Author: Andrew Marcinek

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Reform Education From Within

CC image via flickr by bensonkua

Browse any education twitter feed and you are sure to see the word “reform” somewhere in the mix. While I believe serious reform is needed in the education sector, I also understand that I will…

A) …never work in a perfect educational system that is equitable for all and

B) …not see any serious education reform happen in the next few years.

Call me a cynic, but don’t call me a quitter. I am also aware that most State and Federal Governments are not taking time to listen to what educators have to say about education reform. Rather, they are paying attention to prominent voices in the entertainment, business, and music industry. The rhetoric continues to the talk show circuit and eventually finds its way to the educators. Our voice: small, full of static. Solution?

Teach the hell out of your classrooms and give your current students the best opportunity to question, think critically, and seek out new learning opportunities under our current education system.

A lot of energy is burning on ways to develop new reform structures and ideas for reform, but it’s not happening this year. It’s not happening any time soon. We need to give our current students the best opportunity under a system that most of us would like to see overhauled immediately. We must, for the sake of our students’ future, change the tone of reform and move towards innovating our best practices, sharing our best practices, with what we have while developing dynamic leaders. We all owe it to this generation of students.

There is no denying education is in a state of flux but let’s prove “them” wrong in the classroom every day rather than with redundant rhetoric. When we change the rhetoric from what we have to do, to what can we do, then we make progress. Let’s build great learners with what we have today, rather than what we hope for tomorrow. This is not to crush our hopes for a better educational system, but if we want the system to thrive we need to change the tone. This happens each day by creating dynamic learning environments where students can constantly question, analyze critically, search efficiently and safely, synthesize and create, and feel as though everything they are doing in your class is purposeful and necessary for the rest of their lives.

Every school has the right to emulate great school systems throughout the world, but many lack the leaders to push and provoke their teachers. A great school system starts with a great leader. Not simply a leader who follows the straight and narrow or who spends all hours of the night working at his or her desk, but a leader who has a clear vision for creating classrooms that are purposeful. A leader who gives his faculty autonomy and trusts they will yield engaging lessons.  I can only speak from a teacher’s point of view, but a dynamic, purposeful classroom starts with a leader that is willing to take a risk and listen to their faculty.

When you tie all of these elements together – dynamic classrooms, innovative leaders, engaged students – you create the classroom today’s students deserve. We need to work within what we can control. Educators need to stop getting frustrated and worrying about when and how the system will change. Rather, make an immediate impact on your classroom today, tomorrow, and throughout the rest of your career.

The educational system will always have flaws. So what are you doing today to instill the best learning practices in your students? What are you doing today to promote innovation within your classroom? What are you doing today to combat the notion that no matter how hard it feels to deal with the educational system, testing, etc to make sure your students are leaving your classroom with the ability to learn, question, analyze, and create? If you expect to see a Utopian vision of education in your lifetime you are dreaming. We need to focus on what we have today and thrive. We owe it to these students!
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iTeach180 Project Days 29-30

Shouting fire in a crowded theatre is bad. Similarly, tweeting about blowing up an airport is just as bad. Last week you may have stumbled upon this story reported first by The Guardian. I found it via Mashable under the title “#IamSpartacus”. The writer’s of Masable pose an interesting question at the end of their adapted article,

Was Paul Chambers really breaking the law when he joked about “blowing the airport” on Twitter? Subsequently, are all the Twitter users who have repeated the message breaking the law, too?

The easy answer is yes, however it strikes up a good debate. This is how I will start my class today. This article raises many good lessons about using social media responsibly and understanding your audience. It also presents students with the realities of how using social media irresponsibly can result in serious consequences. 
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain how to use social media responsibly
Students will be able to analyze how to use social media responsibly
Process:
Depending on your class size split the room in half. One side will argue for Mr. Chambers and the other side will argue against Mr. Chambers.
Allow each group a day or two (again, depending on class size and time) to research the story and construct their argument. Each group must share a google doc with their group members and the teacher. This document will house the minutes from group meetings, links to secondary sources, and each member of the groups’ role.
During the debate one member from each group will backchannel the debate proceedings with the hashtag #chamberdebate (or what ever hashtag you decide to use) NOTE: Later on we will analyze the thread of the backchannel and use it to evaluate the debate and reflect on the effectiveness of each groups’ argument.
Another option for this exercise is to use USTREAM.com to broadcast your debate to your personal learning network or possibly the school. I have done this before and it really gives the students an audience and produces excellent feedback. Make sure you consult with administration, parents, and your academic technologist before going through with this. 

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iTeach180 Project Day 28

Yesterday students started working on projects that identified the positive and negative effects of online learning communities on high school students. My students targeted five sites, researched how they are used, how they could make this community better, and guidelines for acceptable participation within these communities.
Today, as students present their communities to the class, I want the members of the viewing class to backchannel on a Google doc. I consider backchanneling a type of learning community that focuses on a central issue(s) and examines it by constructively criticizing or highlighting what the presenter is yielding. In the case of this class, I want my students to test the waters of backchanneling by setting up a shared Google doc.
Objectives:
Students will be able to use a backchannel for feedback
Students will be able to assess presentations effectiveness through a backchannel
Process
1. Briefly define what a backchannel is for your students. If you have extra time in class, you can set them out to find the definition on their own along with examples.
**NOTE: If you use twitter, you may want to summon your PLN and ask them how using a backchannel can promote constrictive feedback and transfer new information to a larger community of learners.
2. Set up a Google Doc and share it with the entire class. Give your students some guidelines before they start to backchannel in class
A. If you present criticism, be constructive. Offer options or solutions for your classmates. No empty criticism or attack criticism will be tolerated.
B. Highlight the key points to share. Don’t just look at what others are saying and copy their idea. Develop your own thinking on the subject and present it on the doc.
C. Respond to other’s assertions and criticism. Part of backchannel is creating a dialogue of ideas in a uniformed fashion. While you want to construct your own ideas and highlights, it is good practice to participate in the conversation that is unfolding.
D. Maintain a high level of interest in the presentation. Do not let the backchannel be your only focus. You are still watching your peers present and you want your primary focus to be on the presenter while checking in with the backchannel periodically.
E. The conventions of the English language still count in the backchannel. While the purpose of the backchannel is to be short and brief, you still want to articulate your message effectively and provide a coherent message. Remember, your peers will be looking back at this document and learning from your responses. Make sure they can read it. Be concise and coherent at the same time.
3. Once you cover the ground rules for the backchannel, make sure you instruct the presenters to focus on their content and not to feel ignored if they see the heads of their peers looking down to type a few lines about the presentation.
4. For a follow up or homework assignment, have students write a reflection blog post on what they learned from the presentation combined with what they gleaned from the backchannel.
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iTeach180 Project Day 27

Introducing online learning communities

During our last session students created presentations highlighting the positive and negative aspects of social media. Each student group researched social media and conducted interviews with students, teachers, parents, administrators, and guidance counselors. Their finished presentations highlighted how social media can have a positive and a negative effect on a student’s identity.
This week we will be taking what we know about social media and working with learning communities. Today’s lesson will focus on the parameters and guidelines for becoming a contributing member of an online learning community.


Objectives:
Students will be able to define an online learning community
Students will be able identify guidelines for using an online learning community


Process:
Today’s lesson will be guided by student research and analysis of various learning communities that can be found online. Students will work in groups of two to three (depending on class size and your procedures for grouping students). Each group will analyze a different learning community and present a list of guidelines (rules) for using that learning community. Students will take some time to join the learning community and find ways in which a student can use this tool effectively in a high school setting.
Here is a list of learning communities your students can research:
1.     Wikispaces
2.     Flickr
3.     Diigo
4.     Facebook
5.     Goodreads
Each student group must present the following items at the end of this project:
1. Address the following questions:
·      What is the objective of the learning community you researched?
·      How can this type of learning community be used in a high school?
·      How are members using this community to further their learning?
·      What are some downfalls of this learning community?
·      How could you make this learning community better?
2.  What type of community decorum guidelines would you suggest to students?
·      Develop a list of guidelines your group feels are necessary for getting the most out of this learning community.
3. Observe how others interact on this site
·      Present ways this site can be used effectively by students
·      Present ways in which you could foresee students using this site irresponsibly.
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iTeach180 Day 24-26

This week students will be breaking down social media sites and building a comprehensive guide on our classroom wikispace. This project is designed to engage students by highlighting the positive and negative aspects of social media. Students will present positive ways in which social media can help them showcase their talents and connect with a vast audience. On the other hand, students will also present ways in which social media, if used inappropriately and irresponsibly can hurt their online identity.

Objectives:
Students will be able to compare and contrast the differences between positive and negative uses of social media.
Students will be able to analyze the positive and negative attributes of social media
Students will be able to present the positive and negative attributes of social media

The Process:
1. You may assign or have students choose the social media they want to analyze. I would suggest presenting each group with one social media platform to save time.

2. Once students are arranged in their groups, they must create a pro a con list for the social media they will be analyzing. Have each group open a Google Doc and share it with the teacher and all group members.

3. Once you have your wikispace up and running, have one member of each group create a link for their social media in navigation frame of the wikispace (left-hand side).

4. Either on the wikispace or a handout, have students address the following questions:

A. Imagine that our school blocked your site. How would you present an argument to the administration to unblock this site? Why does the school need it? How will the students’ learning benefit from having this site open? NOTE: Keep in mind counter arguments to your points as you present.

B. Interview one teacher and one administrator in the building. Ask him or her how they would use this site in the school and why we should have access to it throughout the building. NOTE: Please present a list of interview questions beyond the prompt I suggested in the previous sentence. Also, follow the MLA guidelines for citing an interview.

C. Interview a guidance counselor and if you have the opportunity, a college representative. Ask them how students can use social media to increase their chances for college admission. Also, consider how students can hurt their admission chances if social media is used inappropriately. NOTE: Please present a list of interview questions beyond the prompt I suggested in the previous sentence. Also, follow the MLA guidelines for citing an interview.

D. Interview two students and ask them how they use social media. Also, ask if they think their use of social media will help or hurt their digital identity. NOTE: Please present a list of interview questions beyond the prompt I suggested in the previous sentence. Also, follow the MLA guidelines for citing an interview.

*** If you record any of your interviews, make sure you seek permission with your candidate before start filming or recording his or her voice***

5. I would like each group to set up a shared Google Doc folder that all members can access. In this folder you will house all of the files your group is using for this project.

6. One member of each group (or a different member each day) must compose a daily reflection blog chronicling the progress of the group’s progress.

This project will take several days and in the end we will have a valuable resource made by students for students, teachers, parents, and administrators. This wikispace can become a sustainable document that future classes can learn from and add to as social media continues to evolve. In short, the class will be creating a digital textbook for digital citizenship in a high school classroom.
If you decide to try this lesson with your class, please share a link to your wiki in the comment box below.

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iTeach180 Project Day 23

Today’s lesson will introduce students to the term digital footprint. In the beginning of this lesson, simply write this term on the board. Have students come up to the board and write what they think the term means. Allow a few minutes for writing and then follow up with a discussion about what students wrote. 
1. Transition this conversation into a discussion about identity. Ask students to answer these questions:

  • ·      How would you describe your face-to-face identity (how people see you every day)?
  • ·      How would you describe your virtual identity (how people view you online)?
2. Using yourself as an example, ask students how they perceive you as a teacher? Write down their responses on the board.

3. Google yourself and ask students to describe your digital identity. Watch the video below. 


4. Continue the discussion by comparing the two identities. Do they match up? Are they vastly different? What are some of the differences between digital and face-to-face identities? Depending on time, these questions may be used to continue the discussion in class, or you could have students write a blog post comparing the two identities. 
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iTeach180 Project Day 22

Yesterday I introduced the concept of digital citizenship. I presented digital and social media in a positive light rather than explaining the negative elements that usually sensationalized and over dramatized by the news. However, every teacher should present the negative, dark side of social media and empower their students with lessons to prevent these abuses from happening.

Today we will be doing just that. Depending on your class time from yesterday, your presentations on social and digital media tools may have leaked over into two class periods. If this is the case simply push back one day. Today’s lesson will similarly model yesterday’s lesson, but focus on the negative side of technology use.

Objectives:
Students will be able to define the negative impact of digital and social media
Students will be able to demonstrate the negative impact of digital and social media
Process:
1. Have students arrange in groups of 2-3 (depending on your class size and structure)
2. Present each group a social and digital media tool
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Skype
  • Flickr
  • iPhone or iPod Touch
  • YouTube
3. Once each group has their tool, briefly explain what each tool is and its function. Most of the tools are common knowledge, but provide some background information in case students are unaware. 
4. Have students work together on a Google Doc that is shared with you. In their groups, they must address the following questions when they present their findings to each other and on their blogs: 
  • How can my tool be used to distract or impede learning in my high school classes? 
  • How can my tool hurt my image and my talents to a college admissions board?
  • How can my tool hurt my chances of landing a job?
  • How can my tool hurt the reputation of one of my peers? 
Once you have presented these questions, allow students some time to work together researching the tool they have been given and developing their ideas. Depending on your class time you may wish to have them work on this project for more than one day or if you have the luxury of a block schedule, you can easily finish this task in one period. Again, this lesson is simply the antithesis of yesterday’s lesson on positive impacts of social and digital media. You may chose a different method of presenting these contrasting ideas, but make sure you cover both sides of these new learning tools and platforms. Allow your students to see different perspectives on how these tools can be used to both empower and hurt themselves and their peers. 
5. The final part of this project will be to have students present their tool to the class. They may use any method or form of presentation. As an exit slip or homework assignment, have students write a reflection blog on the tool they presented and one of the tools that was presented by another group. 
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iTeach180 Project Day 21

Today my class will begin strand 2.0, Digital Citizenship. Some may argue that this strand should be the first covered in the span of a school year, however, it is better to observe students behavior in cyberspace before giving them a list of things they cannot do. Plus, it provides a mutual trust with student and teacher.

Today’s lesson will begin by talking about the positive impacts of using digital and social media in high school. Again, before telling students all of the negative stories of digital and social media,  put a positive spin on what you will be teaching for the next few weeks. It is easy to present social and digital media as negative entities, however, show your students that you believe in this powerful medium and that you trust they will use it in a responsible manner.

Objectives:

Students will be able to define the positive impact of digital and social media
Students will be able to demonstrate the positive impact of digital and social media

Process:

1. Have students arrange in groups of 2-3 (depending on your class size and structure)

2. Present each group a social and digital media tool

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Skype
  • Flickr
  • iPhone or iPod Touch
  • iPad
3. Once each group has their tool, briefly explain what each tool is and its function. Most of the tools are common knowledge, but provide some background information in case students are unaware. 
4. Have students work together on a Google Doc that is shared with you. In their groups, they must address the following questions when they present their findings to each other and on their blogs: 
  • How can my tool be used to enhance my high school classes? 
  • How can my tool be used to promote my talents to a college admissions board?
  • How can my tool be used to find me a job?
  • How can my tool be used to make positive change in my community, school club, or organization?
Once you have presented these questions, allow students some time to work together researching the tool they have been given and developing their ideas. Depending on your class time you may wish to have them work on this project for more than one day or if you have the luxury of a block schedule, you can easily finish this task in one period. 
5. The final part of this project will be to have students present their tool to the class. They may use any method or form of presentation. As an exit slip or homework assignment, have students write a reflection blog on the tool they presented and one of the tools that was presented by another group. 
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iTeach180 Project Days 19 and 20

This entire week students have been working on a classroom redesign project. On Monday they watched a TED talk by Dan Meyer and they responded to this quote from his speech:
I sell a product to a market that doesn’t want it, but by law, is forced to buy it.

This passage provoked the classes thinking and launched our weeklong project. The project has students redesigning one of their core classes and presenting their redesign in the form of a TED talk. They had to answer the following questions while working through this project, however they were not limited to these questions.
a.    What is the structure?
How is the content presented?
How will students be assessed?
What collaborative tools will you use in your class
How long is your class period?
Yesterday I did not write a lesson because I wanted to combine it with today’s lesson. I had the privilege of skyping with a school in Van Meter, Iowa yesterday. I talked to Mrs. Shannon Miller’s Web 2.0/PLN class. I briefly talked about my experience with a PLN and how students should harness that power and use it to their advantage in a responsible manner. I explained that it is a great time to be a student despite all the negative publicity education receives. Students today have the ability to reach out and carve their own path like never before. I expressed how social media can help you land a job, promote your talents, and capture an audience. Mrs. Miller’s students were excited to have this class and realized that their learning is going for beyond their classroom and far beyond Iowa. 
Then I thought about the project I was planning on writing for today. My students were presenting their TED talk classroom redesign projects, but why were they only presenting to the audience inside the walls? Why not use skype or iChat to connect with another school and truly flatten the classroom. And this is what I am suggesting.
If you have been following along with these projects and having students present and use blogs as reflection tools, reach out to a member of your PLN and see if you can find a class to link up with.  Connect the students’ blogs and reach out to the other teacher for ways in which you can facilitate, assess, and enhance the collaborative learning. Give your students an audience beyond their classroom walls.
If you decide to do this lesson and are having trouble finding a class to link up with, please get in contact with me and I will help link you up with someone in my PLN.
Have a good weekend!