Normal is Normal

By a working definition, NORMAL is described as “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine. 

Just 20 years ago, nobody much knew anything about this thing called the Internet.  I believe it was around August of 1991, that the world-wide-web first appeared.  At that time, “www”, was nothing but a repetition of letters that one typed by mistake.

Not so long ago, but yet it seems like an eternity…we reached over to press the button off on the alarm clock by our bed, got up, read the newspaper, made our own coffee at home, on occasion picked up the receiver on a rotary or push button dial telephone to check on a friend or relative, and then went to work to address stacks of paper that needed to be filled out in triplicate using a mimeograph machine that had that weird ink smell.  Students went to school, carried loads of books strapped together with a belt and wrote on paper.  That was “normal.” We made the copies, dropped them in a paper file and put them in a metal file cabinet. That was then.

This is now.  We wake up to the alarm on our cell phones, check the social media platforms, check the news and the stock reports, send a text or a DM to a friend or relative, dress and head to work or school, stopping to buy a coffee on the way…that we have already paid for in the App on our phone, get to the office or school, open our laptops or pads and make a copy, scan or edit a document, then store it in the cloud for future use, and send a copy by email to those that need access. That is our normal, now.

Remote or virtual capabilities for meetings or classes for work or school, are now a part of our everyday life.  Having to work from home, or do school from home, may not be what you want to have to do, knowing that in-person learning is essential to us as humans, and the more effective way to teach, learn and provide feedback as a part of the process, but we do what we have been doing since time began: We monitor and adjust. 

We want to be back together in the workplace, in school and in our everyday social lives. In the meantime, through this pandemic, for every situation, we learn how to expand the pros and overcome the cons. We thrive. We survive in what is now normal.

Stay positive.  Stay safe.

Keith Brown

Take Care of Students AND yourself!

The past year of school has certainly been like nothing we have seen in our lifetimes.  The pandemic has shut down businesses, the Court System, family gathering and schools.  The tremendous population of administrators, teachers and students in our schools, although not always in the brick and mortar buildings, must to carry on.

The isolation from friends, staying at alternative places so that parents can work as much as possible, and working from home…make for a lonely day for some.  Both adults and students are social creatures and crave interaction.

The challenge is to maintain a challenging and engaging learning platform so as not to cross the threshold of boredom, apathy, indifference, and depression.

There are reports that occurrences of student depression and even suicide are on the rise.  It is safe to say that it is not always easy to determine the mental state of an individual on the other end of a video conference meeting…that’s why it is so very important to find ways to “engage” students in conversation in class meeting time.  Some things one might try is to use tools that engage student feedback, like Kahoot, Quizizz, Nearpod, Google Classroom questions, Screencastify and Flip Grid.  Be enthusiastic while on screen.  Ask questions and call on students to unmute and respond…validate their answers so that they are comfortable participating.  If students seem overly withdrawn or start missing classes, call the parent, confer with Guidance and Mental Health Counselors in your building, and be a part of the team that does something about a problem. 

The next big part is for the staff members:  don’t forget to take care of yourself.  The previously mentioned issues can just as easily affect you.  Interact safely with colleagues if in the building.  Call and talk to folks.  Check on family members.  Check on your friends and elderly neighbors. 

Ask for assistance in technical or technology issues, do Google Meets, Zooms or Microsoft Team meetings with friends.

Don’t let social media consume your free time.  Don’t get drug down by every bad story on the news, whether it be political, some disaster, or some tragic story.  Look for ways to turn negatives to positives.  Look for ways to lift one another up and in turn it will energize you.  Wake up every days and see it as an opportunity to make a difference for somebody else…and it will return to you tenfold.

Engagement by Empowering Students

 

     I became inspired after reading an article sent to me by one of my Tech Coach partners, to write this blog that does more asking than it does telling, sharing or showing.  So many times as we are starting to plan lessons, we tend to get bogged down with the question of, “How do I engage the students?”  The topic plays on our minds constantly. 

     We look for ideas on Pinterest, in Facebook Groups, on Twitter, in blogs and in articles we find on the Internet.  We have a preconceived notion of what the engagement should look like in our classrooms.  We make sure that it fits within the parameters of how we want our students to behave or respond.  We take care to see that the rubric we have set up gives strict guidelines as to how we want our project based learning assignments to turn out.  We work ourselves silly trying to find that magic prompt or magic idea that will send our students into ecstatic and joyous modes, capable of anything…now that we have set that leaning spaceship into orbit!

     And if it doesn’t have the desired effect…we wilt under the strain of all the effort we originally put into the project or lesson, and believe me, students can tell. 

     As I have said over many years of being a teacher, coach, Tech Coach and Principal…”Find ways to work smarter, not necessarily harder.”  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel for all you do.  Share with and borrow successful ideas from colleagues.  Team up with a colleague to tackle an issue.  Group together with other teachers in your building and change up the status quo. 

     Here are some questions that may help you help students…especially in this remote and virtual environment:

1.    1.  Are students allowed to choose how they show comprehension? Allow students to make a choice over how they demonstrate mastery: writing, drawing, doing a skit, or creating a video. Everyone doesn’t shine in every area, so why not give the opportunity to work within their own gifts and confidence levels. Give them a Choice Board and let them make the call on how and when they learn the material.  

2.      2. How quick do student get results? Give quick and helpful feedback.  Grades are grades, but feedback empowers.

3.      3. Are teachers or students creating response sheets?  Have students create their own documents to respond to teacher prompts and lessons, rather than keep shoveling worksheets out there for them to regurgitate facts.

4.      4.  Do you have a central theme to focus the learning?  Missions and Vision and Goals statements are usually long and sometimes confusing, and we always support those overall statements.  But maybe bring those into focus like this...Years ago, I came up with a slogan that I used in several schools and coined it “Achievement Beyond Comprehension.” The idea was to have teachers provide opportunities for students to demonstrate to them how students solved a problem, or how they approached an issue or an assignment.  I recently changed what the “A” meant, to now read “Application Beyond Comprehension.” I want students to know what they did to solve something and be able to explain it to someone else.  Have students document their work along the way, and show evidence of their progress.

5.      5. Who sets the way we do our projects?  Get out of their way!  I was working with a teacher a year or so ago and the teacher had a great tech project idea for the students.  The rubric was concise and understandable, and gave them a choice of two different tools to use.  The question then came from a student, “Can we use something else to show our project?”  The teacher was hesitant and told the student, “I’ll give it some thought.”  The teacher asked me, and I said, “I would say, yes…and then get out of their way!”  The teacher gave permission for the students to use methods other than the original prescription…and we were extremely pleased with what many of the student created and turned in.

     All of these suggestions may not work for you, but at least I hope it will provoke thought toward new ideas.  I hope it gives you the courage to take a risk in how you want work turned in.  I hope by doing so, it models for the students that taking a risk is okay, and helps foster collaboration, creativity, initiation, and the confidence that students need to take those kinds of risks.  It also encourages students to take more responsibility for their learning. 

Teachers like to be empowered…and students like it as well.  Ramp up student engagement by empowering them to take charge of their learning.  Try it out!

Keith Brown

Instructional Tech Coach

Choice Boards for Teacher PLT's

 Choice Boards have been one of the more talked about tools as of late.  The idea is to provide your audience with choices within the realm of a particular subject, and give participants an opportunity to explore, work on, and complete things that interest them.

Some of the Choice Boards we have helped create have been for Math (concepts, formulas, terms), Science (terms, parts of a cell, the human body), ELA (reading and writing), Foreign Languages (translations, conjugations), Social Studies (maps, terms, particular battles, people in history), Art (styles, periods, artists), Music (composers, styles, instrumental), and Physical Education (game rules and playing areas, terms, lifetime activities, health). 

And don’t just limit your creation to students, find ways to use Choice Boards for Teachers.  At the beginning of our school year, we always offer Professional Development, as do most all school districts that I have ever heard of in all my many years.  This particular year was different in many ways, mainly due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.  We found that preparing our teachers after a delayed opening, and then having to start the year completely virtual, that there were things we wanted to make sure teachers were prepared to do; like using our Google Classroom as the Learning Management System, and using the different Virtual Meeting tools that were available.  “How do we…?” became a catch phrase around here. 

We started by talking with and surveying teachers as to what things they thought they’d like to see tutorials for, and pretty quick. Next, we took advantage of the tools provided by YouTube to create a channel where we could create and house “How-To” videos for our teachers.  Step three, we gathered the 10 most requested Google Tools, and the 10 most requested general tools that would help teachers be better prepared to launch the school year virtually. Once we created the videos, we added the videos, with a short description to a Google Choice Board, and to a General Choice Board.

Because it was so critical to gather and talk through the plans, schedules and some other assessment tools that were newly acquired, there wasn’t time for the Tech Coaches to conduct all of the sessions that were going to play such a pivotal role in the start of school. So we gave it to our teachers in the form of the Choice Boards. 

We gave teachers a time frame in which to complete the assignments.  They had to watch at least two of the Choice Board Activities for each Board, and then had to record in a Google Form, which ones they watched and how they were planning to apply them in their instruction. They could watch as many as they wanted, but were only responsible for recording two per Board.  This not only helped us to help them, but gave us a good foothold on their status as far as tech proficiency.

Here are links for our two Choice Boards if you care to see them:

Also, feel free to watch any of the (at this point), 127 “How-To” videos on our YouTube Channel.

 

Keith Brown, Instructional Technology Coach, Georgetown County School District, Georgetown, SC, USA.

Why Use Book Creator?

 Book Creator is a Free Tool that allows students to create eBooks as a part of their teacher's library.  The Books can stand alone of be combined with others from the class.  This is a great way to use student devices to integrate technology in a meaningful platform.  Using Book Creator stresses the important aspects of writing, creativity, design, communication and collaboration, It has students use a variety of digital skills to construct projects as outlined in the ISTE Standards: the Knowledge Constructor.

The Book creator teaches acclimates students to the art of presentation.

When students work together, they enrich learning experiences by collaborating with other in their own schools and outside the walls of their classrooms. Therefore becoming better Global Communicators.

We are a G Suite school district, and I love the way in syncs seamlessly with the tools we are already using.

 Teachers in all grade levels and across the entire curriculum, can use Book Creator:  ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, in the Fine Arts, Physical Education, in Special Education and in the Media Center.  It is limited only by your imagination and creativity.

Creating portfolios, notebooks, chapter by chapter books and other assignments, and exercising the literacy skills, the keyboard and mouse skills, Book Creator becomes a great tool for engaging students in worthwhile endeavors that enhance their learning in all areas.

I have introduced and used Book Creator to my Middle School Teachers in Georgetown County as a part of my role as an Instructional Technology Coach.  I have created and share my Book Creator Projects to teachers in my district.  I model student lesson and teach both teachers and students how to use Book Creator.  Two of my favorites were:  My How-To Book for Using Google Drawing, and My Book About FitnessGram.  I used text, pictures, voice inserts and videos in my presentations. I have introduced teachers to…and asked them to join Book Creator as a part of the Graduate Level Class I teach (EDPD 818-A60) for the Georgetown County School District in SC…via The College of Charleston in Charleston, SC.  The Book Creator was part of the assignments that our students (Teachers) had to utilize for a presentation/assignment. I have approximately 30 books in My Library for the Graduate Class alone.  

Check it out:  www.bookcreator.com

Keith

The 2020 Tech Fair

It is an exciting time for the students and staff in the Georgetown County School District, as we begin to engage in our Technology Fair preparation.  In 2011, we started the tech fair with the intent to allow students to showcase projects that they were doing for classes.  Nobody is real sure of the number of projects at the first Tech Fair, but estimates from those around at that time say there were about 60 projects.

 

The Tech Fair, like technology itself, has evolved rapidly over the last ten years.  Wow…did I say ten years?  In 2011, students were presenting projects using the traditional folding “project boards” that propped behind their computers.  On their computer screens, they were showing power points or Word documents of class projects they had researched. 

Fast forward to 2020:  The folding presentation boards are thing of the past.  Students are creating digital portfolios using Google Slides, Google Drawing, Google Forms, Google Docs, Websites, robotics, programmable cars, drones, and even 3-D printers.  Students and staff have the opportunity to choose from several categories:  Creativity, Communication & Collaboration, Decision Making & Problem Solving, Innovation and Educator based projects. 

In 2011, Judges were scoring projects using pen and paper.  Now two judges score student projects using iPads on a Google Form, with an Array code that scores and separates the categories by age groups.

What started as an initiative to boost technology, has become THE premier event in the district…involving over 600 students in 2019, 62 Judges, 68 teachers, and some 500 community members and parents.

This year, our projects will be better, our Fair will be better, and the different technologies are exponentially growing.  April 9, 2020 is the date.  The location is 320 Wildcat Way at Waccamaw Intermediate School…Pawleys Island, SC  29585.  Come and be a part of the excitement as we invest in our young people.

To sign up to help Judge, click and visit the link below.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd99NiG3QPAN6VCGkLqeg6QIvHb_M01pRMTC-kz7TcH52riIQ/viewform

The ABSOLUTE BEST TOOL for the Classroom

Every day of every week, App developers are coming up with new products and tools to make it easier to organize, impart, share and instruct us.  There are so many tools that can be a positive influence on our young people, and a few of those that are making the rounds as of late, or making a resurgence can be found easily by consulting with your district technology coaches and/or by doing searches for new tools. However, this Blog post will focus on the most important tool in the education business:  the Classroom Teacher.

The Classroom teacher has always been and will always be…the most important teaching tool in the classroom.  The teacher is the one that sets the tone.  The teacher creates the learning environment and drives instruction.  The teacher is one who looks at the students’ strengths and weaknesses, their learning modalities and determines the best way to deliver material.  Some students will learn best by hearing the information (Auditory), some will learn best by seeing the learning demonstrated (Visual), and some will be better served if they are allowed to participate in the learning (Tactile).  There are those students that perform best when using some of these modalities in combination.  Whichever ones are used in a particular lesson, the best tool for all of the learning opportunities is STILL the teacher!

The teacher, however, must deal with things that are distracting to the teaching process.  Discipline among the most common, others include, being a mentor to small groups, advisors of career paths to others, club sponsors, duty station managers, and to a certain extent, a counselor of life…all stress builders.

Going one to one with devices can also be stressful if not managed properly.  It is great to have a one to one device program in your building; however, this “blessing” can also be a distraction.  We constantly hear that students are going places on their devices to watch movies, check unapproved websites and social media platforms, and play games to mention a few.  We must realize that there are new websites that come on line every day, and the creators of these are always trying to find ways around content filters put in place at the schools.  We have even found a few that tout ways to get around school content filters…and if you see these, then you know that their mission is not in the best interest of the child, but in securing traffic and users for their sites.  Keep in mind, putting into action a good system of management now, makes it easier to handle as you move along in the school year.

Here are 10 Tips that will help with device management and cut down on the stresses they bring:

1.       Remind students of any Acceptable Use Policies you have in place…including their agreement to follow those policies.  It might not be a bad idea to review this often in your classroom.

2.       Practical Utilization:  Only allow device use when specific lesson plans call for their utilization.  Otherwise, devices should NOT be activated, open or even powered on.  It would probably be a great idea to have some sort of sign posted in your classroom that all can see that reminds students to stay in authorized areas on their devices.

3.       Use Courtesy Mode:  Students should have devices either closed half way down or turned to Face-the instructor, when content is being shared, or instructions are being delivered.

4.       Proximity:  Constantly moving around the room, even as students are using devices to complete assignments should be employed.

5.       Responsibility:  Remind students that by signing the Acceptable Use agreement, they are using the devices as the instructor directs, without going to other sites.

6.       Remind students that unauthorized use, including being on sites not designated as acceptable, is a violation of device use, and that such a violation could warrant the removal of the privilege.

7.       Do not leave assignments for Substitutes that require the use of devices. In fact, ask subs to have students collect on a front desk or store away devices while in that particular classroom.

8.       Administrative Support:  Talk with your administration, and ask them to reinforce the proper use of devices, along with proper care.  Their support is crucial to afore mentioned conditions seen in #6 and #7 above.

9.       Do not give students free reign to use devices if they finish an assignment early or in any “down” time.  Use of devices should be for instructional purposes. 

10.   Report to your Administration…and to I.T. by way of a Work Order, any sites that you deem inappropriate or unnecessary to your instructional needs.

Teachers are responsible for providing quality lessons and opportunities for students to be successful, and coaching them along the way to accomplishing those lessons.

 

Students are ultimately responsible for their own actions, and the following of guidelines and policies towards the successful completion of those lessons. 

The BEST tool in the classroom is and always will be the TEACHER!