Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

Check out Samantha Morra’s “8 Steps to Great Digital Stories” in order to get ideas for integration of oral storytelling into your classroom. The author believes that digital storytelling is the “21^st Century version of the age-old art of storytelling.” The difference is that today students can share their stories via video and the Internet worldwide.  Students, however, need a plan of action to help them tell their stories. Morra provides one as she suggests you lead your students through a series of steps that includes thinking of ideas, developing storyboards, gathering input, creating products, and getting feedback. She also notes that great digital stories are usually personal and concise, follow a script, use available materials, involve collaboration, and are based on universal story elements.

Teaching Inspiration from Edutopia

Edutopia has a wonderful “Be Inspired” pinboard on Pinterest. Filled with excellent quotes about children, teaching and learning; the page is proof that “Teachers Make a Difference”. You’ll enjoy all the pinnings.

The 21st Century Teacher

My guess is that, except for the technology ingredient (unless we consider the printing press, the pencil, the pen, film projectors, tape recorders, chalk), there were 21^st Century teachers in all of the centuries in the past. As I read Josh Stumpenhorst’s What is a 21^st Century Teacher?, in the SmartBlog on Education, I thought back to the projects and ideas that were evolving in schools in the 1960s and 1970s. Project-based learning and connected teachers are certainly nothing new. It seems to me that the phrase “21^st Century Teachers” is just another name for good teachers who make use of their creativity and of the tools they have to give the best to their students.  They teach in a way that students learn how to learn, and they know how to encourage students to explore the excitement of learning on their own, with others and with them. I agree with Stumpenhorst that teachers today need to be “connected educators”, “masters of technology”, “reflective practitioners”, and advocates for good teaching and the teaching profession. I also agree that we aren’t there yet in many of our classrooms, technology-wise and teaching-wise. Master teachers will, as they have always done, lead the way for others.

PLP—Powerful Learning Practice

If you’re like me, you are confused about all the acronyms that relate to improved teaching. I had to look up PLP to find out that it stood for Powerful Learning Practice, which sounds good to me. It’s all about professional development, called the Connected Learner Experience. On the PLP site, you can download a brochure about what PLP has to offer and sign up for the free 13-page Twitter Handbook for Teachers. There’s a PLP convention scheduled for Philadelphia on September 28, 2012 that is designed to inspire, provide collaboration, and help accelerate the shift to positive change in teaching.

What Automated Grading of Essays Can’t Do

Although research from the University of Akron found that automated grading of essays can be as accurate as human grading, the conclusions are debatable. Think of those students who are terrific at creative writing but don’t follow normal patterns of writing. If their work doesn’t contain what the robot grader is expecting, too bad. Akron’s leading researcher, Mark D. Shermis, admits that the programs aren’t good at evaluating creativity and should only be used as supplementary resources for teachers who teach the basics of writing. English teacher Renee Moore says that it’s not the grade that’s important on an essay; it’s the learning process that takes place through student-teacher interaction. Automated graders can’t sit down next to students and go over their essays with them. They can’t tell fact from fiction, and according to Les Perelman, Director of Writing at MIT, they can be fooled.

The Terrible Teacher Guide

Vicki Davis, in her Cool Cat Teacher Blog, believes that teaching is a noble calling and that teachers who are always on their cell phones or paying attention to their computers rather than their students, aren’t behaving nobly.  Although she admits that all teachers have TT or Terrible Teacher days when they are overwhelmed with work or complaints, it is at these times when they need to stop and think about putting a positive tone in their teaching. According to Davis, in addition to cell phone and computer use, other indications of a TT are teachers who often lose their tempers or are “predictably dramatic”; who share their students’ private information; who talk too much, especially without expression; who don’t vary their teaching methods; who only teach to the “good” students; who use the same tests and lessons every year; who aren’t consistent and whose words of warning mean nothing; and who don’t actually like their students and embarrass them in front of others.

When Teaching Gets Tough

The new ASCD book, When Teaching Gets Tough: Smart Ways to Reclaim Your Game, by Allen Mendler, gives us what so many need: information about how to deal with difficult students, difficult parents, and difficult colleagues while being “expected to get top-notch student achievement without adequate support.” No one except a teacher knows how much patience and time it takes to run a successful classroom. However, every teacher should remember that there will be times when not everyone agrees with how you are teaching, grading, and interacting with students. A growing number of parents today scrutinize everything their children’s teachers do. Instead of working with teachers as a team to help children, some seem to work against what teachers are trying to do. Teachers may also feel underappreciated by administrators and colleagues and don’t feel that they are given the chance to be truly professional. Mendler’s book focuses on encouraging teachers to take care of themselves, to remember the big picture when problems arise, and to put to use crucial self-help advice.  The world of the classroom may not be perfect, but teachers can make the best of imperfect environments and situations.

Bag the Excuses

Consultant Dick Webster starts one of his workshop sessions by having teachers and administrators in the audience use index cards to write a short note about something they’d really like to do but haven’t accomplished. Then, on the back of the cards, he asks them to list why they haven’t made it to their goal. At the end of the session, he has everyone drop their cards into a bag as he instructs them to “bag their excuses” and get moving. Webster, who has been a teacher, headmaster and coach, challenges his audiences to have a positive impact on students in their schools. He motivates educators to rethink what they are doing as they develop confidence in their own abilities and help their students gain the confidence they need to find success in school and beyond. Sometimes, just giving students another chance and letting them know that you have faith in them will spur them on to the right path.

This message is also appropriate for schools and technology in this time of economic crisis.  It’s not easy for us to face cutbacks and stop grumbling about what we need for our classrooms. Do we need to do as Webster would advise, “strengthen our ignition systems” and make a commitment to do the best with what we have—all the while fighting for what we feel we need to help our students?

Rock Enroll

Those of us who have been in education for some time have been through more in-service and professional development sessions than we can remember. Most often, they are forgettable. While some are inspiring and on-target with what will help you and your students, many leave you thinking that you’d rather use the time grading papers or working with your students. You have seen all sorts of ideas designed to promote good teaching. The latest I’ve not seen, but have read about is Teach Like a Rock Star.  It sounds quite interesting. The leader is Hal Bowman, teacher and author, who leads educators in his dynamic sessions to help raise tests scores, motivate individual students, become a classroom leader, build better connections with students, create enthusiasm, become a positive influence in students’ lives, and “tap their own ability to uncover The Rock Star Teacher that lies within.”

21st Century Teaching & Learning Plan

Attention School Leaders: ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) have announced that they will work together to provide the online course: From Vision to Action: The 21^st Century Teaching and Learning Plan.  This will be a collaborative and interactive program in which school leaders will work together using tools such as readings, videos, presentations and application exercises to develop and implement a plan, which will reflect 21^st century teaching and learning. The price for the course is $99.