to remember from your presentation?

At the beginning of the year there are many kids who just come up with some papers, and maybe a couple pictures on a power point.  There is no fun or energy in their presentations.  That spirit that allowed them to dance and play while the world watched when they were little, has been replaced by a fear that anything other than reading an essay off of a paper is strange and alien.  They have forgotten “how to dance, as though no one is watching.” The video below shows the last student presentation of the year.  Marissa waited 180 days before “dancing” for us.  It was worth the wait.  I could have tried all year to “create” a unit for her, but I would have never been able to do what she did.   Again, before they got up to present they had to hand in the traditional assignment.  Non-traditional student work can live side-by-side in the same classroom as traditional assignments.  You don’t have to give up one to get the other.  Giving traditional assignments is like having only one song in the juke box, playing it and expecting them to boogie.  Non-traditional assignments that give the students control is like providing them with a 120G iPod full of music in which they get to choose the music to dance to.  In each of us is a dancer.  We were all born with the ability to “dance.”  Sometimes I feel the greatest gift I can give a kid is not teaching them how to “dance,” but reminding them that they can–giving them the opportunity to explore all different types of music until they find the one that gets their feet moving again.  You have to remember that all your students can “dance,” when they find music that they love.

What kind of “music” are you playing in your classroom?

Can you “dance” in your classroom like no one is watching?