"The only thing that stays the same is everything changes." Tracy Lawrence
As technology continues to develop and a majority of the nation moves into Common Core curriculum, we as teachers need to continue to adapt to meet our students' educational needs. We will need to look at standards and think about what is important for students to learn.
This summer, I have been asked to be part of a Common Core committee for ninth grade standards. However, I am most likely not even teaching ninth grade next year. To the best of my knowledge, I have been moved up to teach to the test (again).
I kind of feel like I'm lost in the shuffle. The more I think about it, the less I am certain of what is important and how I can best impact students. A big part of me wants to move back to Minnesota so I can teach in my home town and help take care of my dad.
I will try to stay current with technology through my tech facilitator, through Pinnacle conference, and through personal exploration. I have really embraced technology with my Creative Writing class this semester, but perhaps I went too far with it. I have to remember, balance in all things.
I'm not sure to what degree Common Core will affect my teaching. I plan to spend a good chunk of my personal time this summer figuring out what and how I will teach next year.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Professional Development Experience
I have to admit that I was a little nervous about delivering training to my colleagues. I have no problem with talking in front of a group of people, but I don't always feel confident in my ability to prepare to do so or in my ability to appear to be an expert on a given topic.
I chose to deliver optional professional development rather than mandatory professional development. I made this decision for a number of reasons. First, most of my peers seemed exhausted after all the common core workshops and other training activities we have had this year. Second, I remember feeling frustrated when being forced to participate in professional development that I didn't feel I needed or could apply in my classroom. I wanted to target a small group of teachers who would be very eager to incorporate technology integration activities that would enhance their students' learning experiences.
I couldn't have made a better choice. I had a group of about 9 teachers for Quizlet training, and a group of about 5 for LiveBinders. The interesting thing was that it wasn't all the same teachers at both, and some of them were people I didn't expect to come to a training like that! They were really eager to use the tools and strategies that I provided. I even had a few people come work with me outside the workshop time to help them better use the tools.
Quizlet training was really smooth. I had a solid online handout that I began developing last summer and that I completed this spring. Using the handout, I guided teachers through creating an account, creating flashcards, and implementing interactive activities using Quizlet in the classroom. We also had a follow-up session in which the teachers shared their successes and asked questions. I was able to teach them some more advanced tricks with Quizlet, too.
LiveBinders training went well also. It was a small group, but that worked well. I was lucky to be able to use Jason Mammano's handout for the training, and I adapted it to include some additional features that I thought would be helpful. I gave ideas of how LiveBinders could be used in the classroom, and I showed some examples of each. We will have a follow-up training next week on Monday, and I am looking forward to hearing how my teachers have been using their new tool.
All in all, delivering professional development has been one of the most rewarding parts of the Pinnacle process. It renewed my own enthusiasm for technology integration and reminded me that there are a lot of teachers who really want to constantly improve their practice.
I chose to deliver optional professional development rather than mandatory professional development. I made this decision for a number of reasons. First, most of my peers seemed exhausted after all the common core workshops and other training activities we have had this year. Second, I remember feeling frustrated when being forced to participate in professional development that I didn't feel I needed or could apply in my classroom. I wanted to target a small group of teachers who would be very eager to incorporate technology integration activities that would enhance their students' learning experiences.
I couldn't have made a better choice. I had a group of about 9 teachers for Quizlet training, and a group of about 5 for LiveBinders. The interesting thing was that it wasn't all the same teachers at both, and some of them were people I didn't expect to come to a training like that! They were really eager to use the tools and strategies that I provided. I even had a few people come work with me outside the workshop time to help them better use the tools.
Quizlet training was really smooth. I had a solid online handout that I began developing last summer and that I completed this spring. Using the handout, I guided teachers through creating an account, creating flashcards, and implementing interactive activities using Quizlet in the classroom. We also had a follow-up session in which the teachers shared their successes and asked questions. I was able to teach them some more advanced tricks with Quizlet, too.
LiveBinders training went well also. It was a small group, but that worked well. I was lucky to be able to use Jason Mammano's handout for the training, and I adapted it to include some additional features that I thought would be helpful. I gave ideas of how LiveBinders could be used in the classroom, and I showed some examples of each. We will have a follow-up training next week on Monday, and I am looking forward to hearing how my teachers have been using their new tool.
All in all, delivering professional development has been one of the most rewarding parts of the Pinnacle process. It renewed my own enthusiasm for technology integration and reminded me that there are a lot of teachers who really want to constantly improve their practice.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Reflections on Google
I can't believe it's already March. Second semester is flying by and it's going great! I have been giving professional development on Quizlet and I'm about to do one on Liveninders. I've got a small group who are really interested and who are already implementing Quizlet. It's awesome!
I've been implementing a lot of technology in Creative Writing. All my students have LiveBinders portfolios. We are putting all of our writing assignments in Blogger and Google Docs. It's going pretty smoothly. One issue we have been having is that students forget their passwords all the time. We could use an easier way to reset them. Also, I'm concerned. Will students lose all their documents when they graduate from GCS? I'd really like for them to be able to keep their portfolios even after graduation.
Has anyone played with Aviary yet? We are going to do a performance poetry piece and I was trying to decide if we should use Audacity or Aviary or something else.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Writing Brought Me Back to Life
We are already in the third week of the new semester, and I have discovered a new vigor for teaching. For the first time in my eight years of teaching, I have finally gotten to teach one of my two ideal classes: Creative Writing (the other would be Public Speaking). Creative Writing is a blast, and my other two classes are pretty good, too. I'm actually pretty happy.
One of the best things about Creative Writing is that I have been able to integrate technology into my lessons. I have taught my students to use Live Binders, Mixbook, Prezi, Blogger, and Google Docs. We are posting our online portfolios to my classroom website. You can see some samples of my students' creative nonfiction pieces below:
My portfolio: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=289307
D'Andre's Portfolio: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=297363
Shelby's portfolio: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=297361
Lindsay's portfolio: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=297355
Our class's favorite assignment by far has been the Six Word Memoir. Want to play? You can listen to the story behind the Six Word Memoir at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123289019&ps=cprs. Then try to come up with your own six word memoir and post it as a comment to this blog entry. I'll bring you some chocolate at our next Pinnacle meeting if you post one! :)
I'm so happy this semester. I hope you are too! I can't wait to hear everyone's success story at the next meeting!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A Letter to My Younger Self.
Hey Mr. B.,
It's hard to believe you're (I'm) starting your first year teaching. I know you're nervous since you've been placed in a high school even though you did your student teaching in an elementary school, but you'll be fine. Be confident in yourself. You are a patient and strong person; you will really be able to excel with the "at risk" students you have been hired to teach.
Just don't go too crazy. I know you tend to bury yourself in your work. Take some time for yourself. Sure, you have to do the work, but don't let it consume your whole world. You're moving to a new town--you need time to develop a social circle and a life.
Don't panic if you don't know everything. You've always been good at faking it. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new techniques--and technology. You may think it's superfluous now, but in the future you won't be able to imagine teaching without it.
Most importantly, don't forget why you went into this profession to begin with. You had two special teachers in high school who touched you deeply and changed your life. You probably wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Mr. Groves and Ms. Fabish. Mr. Groves stood by you for six years while you were in choir. He taught you to be part of a team and to work with others. You were part of something special then and you'll never forget that. Ms. Fabish was an awesome math teacher, but the thing you remember more than anything is the day she pulled you out of class to talk. You didn't say much, but knowing she noticed something was wrong and that she took the time to talk... well, she cared about you.
That's why you teach. Anyone can teach content. Not everyone can touch lives.
Don't forget that. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Plato. If you ever forget that, reach back to those memories of why you started teaching and remind yourself that you love this job and that you love kids.
Now go change lives.
Your Future Self,
Mr. B.
P.S. "Save the cheerleader, save the world!"
It's hard to believe you're (I'm) starting your first year teaching. I know you're nervous since you've been placed in a high school even though you did your student teaching in an elementary school, but you'll be fine. Be confident in yourself. You are a patient and strong person; you will really be able to excel with the "at risk" students you have been hired to teach.
Just don't go too crazy. I know you tend to bury yourself in your work. Take some time for yourself. Sure, you have to do the work, but don't let it consume your whole world. You're moving to a new town--you need time to develop a social circle and a life.
Don't panic if you don't know everything. You've always been good at faking it. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new techniques--and technology. You may think it's superfluous now, but in the future you won't be able to imagine teaching without it.
Most importantly, don't forget why you went into this profession to begin with. You had two special teachers in high school who touched you deeply and changed your life. You probably wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Mr. Groves and Ms. Fabish. Mr. Groves stood by you for six years while you were in choir. He taught you to be part of a team and to work with others. You were part of something special then and you'll never forget that. Ms. Fabish was an awesome math teacher, but the thing you remember more than anything is the day she pulled you out of class to talk. You didn't say much, but knowing she noticed something was wrong and that she took the time to talk... well, she cared about you.
That's why you teach. Anyone can teach content. Not everyone can touch lives.
Don't forget that. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Plato. If you ever forget that, reach back to those memories of why you started teaching and remind yourself that you love this job and that you love kids.
Now go change lives.
Your Future Self,
Mr. B.
P.S. "Save the cheerleader, save the world!"
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Reflection
At our recent Pinnacle Leader's meeting, we were asked to identify a day this school year on which we left work feeling more energized and positive. I really struggled to identify a single day, but I finally determined that the first day of school left me feeling energized and motivated because I always enjoy meeting new students and getting to know them. I also realized that I have not been spending enough time building relationships with my students. I have been too focused on the curriculum--specifically, working in a new grade level and juggling multiple preps--in order to enjoy my interactions with students, and I have so many students that it is all but impossible to really get to know them all. While I have often been frustrated and overwhelmed this semester, I have had many bright spots with particular students that have made me remember This is why I teach. As second semester approaches, I do look forward to getting to know my new students. I hope that I can continue to focus on the positive aspects of my career and my students so that I can be happy with and proud of what I do.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Technology Integrated Unit
Unit Overview
The unit I have planned and implemented centers around Homer’s The Odyssey. This unit includes interactive activities and technology based activities. My original plan included to use a United Streaming video and assignment, a meet-the-characters tea party, a double-entry-diary on Google Docs, a series of blogs, an art project, and a podcast as a culminating activity. In implementing the unit, I made a few significant changes.
Before reading, I had planned to use a video on United Streaming. After reviewing the video, I decided it would not engage my students. Instead, I showed a history channel documentary on ancient Greek beliefs and customs. After this, the students participated in a meet-the-characters activity in which they took on the roles of characters from the story and got to meet and greet each other. These pre-reading strategies helped scaffold student understanding of a complex text that was written nearly 3,000 years ago.
Google student accounts were not up and running at the time I implemented this unit, so I had students make double-entry-diaries in their notebooks. This strategy helped them to think about their reading. I also had students respond to blog prompts throughout their reading. You can view these at the following links:
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/05/violence-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/12/heroes-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/18/art-1-4/
After reading the first section of the epic, students created red figure painting style urns. These were based on the style of the art of the ancient Greeks. I have included a picture below.
When we finished reading The Odyssey, we did a culminating project. I had planned to use class time to create radio theater podcasts; unfortunately, the computer lab was solidly booked around this time. In lieu of podcasts, I gave students a project assignment which included a variety of options (some technology and some not). Students could choose to create a MyFakeWall, a podcast, a travel brochure, a piece of artwork, or a sequel to the epic. Unfortunately, I didn’t save the MyFakeWall links from my ninth graders doing The Odyssey, but I have a couple from my tenth graders doing Troy linked below.
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Achilles_101
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Andromache_3
Many students wanted to do the MyFakeWall project, but the website was having some major issues at that time. In the end, only a handful of students finished projects using it because it was not working properly.
Learner-Centered
Students were engaged in some parts of the unit and were less engaged in other parts (especially in just reading the text). As teacher, I determined a majority of the learning outcomes. Students were able to make choices about their projects, but this unit gave students limited options.
Relation to Core Content
This unit was content-driven. I tried to bring in technology in those areas in which it enhanced student learning. However, with the difficulties in Google Docs and MyFakeWall, the technology really was more limited than I had planned.
Student Achievement
Students were, as a whole, successful in this unit. There were some students who did not complete the projects. I don’t know whether the technology enhanced student understanding.
The Odyssey is a complex text and is really unlike anything that students will have to read on the EOC. However, the thinking strategies that we used can be applied to other reading. I teach The Odyssey because it is part of the literary canon, but it is hard to make it truly relevant to students.
Pedagogical Change
I did not make any major changes to the way I teach for this unit. I have implemented some of these activities in the past and have also tried some new ones. I tried to incorporate some of the reading strategies that I learned about when completing my master’s degree and some of the new technology activities I learned about through the Pinnacle program.
Reflection
The unit went OK. I was really frustrated with my technology integration because I was not able to successfully do anything I wanted to do. I could not get computer labs because they were all being used for the two week window at the end of the unit. The alternate assignment that most students wanted to complete, MyFakeWall, had problems with loading and creating walls.
My students did OK with the unit and many of them enjoyed the story. However, I don’t feel like this was the best I have ever done teaching it. I think I was distracted by too many extraneous factors to give my full focus to teaching and to teaching well.
I kept telling myself I would do a different technology integrated unit because I was not especially proud of this one. I didn’t want to blog about it because I just felt like it could have been so much better. However, I never got around to it. With a new prep this year, most of my energy has been devoted to figuring out a new curriculum. It has not been an easy year for me, and while I enjoy the challenge of teaching something new, I simply feel burned out. I hope that in the future I will be able to better balance my life and to devote more energy to student-centered, technology-integrated lessons.
The unit I have planned and implemented centers around Homer’s The Odyssey. This unit includes interactive activities and technology based activities. My original plan included to use a United Streaming video and assignment, a meet-the-characters tea party, a double-entry-diary on Google Docs, a series of blogs, an art project, and a podcast as a culminating activity. In implementing the unit, I made a few significant changes.
Before reading, I had planned to use a video on United Streaming. After reviewing the video, I decided it would not engage my students. Instead, I showed a history channel documentary on ancient Greek beliefs and customs. After this, the students participated in a meet-the-characters activity in which they took on the roles of characters from the story and got to meet and greet each other. These pre-reading strategies helped scaffold student understanding of a complex text that was written nearly 3,000 years ago.
Google student accounts were not up and running at the time I implemented this unit, so I had students make double-entry-diaries in their notebooks. This strategy helped them to think about their reading. I also had students respond to blog prompts throughout their reading. You can view these at the following links:
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/05/violence-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/12/heroes-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/18/art-1-4/
After reading the first section of the epic, students created red figure painting style urns. These were based on the style of the art of the ancient Greeks. I have included a picture below.
When we finished reading The Odyssey, we did a culminating project. I had planned to use class time to create radio theater podcasts; unfortunately, the computer lab was solidly booked around this time. In lieu of podcasts, I gave students a project assignment which included a variety of options (some technology and some not). Students could choose to create a MyFakeWall, a podcast, a travel brochure, a piece of artwork, or a sequel to the epic. Unfortunately, I didn’t save the MyFakeWall links from my ninth graders doing The Odyssey, but I have a couple from my tenth graders doing Troy linked below.
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Achilles_101
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Andromache_3
Many students wanted to do the MyFakeWall project, but the website was having some major issues at that time. In the end, only a handful of students finished projects using it because it was not working properly.
Learner-Centered
Students were engaged in some parts of the unit and were less engaged in other parts (especially in just reading the text). As teacher, I determined a majority of the learning outcomes. Students were able to make choices about their projects, but this unit gave students limited options.
Relation to Core Content
This unit was content-driven. I tried to bring in technology in those areas in which it enhanced student learning. However, with the difficulties in Google Docs and MyFakeWall, the technology really was more limited than I had planned.
Student Achievement
Students were, as a whole, successful in this unit. There were some students who did not complete the projects. I don’t know whether the technology enhanced student understanding.
The Odyssey is a complex text and is really unlike anything that students will have to read on the EOC. However, the thinking strategies that we used can be applied to other reading. I teach The Odyssey because it is part of the literary canon, but it is hard to make it truly relevant to students.
Pedagogical Change
I did not make any major changes to the way I teach for this unit. I have implemented some of these activities in the past and have also tried some new ones. I tried to incorporate some of the reading strategies that I learned about when completing my master’s degree and some of the new technology activities I learned about through the Pinnacle program.
Reflection
The unit went OK. I was really frustrated with my technology integration because I was not able to successfully do anything I wanted to do. I could not get computer labs because they were all being used for the two week window at the end of the unit. The alternate assignment that most students wanted to complete, MyFakeWall, had problems with loading and creating walls.
My students did OK with the unit and many of them enjoyed the story. However, I don’t feel like this was the best I have ever done teaching it. I think I was distracted by too many extraneous factors to give my full focus to teaching and to teaching well.
I kept telling myself I would do a different technology integrated unit because I was not especially proud of this one. I didn’t want to blog about it because I just felt like it could have been so much better. However, I never got around to it. With a new prep this year, most of my energy has been devoted to figuring out a new curriculum. It has not been an easy year for me, and while I enjoy the challenge of teaching something new, I simply feel burned out. I hope that in the future I will be able to better balance my life and to devote more energy to student-centered, technology-integrated lessons.
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