Can you get me two minutes out of one?

During weeks like this, I am often reminded of a conversation I had with a friend of mine who, like me, is an instructional coach. We both agreed that we held a common fear of losing touch with what it feels like to be a classroom teacher. As a classroom teacher, I admit, that I would scoff at those who would try to give me advise on how to be more effective, or how to improve my practice especially if they had been separated from their classroom for any number of years. I would of course nod politely, while in my mind, scream thoughts of "if I could only get these hours back and give them to my kids!" My friend and I joked with each other that there has to be a statistical correlation between the number of years an administrator or support staff has been out of the classroom to the inverse effect it has on the reliability/believability/validity of the suggestions they offer. Sure things sound great on paper, and all manor of contingencies have been considered except one important, immutable, and unfailingly unpredictable factor: my students. So, yes, your research-based, best practice, pedagogically sound strategy or technique will get you published, but will it allow me to have greater access to the only thing that can improve scores with? Probable not.

By the way, the only thing, tried and true, 100% effective, that can improve scores in my opinion, if that is all you are in it for, is to have more time. Find a way for me to get two minutes out of one and I am all yours! When I was able to have more time with my kids, I could work miracles. In the precious and rare minutes that I was able to trade pieces of my soul for, I could open minds and clear confusion like Moses parting the Red Sea. All it took was a few extra minutes with my kids.

Believe me, when I approach a teacher with the latest and greatest technology app, or software, I won't sell it unless I can say, "Do you need more time? Well, this will improve the quality of the time you have and possibly give you more of it!" Sure there is disbelief, and even a struggle to comprehend to some degree. When I am able to sit down with a teacher and show them the magnificence of a really great tool that matches the outcome they want to see from their students, with the assurance that I am not going to abandon them once the meeting is over, I see a look, and I get a feeling that makes me know that I am fulfilling my purpose and honoring my vocation.

I know there will come a time when I finish talking to a teacher and they, like me many years ago, have the exact same thought as I did. That is just how it goes, but I hope to make the most convincing argument I can. At the end of the day, a teachers has to make a choice based on whats best for their kids. We have to trust in that.

Nature of modern learning

What is the nature of the modern world? I don't think a blog post could do the answer to that question justice, but here is a glimpse into current research that illustrates new learning principles connected with the modern world and the demands that students are facing as they leave their high school or university.

The principles of Connectivism written by Goerge Seimens is called a learning theory for the Digital Age. It seeks to explain complex learning in a rapidly changing social and modern world. Essentially, learning is a process associated more often occurring through connections in a network.

The principles of Connectivism are as follows:


1) Learning and knowledge rest in the diversity of opinions.
2) Learning is a process of connecting sources of information.
3) Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
4) Capacity to know more is more important and critical then what is currently known.
5) Nurturing and maintaining connection is needed to facilitate connected learning.
6) Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts, is a core skill.
7) Currency (accurate and up to date knowledge) is the intent of all Connectivist learning activities.
8) Decision making is itself a learning process.

The principle that caught my attention was the fourth. We can definitely see the shift from the world we knew a few decades ago to the present. Memorization was the key to success. Now, there is too much information to memorize, all you need to know now is how to locate it.

References:

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing knowledge. Lulu. com. Chicago

Walling, D. R. (2014). Designing learning for tablet classrooms: Innovations in instruction. New York, NY: Springer.

The answer is always, "our students".

Anyone that has ever been in my classroom knows that I love to teach. This statement is not just a euphemism or expression. My passion is profoundly set within my soul and I believe that I was placed on this earth, to live my life as a teacher. I do so with great zeal and profound pride in our profession. I scarcely gain as great a pleasure from anything else professionally, than being connected to, and a support to teachers and students.

Completing my 15th year in education and my 3rd as a district instructional coach has opened my eyes to a lot. I realize now that during my time in the classroom my principal shielded me from many things that could have distracted me from what was important, namely, focusing on my students. Now that my circle of involvement has been expanded to a district level, I now see some of the issues that cause disruptions and changes within the system leading to frustration and anxiety which detract from a teachers focus. I now recognize people and mindsets that prevent progress for one reason or another. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons, and in other instances there is no reason, only a lack of commitment to students. This lack of commitment to students is a great cause of concern to me primarily because of the negative impact on students as well as teachers.

I have witnessed teachers get shut down, and shut out. I have observed the life and passion of once strong teachers slowly bleed out of them. When a teacher begins to question why they persist and lose sight of the answer staring right in front of them, I am frightened. The answer should always be, students. However, there seems to be a clandestine force which seeks to subvert the good work that teachers do which has an immeasurable, incalculable, and invaluable impact on the future of our entire community.

My son, who is only seven, wants to be a teacher. Who knows if that will change, I am greatly saddened by momentary thoughts which hope it does change. I hope that when the time comes I will be able to guide him and even protect him, but we all know that no matter how much advise you give someone, they have to walk their own path. He will face adversity and painful trials. All I can do as his father is to prepare him with tools to overcome the challenges he will surely face. Will education be any better than it is now? Will school climate and practices be more effective when he is ready to accept his own classroom? I will continue to work and make it so.

I want to continue to be a source of hope and encouragement to others. I have been asked, "how can you be an optimist and an educator?" to which I proudly reply, how can I not be both? To be a teacher, is to see the very best in people even though they do not realize it is even there. Then, you create moments where they have opportunities to discover what you saw, and eventually see it as well. To be a teacher means that you hope, and to hope means that you have faith. I have faith that we are beings created by, for, and to love. Love is the greatest source of hope.

Let us never forget that all the love we will ever need to sustain our hope is sitting in our classrooms right now. 

Growth Mindset or Die

I have never been in a position where having a growth mindset was as critical to survival as the one I am currently in. Yes, to a great extent, having a growth mindset as a classroom teachers is important, but sadly, you can survive without one. As a supporter of innovation in the classroom, learning new things and staying on top of trends and innovations is essential to provide the necessary support to teachers and students. Part of my job is to learn. I am very greatly for that opportunity, and I take full advantage of it.

There is one tool that I have been putting off learning more about. Autocrat works with Google Forms to email a PDF document to a recipient with all the input formatted as you like via automatically generated email. I can wait no longer, since a principal has requested my assistance to create an autocrat job.

Thank God for 8th hour learning!

I will let you know how it goes.

The 1000 mile journey begins with 1 step

The Doctor of Education Gown

I am trying to reassure myself that there is no reason to be apprehensive or anxious about the next step that I will be taking in about three weeks. In my program coursework is quarterly, which means that I have one more week until this current quarter is at an end. I have worked diligently in so many things, and now to arrive at the moment when its time to make an original contribution to the world of academia is daunting to me.

I would have this advise for anyone considering taking a similar step:

1) Have a really good reason and a plan to begin and finish a doctoral program. Knowing the program is half the key to success, learning about your topic is the other.
2) Make sure you have the support of your spouse, and supervisor. You will need their support more than you can imagine.
3) Have an idea of what you want to study and start doing research on that topic early.
4) Time is always against you. If you are not good at managing your time, think hard about making a commitment that is fraught with deadlines.
5) Earning your doctorate is a lonely business. Less than 2% of the population in the United States have earned a doctorate, and less than 0.8% of the world's population have earned a doctorate. If you know someone who has gone through the process keep in touch with them! Also, try to meet and connect with those who you meet in your program.
6) If you have thoughts about quitting or if you will not be able to finish, you are in good company. I refer you to #1, and hopefully it will remind you of why you started and renew your resolve.
7) Believe in yourself and remember that the journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.

The Snap and Read Debacle of 2017

I would like to first say that the Snap and Read Universal Chrome Extension is a wonderful tool and works very well if used in the way it was intended. The product is easy for students to use and includes many customization and personalizing options to increase ease and access for a diverse population of students. This post is not meant to be a criticism, only a reflection on lessons leaned when attempting to remove a support system and replace it with something completely different.

I am and always will be a teacher. No matter what I choose to do in this life, I will at my very core, be a person in this world who seeks out the potential of others in an attempt to allow them to see it as well and foster it together. I am an optimist when it comes to education and the capacity that we all have to grow. I recognize no limits; which is one of the reasons that I was drawn to educational technology. I see this amazing resource which, if used properly, can bring learning to life; bridge the gap between theoretical and practical. We can use what we learn!

In my current capacity as a digital learning coach, we are faced with the challenge of imparting new and innovative techniques for teaching that may not be well received by teachers who, for a variety of reasons, do not prefer the use of digital resources. A challenge within a challenge, as you can see. How should we begin to approach this and any other situation? The answer that I have found which works best is: with patience. In the age old venerable tradition of optimists, of which I am very proud to carry on, we must face every situation with grace, and a quiet peace within, but also with the stolid  confidence and a mentality of persistent tenacity that we will see this thing through, and we will be successful.

I take an example from the Native Americans who dwelt among the desert regions. When people were desperate for rain, they would begin a rain dance. Consequently, they were effective every time becasue no matter how long it took, they kept on dancing!

Problem and Purpose Statement- Doctoral Journey Part III

My instuctor has returned my paper three times. I understand that this process is itirative, but after reading his feedback and trying to make the suggested changes, my frustration is building. A good friend of mine said that I need to be more understanding about this process, and that the standards I have for myself might be too rigid.

The problem statement in a disseratation captures the gap or lack of understanding of a topic or subject. In my research, I want to know why  I hope to better understand the factors that influence the perceptions that teachers have of educational technology and why they resist or embrace utilization in lessons for students. So, here it is:

Problem Statement

Mobile information and communication technology (m-ICT) use by teachers and students in the classroom has an impact on student engagement, academic performance, and college and career readiness (Savage & Brown, 2014; Mango, O. 2015). Several authors have suggested that there is a need to conduct more research on teacher perception and use of m-ICT to unpack the potential benefit that this technology can provide to students (Biddix, Chung & Park, 2016; Montrieux, Vanderlinde, Schellens, & De Marez, 2015; Teo, 2015; Albirini, 2006). Teacher perception of m-ICT affects the level of utilization in class lessons. It is not yet known what affects an elementary teachers perception of m-ICT. A gap in understanding exists concerning how elementary school teachers know they are ready to use m-ITC in lessons. 

The purpose statement is made to address the gap in understanding and to increase what is known about the topic. Here is my purpose statement:

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study is to examine the perception of teachers readiness to use of mobile information and communication technology (m-ITC) by rural elementary school teachers during classroom lessons. This study will increased understanding of the factors that impact a teacher’s perception of m-ICT and decision to use it in lessons. In a similar study, there is a reasonable correlation between the technological acceptance and usage levels of teachers (Teo, 2015). Building upon this understanding will help key stakeholders to support future efforts to increase the level of  m-ICT use which has been corolated with increased academic performance through access to resources for students. Researchers found statisitically significant influence on increased levels of student of engagement, access to content, and test scores when m-ICT is integrated properly using best practices in the classroom (Waters, Lubke, & Rearden, 2017; Al-Zaidiyeen, Mei, & Fook, 2010; Laronde, MacLeod, Frost, & Waller, 2017)

Living the dream

I recall a dream that I had last week where I was in my classroom and I was teaching all my students since my first year on the job. In the dream, I remember sitting and helping my kids as they completed a project in small groups. I remember talking to parents and in particular, I remember the feeling of putting their concerns at ease and making sure that they knew that I was on their side- I truly cared that their student was successful this year and all the years to come. I remember feeling a great sense of joy and fulfillment as I interacted with my students and their parents.

The picture above is very special to me. It was taken by Jim Cullen when I was surprised by my principal, the assistant superintendent, and superintendent, when they announced to me that I was the Central Texas finalist in the HEB Excellence in Education Awards. This picture captures the culmination of well over a decade of passionate dedication for students through my work as an educator. When I see it, I am reminded of all my students, for it was our partnership that allowed us to be successful together. I will be forever grateful for my students and for the trust afforded me by their parents. I have never taken it lightly and continue my work today to repay what has been the most wonderful professional experience of my life.

When I see my students now, the often ask if I am still in the classroom. I tell them that I am in many classrooms helping to support other teachers so that their students will have the same opportunities for deep conversations, explorations, engaging activities, and joyful learning that we did. I am very happy to have the chance to mentor other teachers. I believe that all my experiences as a professional thus far has led me, and has prepared me to operate in my current position. I am blessed, and truly unworthy of such wonderful students.

Visible Learning

This week our district twitter chat topic is "Visible Learning". This has a special significance to me because that is what attracted me to educational technology in the first place. I wanted to be able to porvide my students with the options and resources to create something that was more closely reflective of their current state of mastery. As teachers, giving our student voice, choice, and resources to demonstrate their learning free from the restrictions of paper and pencil, true/false, multiple choice assessments that should have smaller and smaller relevance in today's classrooms. I am proud that Hays CISD is making great strides towards making learning visible.

A perfect example of this philosophy in action is my friend Mrs. Teresa Aziz. In her class, students are currently learning about the American Colonization period in Social Studies. Mrs. Aziz wanted to allow students to design a colonial structure. I suggested Tinkercad, and after about 15 minutes of introduction, the students I was working with were already well on their way to the perimeter walls and roof of a structure. I was impressed to say the least, and excited that these students had the chance to design something they learned about with the specs and characteristics that they researched. Not only that, they were collaborating and problem solving together. I watched in awe, and stepped back to allow them complete creative autonomy. Thank you Mrs. Aziz for making learning visible!